How's my Saddle Height?

Paul Hobson <[email hidden]> wrote in news:e122qv$l1i$1@news-
int2.gatech.edu:

Quoted message said:

http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg611a/pics/saddle_height.jpg

That's me clipped into my pedals with my left leg at full extension.
I've heard it's a bit tall and I've heard it's perfect.

Looks to high to me. There should be a 20 to 30 degree bend in your leg at
the bottom of your stroke. Less than that and you will weaken your power
stroke and have a hard time spinning smoothly.

Paul Hobson said:

http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg611a/pics/saddle_height.jpg

That's me clipped into my pedals with my left leg at full extension.
I've heard it's a bit tall and I've heard it's perfect. But I'm just
not sure. I know it's a personal thing, but most people here are more
experienced than me and I'm hoping y'all have some advice.

Thanks!!!
\\paul

ps. If it helps, here are some pics of me racing in our "ghettodrome."
Luckily my legs are at about full extension and I'm really working
hard (we do 5-lap pursuit-style races every Monday night).
http://tinyurl.com/ry2ht
http://tinyurl.com/nkxcl
http://tinyurl.com/qfrog
http://tinyurl.com/mq3oy

It's impossible to say from pictures. The classic way to adjust is to
keep raising your saddle until your hips start to rock.

Peter Cole said:

It's impossible to say from pictures. The classic way to adjust is to
keep raising your saddle until your hips start to rock.

What Peter said, plus I was told to have the saddle high enough I could
lock my leg straight with my heel on the pedal.

It's all about the spin, you've gotta to be comfortable enough to spin
130+ without bouncing off the saddle.

Laters,

Marz

Marz said:

Peter Cole said:

It's impossible to say from pictures. The classic way to adjust is to
keep raising your saddle until your hips start to rock.

What Peter said, plus I was told to have the saddle high enough I could
lock my leg straight with my heel on the pedal.

It's all about the spin, you've gotta to be comfortable enough to spin
130+ without bouncing off the saddle.

Laters,

Marz

I find that if my saddle is high, too much weight is on my handlebar and
my fingers go numb. Much more comfortable with a bend in the knee at
the bottom of the stroke. BTW, I have an old "mountain" bike with no
shocks.

--
-------------------------------------------------------
"Every day is Saturday when you're retired."

Bob Burns
Mill Hall PA
(email is spamtrap)

Luckily, I can address these all at once.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Peter Cole said:

It's impossible to say from pictures. The classic way to adjust is to
keep raising your saddle until your hips start to rock.

Hips don't rock -> +1

Quoted message said:

Marz said:

What Peter said, plus I was told to have the saddle high enough I could
lock my leg straight with my heel on the pedal.

It's a fixie, so that's not something I can do while riding. I can when
still though -> +1

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's all about the spin, you've gotta to be comfortable enough to spin
130+ without bouncing off the saddle.

I've according to the police thingy near house that's conveniently
located on a hill, I've gone 30 mph.

That's (13.4 m/s / 5.6 m development) * 60 sec/min = 143 rpm. (It was
getting a little rough then) -> +1

Bob Burns said:

I find that if my saddle is high, too much weight is on my handlebar and
my fingers go numb. Much more comfortable with a bend in the knee at
the bottom of the stroke. BTW, I have an old "mountain" bike with no
shocks.

My saddle got to its current height when I drastically lowered the
saddle to let my SO try riding a fixie* then raised it back up for me.
Ever since, my fingers have been getting numb more. -> -1

So I think I might drop it down just a /smidgen/ and see what happens.
I've plenty of riding ahead of me at MACROCK this weekend.

Thanks everybody!
\\paul

* In about 10 min she said, "I see how this can get addicting"

--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
..:change the f to ph to reply:.