Road bike seat height?

Ken Bessler said:

How do I adjust the seat height?

There are a couple of methods to get you in the ball park:

1) Center of BB to top of saddle = 0.883 x inseam.

2) Pedal axis (pedal down, aligned with seat tube) to top of saddle = 1.09 x inseam.

3) Raise saddle in 1/8" increments until your hips just start rocking when you pedal, then lower it
until you stop rocking.

You also want to set the fore/aft position of the saddle properly. A good starting place is to have
the front of your knee directly over the pedal axis with the pedals horizontal (3 o'clock position).
Have someone help you using a plumb line.

See: sbraweb.orgsetup.htmOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Also, how do I measure the frame size? Is it from crank centerline to top tube centerline (at the
seat post)? I got exactly 50cm this way

Unfortunately, there is no established standard. There are at least three ways of specifying
frame size:

4) Center of BB to center of top tube
5) Center of BB to top of top tube
6) Center of BB to top of seat tube (all measured along the seat tube.)

Take your pick. I prefer #1.

Quoted message said:

I measure 29" from crotch to floor = 73.66cm. If I add my feet that's another 3.25" or 8.255cm for
a total of
81.915cm. By that measure I need to raise my seat 1.738" or 4.415cm My seat is currently as far
down as it can go. I can just reach the street with both toes when sitting on the seat
but when riding, at the bottom of each stroke, my legs are still bent and at the top of
each stroke I feel a bit cramped......help?

Try 29" x .883 = 25.6" (25-5/8"😉 from center of BB to saddle as a start.

Art Harris

Ken Bessler asked:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

How do I adjust the seat height?

Art Harris replied.

Quoted message said:

There are a couple of methods to get you in the ball park:

1) Center of BB to top of saddle = 0.883 x inseam.

2) Pedal axis (pedal down, aligned with seat tube) to top of saddle = 1.09 x inseam.

These numerical "systems" are pure snake oil.

The first doesn't even take crank length into account!

Neither of them regards foot length or foot position on the pedal.

They also presume that it is possible to make a meaningful measurement to an unspecified type of
saddle to three significant digits, which is pretty meaningless, given the range of shapes and
flexibilities of saddles.

Quoted message said:

3) Raise saddle in 1/8" increments until your hips just start rocking when you pedal, then lower
it until you stop rocking.

That's the best way.

See also: sheldonbrown.comsaddles.htmlOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

You also want to set the fore/aft position of the saddle properly. A good starting place is to
have the front of your knee directly over the pedal axis with the pedals horizontal (3 o'clock
position). Have someone help you using a plumb line.

See: sbraweb.orgsetup.htmOpen ↗

See also sheldonbrown.comkops.htmlOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also, how do I measure the frame size? Is it from crank centerline to top tube centerline (at the
seat post)? I got exactly 50cm this way

Unfortunately, there is no established standard. There are at least three ways of specifying
frame size:

1) Center of BB to center of top tube
2) Center of BB to top of top tube
3) Center of BB to top of seat tube (all measured along the seat tube.)

More than that, actually! Some sloping-top-tube frames are measured by where the seat tube would end
up if the top tube didn't slope down from the head tube!

Quoted message said:

Take your pick. I prefer #1.

I prefer #3, but to me the top tube length is the much more important dimension, see:
sheldonbrown.comframe sizing.htmlOpen ↗.

Sheldon "Traial And Error" Brown
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| would discover that we were as far | from agreement as when we started, but that both had changed
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+--------------------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton,
Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts
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"Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Try 29" x .883 = 25.6" (25-5/8"😉 from center of BB to saddle as a start.

Art Harris

I tried the butt rocking meathod and with slight rocking, I measured
25.625". Backed off 1/4" and it feels fine. Adjusted the seat position back for knee alignment - all
the way back gave me almost perfect alignment......

Thanks, Art!

P.S. 72's es 73's OM es gl de Ken KG0WX/QRP DM79nr sk sk k

Ken

Quoted message said:

From: "Ken Bessler"

Quoted message said:

I have the following bike setup: snip<

Quoted message said:

Tires - Discovery Kevlar CyclePro 700x25

First time that I've seen these tires mentioned here. I've been buying them for years from REI but
they've since been replaced by the Avenir Discovery Kevlar Belted 700x25c which are said to be
identical (same tire) to the Cycle Pro albeit now made in Korea. I can't tell the difference. At
$15.00 per, it might be a tire to consider for those who ride city streets like I do and often lose
tires to cuts. Had to give up $30.00+ tires...too expensive. I obviously like them and wouldn't mind
seeing a review from someone more knowledgable than me. I wish they still made the Schwinn Record, a
good, expendable tire, I thought.

Sig Chicago

First off, you should slide forward off the seat when you stop. Otherwise you could possibly
entertain anyone in the area when you fall over. 🙂 Read the other replies and goto Sheldon's site.

Ken Bessler said:

I have the following bike setup:

Bianchi Limited 12 speed, circa 1990 ($35 at the Salvation Army) Derailurs & Shifters - Shimano
105's Brakes - "Dia Compe" Seat - FEC Alloy SX (Very light but nice) Gooseneck - SR Royal
Handlebars - SR Road Champion Crank arms - SR 170mm Front gear - Sugino 52-42 Rear gear -
25-23-20-17-15-13 Rims - Sun Mistral USA 700mm - 36 spoke alloy Tires - Discovery Kevlar CyclePro
700x25 Tubes - Slime 700x self healing ($15 for 2 tubes) Skewers - Suzue Wheel hubs - Suzue 36
spoke Valve stems - Presta (bought an adapter for $2) Computer - Cateye Astrale CC-CD100 N ($25)
GPS - Garmin Etrex Vista ($339) Communications - Yaesu VX-7Rb handheld ($319)

How do I adjust the seat height? I'm thinking the formula would be frame size + crank arm +
distance from top of frame to top of seat should equal my inseam, right? Or not? Measuring my
inseam is with my feet flat on the ground - I don't ride flat footed but with the base of my toes
on the pedals. Should I figgure this in?

Also, how do I measure the frame size? Is it from crank centerline to top tube centerline (at the
seat post)? I got exactly 50cm this way

Frame size = 50cm? Crank arm = 17cm Seat height= 10.5cm Total = 77.5 cm

I measure 29" from crotch to floor = 73.66cm. If I add my feet that's another 3.25" or 8.255cm for
a total of
81.915cm. By that measure I need to raise my seat 1.738" or 4.415cm My seat is currently as far
down as it can go. I can just reach the street with both toes when sitting on the seat
but when riding, at the bottom of each stroke, my legs are still bent and at the top of
each stroke I feel a bit cramped......help?

Ken

--
Mark Wolfe wolfenet.orgwolfenet.orgOpen ↗ gpg fingerprint = 42B6 EFEB 5414 AA18 01B7 64AC EF46 F7E6 82F6
8C71 Lottery: the closest thing we have to a tax on stupidity.

"Scic" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

From: "Ken Bessler"

Quoted message said:

I have the following bike setup: snip<

Quoted message said:

Tires - Discovery Kevlar CyclePro 700x25

First time that I've seen these tires mentioned here. I've been buying them for years from REI but
they've since been replaced

by the

Quoted message said:

Avenir Discovery Kevlar Belted 700x25c which are said to be identical

(same

Quoted message said:

tire) to the Cycle Pro albeit now made in Korea. I can't tell the

difference.

Quoted message said:

At $15.00 per, it might be a tire to consider for those who ride city

streets

Quoted message said:

like I do and often lose tires to cuts. Had to give up $30.00+

tires...too

Quoted message said:

expensive. I obviously like them and wouldn't mind seeing a review from someone more knowledgable
than me. I wish they still made the Schwinn Record, a good, expendable tire, I

thought.

CyclePro was the house brand* of West Coast Cycle ( Nishiki, nee American Eagle; also Azuki). That
company and many others were acquired by Raleigh. The classic CyclePro tires were made by IRC as
were the house brand Avenir/TourMate tires from WSI/DiamondBack (Centurion). That company was also
folded into the Raleigh organization.

Last year after yet another corporate reorganization at Raleigh (will it just be annual?) , the many
carryover brands were "rationalized" so they weren't selling twenty versions of the same product.
Many line items/labels were dropped or rebadged. Sounds to me as if your vendor is a Raleigh
customer. If you look around you'll find that tire available under various labels both from
IRC/Korea and still from IRC/Japan at a higher price.

Your Schwinn Puff, SuperSport and Record were by Panasonic/Matsushita/Panaracer in Japan. Equal
quality to IRC if not better in some cases.

IRC/Korea tires at $15 "expendable"? OK. IRC/Indonesia tires sell for $7.50. That's expendable!
(only in 27", not 700C)

*WCC also had a very cute brand name, "MIJON" , that was an acronym of "Made in Japan -Or Nearby" .
WCC used that for econo second-quality parts at one time.
--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

From: "A Muzi"

Quoted message said:

CyclePro was the house brand... snip< If you look around you'll find that tire available under
various labels both from IRC/Korea and still from IRC/Japan at a higher price.

"Scic" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks... and for the history as well. Very informative, as your replies always are.

However, getting senile such that memory is less reliable now.. A kind soul pointed out that
although many Schwin label tires were Panaracers, the Puff wasn't among them.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Ken Bessler said:

I have the following bike setup:

How do I adjust the seat height? I'm thinking the formula would be frame size + crank arm +
distance from top of frame to top of seat should equal my inseam, right? Or not?

Quoted message said:

I can just reach the street with both toes when sitting on the seat but when riding, at the bottom
of each stroke, my legs are still bent and at the top of each stroke I feel a bit
cramped......help?

See sheldonbrown.comsaddles.htmlOpen ↗

Mostly, put it up as high as is comfortable. You probably won't be able to touch the ground with
a toe if it's at the most efficient height. Your legs should be almost straight at the bottom of
the stroke.

You seem to already know when it's too low; it's too high when you're uncomfortable, or when your
hips rock side to side while you pedal. Somewhere in between those extremes is your comfort zone.

Quoted message said:

Ken

--
Rick Onanian

Rickster: the current accepted "formula" is your inseam X .883. This is supposed to equal saddle
height, measured from the low point of the top of the saddle to the center of the bottom bracket.
However... this does not take into account differences shoe sole thickness, pedal stack height, or
whether or not you have big or small feet for your height. This "formula" is a rough estimate only.

Ideally, you want to be as high as possible without having your hips rock up and down. The best
method I have found, is to put your bike in a trainer, then have an assistant stand behind you
feeling your hip bones as you pedal. They should not move. This method eliminates all the
aforementioned variables and should help you spin better with a "quiet" upper body. Good luck, AL