seat post height question-how high?

A shy person write:

Quoted message said:

My impression is that the higher you can put your seatpost, the more
efficient your pedal stroke will be, since you get better extension.
Obviously at some point you can get into hyper-extension pain at the
back of your knee if it's too high. Is that the correct thinking, or
is there some other height that works better? I raise mine up little
by little until it starts to hurt behind my knees after a ride, then
lower it a few mm. I see people riding who effectively have much lower
seat heights but since they're riding with me I don't make any
suggestions... all thoughts and experiences appreciated.

From what I see when out riding is that your idea is prevalent among
riders. There is a fairly simple test, even if the person making the
fit is not practiced in the art. If the hips swivel while pedaling,
seen from behind, then the saddle is too high. Of course there are
exceptions for people who have some physical handicap but the hip
swivel test is a good one for physically adept people.

Often, too low a position comes from fear of falling or not being able
to reach the road with the feet. The best fit can easily be gotten by
having a person skilled in the art watch while the person rides, even
at a slow pace. "Fit Kit" tries to quantify that so this does not
need a field test that may not give useful results. An observer must
know what to look for. Swiveling hips and too long a reach to the
bars are sure indicators.

Jobst Brandt
[email hidden]

RE/

Quoted message said:

my impression is that the higher you can put your seatpost, the more
efficient your pedal stroke will be, since you get better extension...

......all thoughts and experiences appreciated. thanks

Start with a height that lets you sit on the saddle, heel on the pedal, knee
locked. That will give you a little bend in the knee when you're actually
pedaling with ball of foot on pedal.

Then go up/down from there as suites you.

Personally, I find 1/4" differences tb significant....maybe even 1/8"...so we're
not talking about a lot of deviation from the heel-on-pedal-knee-locked starting
point.

For rough ground, I might drop it a quarter or even a half inch. Raise it
upwards at your own risk. What feels better for a few minutes can have
negative consequences on your plumbing over the long run.

--
PeteCresswell

[email hidden said:

"]A shy person write:

Quoted message said:

My impression is that the higher you can put your seatpost, the more
efficient your pedal stroke will be, since you get better extension.
Obviously at some point you can get into hyper-extension pain at the
back of your knee if it's too high. Is that the correct thinking, or
is there some other height that works better? I raise mine up little
by little until it starts to hurt behind my knees after a ride, then
lower it a few mm. I see people riding who effectively have much lower
seat heights but since they're riding with me I don't make any
suggestions... all thoughts and experiences appreciated.

From what I see when out riding is that your idea is prevalent among
riders. There is a fairly simple test, even if the person making the
fit is not practiced in the art. If the hips swivel while pedaling,
seen from behind, then the saddle is too high. Of course there are
exceptions for people who have some physical handicap but the hip
swivel test is a good one for physically adept people.

Often, too low a position comes from fear of falling or not being able
to reach the road with the feet. The best fit can easily be gotten by
having a person skilled in the art watch while the person rides, even
at a slow pace. "Fit Kit" tries to quantify that so this does not
need a field test that may not give useful results. An observer must
know what to look for. Swiveling hips and too long a reach to the
bars are sure indicators.

Jobst Brandt
[email hidden]

An recent article on cyclingnews.com might help:

cyclingnews.comfitnessOpen ↗

Ritch

Get off your butt and ride. The seat is only there to protect the seat post from dissappearing when you go over a bump in the road.

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 01:33:54 GMT, [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

From what I see when out riding is that your idea is prevalent among
riders. There is a fairly simple test, even if the person making the
fit is not practiced in the art. If the hips swivel while pedaling,
seen from behind, then the saddle is too high. Of course there are
exceptions for people who have some physical handicap but the hip
swivel test is a good one for physically adept people.

I find that you saddle can be too high even though your hips don't
swivel. If the seat is a bit too high, you get pulled more toward the
point of the saddle to make the distance to the pedals shorter.

I find the when my leg is extended and I can just drop my heal below
the pedal axel by hyperextenting my leg, the seat is at proper height.
Said simply, my leg is slightly bent at bottom of stroke.

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 12:02:56 +1100, anerobic
<[email hidden]> wrote:

<
<my impression is that the higher you can put your seatpost, the more
<efficient your pedal stroke will be, since you get better extension.
<obviously at some point you can get into hyper-extension pain at the
<back of your knee if it's too high. is that the correct thinking, or
<is there some other height that works better? i raise mine up little
<by little until it starts to hurt behind my knees after a ride, then
<lower it a few mm. i see people riding who effectively have much lower
<seat heights but since they're riding with me i don't make any
<suggestions....all thoughts and experiences appreciated.

Greg Lemond(with Kent Gordis) writes on this subject in Complete Book of
Bicycling. He notes what you you have written and makes similar suggestions.

Ritch O? said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My impression is that the higher you can put your seatpost, the
more efficient your pedal stroke will be, since you get better
extension. Obviously at some point you can get into
hyper-extension pain at the back of your knee if it's too high.
Is that the correct thinking, or is there some other height that
works better? I raise mine up little by little until it starts to
hurt behind my knees after a ride, then lower it a few mm. I see
people riding who effectively have much lower seat heights but
since they're riding with me I don't make any suggestions... all
thoughts and experiences appreciated.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

From what I see when out riding is that your idea is prevalent
among riders. There is a fairly simple test, even if the person
making the fit is not practiced in the art. If the hips swivel
while pedaling, seen from behind, then the saddle is too high. Of
course there are exceptions for people who have some physical
handicap but the hip swivel test is a good one for physically adept
people.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Often, too low a position comes from fear of falling or not being
able to reach the road with the feet. The best fit can easily be
gotten by having a person skilled in the art watch while the person
rides, even at a slow pace. "Fit Kit" tries to quantify that so
this does not need a field test that may not give useful results.
An observer must know what to look for. Swiveling hips and too
long a reach to the bars are sure indicators.

Quoted message said:

An recent article on cyclingnews.com might help:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=2004/letters12-20

What in this article did you find interesting enough to recommend that
we read the thread? To me it seems to beat around the bush and dodge
the real issues.

Jobst Brandt
[email hidden]

Paul Kopit said:

Quoted message said:

From what I see when out riding is that your idea is prevalent
among riders. There is a fairly simple test, even if the person
making the fit is not practiced in the art. If the hips swivel
while pedaling, seen from behind, then the saddle is too high. Of
course there are exceptions for people who have some physical
handicap but the hip swivel test is a good one for physically adept
people.

Quoted message said:

I find that you saddle can be too high even though your hips don't
swivel. If the seat is a bit too high, you get pulled more toward
the point of the saddle to make the distance to the pedals shorter.

I think you'll find that these folks have swiveling hips when they
ride on the ideal spot on the saddle and that they will probably
adjust their position more often if they slide forward, which is
usually a sign of a forward tilting saddle rather than height
adjustment.

Quoted message said:

I find the when my leg is extended and I can just drop my heal below
the pedal axle by hyperextending my leg, the seat is at proper
height. Said simply, my leg is slightly bent at bottom of stroke.

This rule of thumb doesn't work because riders differ in their foot
size and angle to the horizontal which would make that measure
invalid. I was fortunate to have an expert adjust my bicycle merely
from riding around the parking lot slowly and it has suited me well.

Jobst Brandt
[email hidden]

<[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de :
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paul Kopit writes:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I find the when my leg is extended and I can just drop my heal below
the pedal axle by hyperextending my leg, the seat is at proper
height. Said simply, my leg is slightly bent at bottom of stroke.

This rule of thumb doesn't work because riders differ in their foot
size and angle to the horizontal which would make that measure
invalid. I was fortunate to have an expert adjust my bicycle merely
from riding around the parking lot slowly and it has suited me well.

Jobst Brandt

What's up - your way or wrong ?
If you read and paid attention, you'd see Paul offered a general idea, not
precise millimetric formulae, then offered a personal observation on his own
geometry. He didn't offer a rule of thumb, and even if you take it that
way, it is a supplement to your own personal anecdote of how to do it. Get
over it - "The Book" doesn't mean you always have insight. Certainly you
lack the ability to engage in two-way communication with anything less than
gruff arrogance.
--
Bonne route,

Sandy
Verneuil-sur-Seine FR

Sandy said:

<[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de :
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Paul Kopit writes:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I find the when my leg is extended and I can just drop my heal below
the pedal axle by hyperextending my leg, the seat is at proper
height. Said simply, my leg is slightly bent at bottom of stroke.

This rule of thumb doesn't work because riders differ in their foot
size and angle to the horizontal which would make that measure
invalid. I was fortunate to have an expert adjust my bicycle merely
from riding around the parking lot slowly and it has suited me well.

Jobst Brandt

What's up - your way or wrong ?
If you read and paid attention, you'd see Paul offered a general
idea, not precise millimetric formulae, then offered a personal
observation on his own geometry. He didn't offer a rule of thumb,
and even if you take it that way, it is a supplement to your own
personal anecdote of how to do it. Get over it - "The Book" doesn't
mean you always have insight. Certainly you lack the ability to
engage in two-way communication with anything less than gruff
arrogance.

In other breaking news, the sky is blue.

anerobic said:

my impression is that the higher you can put your seatpost, the more efficient your pedal stroke will be, since you get better extension. obviously at some point you can get into hyper-extension pain at the back of your knee if it's too high. is that the correct thinking, or is there some other height that works better? i raise mine up little by little until it starts to hurt behind my knees after a ride, then lower it a few mm. i see people riding who effectively have much lower seat heights but since they're riding with me i don't make any suggestions....all thoughts and experiences appreciated. thanks

I tried the same but in reality this is not so. My knees started hurting, very sore back and neck. The seat was way to high. Don't mess with your seat hieght, go to a professional bike shop and get them to fit you up properly. I did, it was the best 35bucks i have spent on my bike. If not give this a go. strawberrybicycle.comframes custom.phpOpen ↗
The measurments from this matched up with what the bike shop gave me. See what you think. 😄

"Bill Sornson" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de :
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In other breaking news, the sky is blue.

Perhaps where you are ...
But today is promising at 11C and rain.
--
Bonne route,

Sandy
Verneuil-sur-Seine FR

leestevens said:

Quoted message said:

I tried the same but in reality this is not so. My knees started
hurting, very sore back and neck. The seat was way to high. Don't mess
with your seat hieght, go to a professional bike shop and get them to
fit you up properly. I did, it was the best 35bucks i have spent on my
bike. If not give this a go.
http://www.strawberrybicycle.com/frames-custom.php
The measurments from this matched up with what the bike shop gave me.
See what you think. 😄

Unless you have money, to burn, adjusting your seat is something that
you can do yourself.
And if you buy the bike from a LBS, they will adjust it at no charge.

Life is Good!
Jeff

anerobic said:

my impression is that the higher you can put your seatpost, the more
efficient your pedal stroke will be, since you get better extension.
obviously at some point you can get into hyper-extension pain at the
back of your knee if it's too high. is that the correct thinking, or
is there some other height that works better? i raise mine up little
by little until it starts to hurt behind my knees after a ride, then
lower it a few mm. i see people riding who effectively have much lower
seat heights but since they're riding with me i don't make any
suggestions....all thoughts and experiences appreciated. thanks

I think you have it just about right. An excellent indication that your
saddle is too low is if you find you're pushing further back along the
saddle when pedalling more powerfully (uphill or into a headwind).

Sandy said:

"Bill Sornson" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de
: news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In other breaking news, the sky is blue.

Perhaps where you are ... But today is promising at 11C and rain.

Then you may be having better cycling weather than us, with sunny
skies but -2C currently. That'll probably be the high temp today.

There's just no definitive way to determine saddle height, and I
suppose it's quite possible that there is no definitive saddle height
for any individual. Every cycling book offers a different method.
There is the CONI method, the Guimard/Lemond/Hinault method, the
heel-on-pedal method, the 105% of inseam method, the Eddy B (1) and
Eddy B (2) methods, etc.

My own opinion is that fit is a dynamic issue and simply measuring
various skeletal dimensions only provides a starting point.
Everyone's body mass distribution, strength in various limbs,
flexibility, neck and back issues, etc all are factors in finding the
right fit. I think the "right" fit is the one that lets you do your
longest typical ride in comfort, with no neck, shoulder or back pain,
no knee pain, no hand or wrist pain, etc. For most people this will
not be an aerodynamic Euro road racer position.

So pick any of the methods you want, recognize that they're nothing
more than starting points, and then systematically vary adjustments
until the bike feels good to ride. Or if you can have Mr. Cinelli
adjust your fit for you, that'd be good too and would save you a lot
of time. ;-) I didn't have that option and it took me 25 years of
tweaking to find what seems like the "best" position for me. I
haven't adjusted anything on my main two bikes for 5 years or more, so
I guess it must be about right. FWIW the method outlined in Hinault's
and Genzling's book comes very close to what I ended up with.

Some people will end up looking like Maurizio Fondriest and others
will end up with positions like Sean Kelly's. What's right is what
works for you, on your bike, with your body.

From Tim McNamara:

Quoted message said:

Every cycling book offers a different >method. There is the CONI method, the

Guimard/Lemond/Hinault method, the

Quoted message said:

heel-on-pedal method, the 105% of inseam method, the Eddy B (1) and
Eddy B (2) methods, etc.

Not to mention the Eddy Merckx method.

Quoted message said:

My own opinion is that fit is a dynamic >issue (snip)

Mr. Merckx can be seen on film demonstrating his (same) opinion. --TP

Quoted message said:

I was fortunate to have an expert adjust my bicycle merely
from riding around the parking lot slowly and it has suited me well.

Was this a one-time event?
Do you always ride in the same clothes and with the same footwear?
John Thurston
Juneau, Alaska

<[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de :
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I was fortunate to have an expert adjust my bicycle merely
from riding around the parking lot slowly and it has suited me well.

Was this a one-time event?
Do you always ride in the same clothes and with the same footwear?
John Thurston
Juneau, Alaska

Those are fact questions ! Don't be so rude as to ask him to answer.
Instead, better to go the that parking lot and watch his ass wiggle.
Emulate. Done.
--
Bonne route,

Sandy
Verneuil-sur-Seine FR