Dublin Bikes: Land of the Giants

gibo_ie

Every time i go to take a DB i have to bring the saddle way down.. I am 6 foot 4 but it seem like everyone who takes these bikes must be giants or setting the height very wrong...
Is it just me?
I base the saddle height from this: http://www.ehow.com/how_14103_determine-correct-saddle.html

"Fine-tune the fit. Put your feet on the pedals so that the balls of your feet are centered on the pedals, and pedal backward. Do your hips rock back and forth? If so, the seat is too high. Conversely, if you feel cramped, it is probably too low."

Vélo

I'm only 5' 7" and often have to put the saddle up.

I think too many people cycle around with the saddle too low.

I actually try see a bike that the saddle looks right for me, even though it only takes a few seconds to adjust.

Khannie

My rule is that I bring the saddle on those bikes up to just around my belt height. I feel high on the bike, but I'm not rocking side to side. So much easier than when the saddle is too low.

edit:

Vélo wrote: »

I actually try see a bike that the saddle looks right for me, even though it only takes a few seconds to adjust.

Same.

Cookie_Monster

If you can sit on the saddle and have both feet touch the ground, it's too low.

Khannie

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

If you can sit on the saddle and have both feet touch the ground, it's too low.

Yeah that's a useful gauge too. I have to step down off the bike at lights or hold on to a nearby lamppost / use the kerb.

christeb

you're 6'4 and need to put the saddle down? I normally max it out (same height) and feel extremely comfortable on it.

Fairly experienced cyclist btw

Piercemeear

This might be stating the obvious, but when there's a few bikes there and no queue, i walk along, find one around my height, check the tyres and then enter its number.

tomasrojo

I also look down the rank for a saddle about the right height, check the tyres and then hire that one.

Looking around, I think that quite a few people have the saddle too low, but they're only using them for short journeys, so it probably isn't that important.

seamus

I max it out at 5' 11" because anything else feels too low. Even full height isn't quite high enough for me, but it'll do.

Piercemeear

May be a case of people used to road bikes trying to emulate the feel of a road bike geometry on an upright city bike. I'm 5'11'' and I don't feel the need to max it out for a jaunt across the city, but I still wouldn't want to ride one all day.

seamus

Piercemeear wrote: »

May be a case of people used to road bikes trying to emulate the feel of a road bike geometry on an upright city bike.

To be fair, regardless of what bike I'm on, I will always adjust to the usual rule of having your leg straight when your heel is on the pedal. Having bent knees at the bottom of the pedal stroke is exhausting.

Holyboy

gibo_ie wrote: »

Every time i go to take a DB i have to bring the saddle way down.. I am 6 foot 4 but it seem like everyone who takes these bikes must be giants or setting the height very wrong...
Is it just me?
I base the saddle height from this: http://www.ehow.com/how_14103_determine-correct-saddle.html

"Fine-tune the fit. Put your feet on the pedals so that the balls of your feet are centered on the pedals, and pedal backward. Do your hips rock back and forth? If so, the seat is too high. Conversely, if you feel cramped, it is probably too low."

Maybe you just have very short legs and a long upper body!

mfdc

I'm 5'10" and I always max it out. In fact even maxed it's slightly too low, my knees bend a bit too much at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

It's just a habit of mine from the road bike though. I think most folks have the height too low, but it doesn't matter since trips on the DB's are so short. Try 200km with the saddle too low and you'll know all about it though