i have a saddle height issue

One more thing, is it true you should adjust the height slowly to let your muscles adapt? The other reason i feel i might need to adjust my saddle height is because as ive been riding, im noticing more muscles growing on my quads, developing, yet my calves just seem to develop at a much slower rate, is this irrelevant? thanks

I think a technique that works is to place you heel on the pedal, and at 6 o'clock the leg should be fully extended, that way when you place the ball of your foot on the pedal (the way you'll actually ride) you will have a slight bend.

Yes...what the previous poster said is a good rule of thumb.

I have also read abut 15 degrees, not 25. And don't make the changes too large, else you could screw up you knees.

you should read bontrager's KOPS(knee over pedal system)🙂

cldpsu said:

Hey guys... i got fitted at a local bike shop recently because i didnt feel i had enough height on my saddle. After they readjusted my seat to what they believed was correct, i still feel i don't have enought to really get the full power i can put out on each stroke. I raised it about a centimeter more... I was reading on the internet that they suggest you should have 25 degrees of a bend in your leg when you are fully extended at 6 oclock on the stroke. 25 degrees measured how? If i take a picture of my leg extended at the bottom of the stroke, can you guys tell me what you think? I'm confused, because i see riders who are less extended then others, and im just not sure what to do. Thanks for the help

For many of these types of questions I'd highly recommend LeMond's book which was originally published years ago but is still relevant today; in it he recommends a "slight" bend at the bottom of the stroke ---- also, with pedals parallel to the ground, a plumb line from the knee cap should pass through the pedal spindle.

And both of these goals can easily be achieved by saddle and/or stem adjustment.

Good Luck !!!

Fitting guides online and in books vary a bit on the subject and should only be interpreted as rules of thumb. Even a typcial LBS fitter is going to follow rules of thumb in the adjustments they make, but should also take your specific physical conditions (fitness, flexibility, etc.) into account.

Once you've lived with those adjustements, there's nothing wrong with tweaking a bit here and there, especially as your time on the bike and fitness increase...bottom line is do what feels right and is most comfortable to YOU.

RC2 makes a good point but the knee bend and knee cap to spindle alignment also make logical sense ; also, as LeMond notes in his book, many bike fit recommendations are based on fairly rigorous studies by, for example, the Swiss engineer Huggi and the well known French rider Hinault ( mainly frame size and saddle height)

But these are still only starting points and should be tweaked to the individual rider ; for example, older riders don't have the same flexibilty in their backs to enable them to be aerodynamically stretched out for long periods and so stem height and length may need to be different than for an 18 year old.