recumbetn bb/seat position

in message <[email hidden]>, geepeetee

(') said:

Hi

It appears a common method for adjusting the seat on a normal bike is
to
have your leg slightly bent with your heel on the pedal at the bottom.
Does this formula work with a recumbent too, i am currently deciding
on the bb /seat position for a recumbent i am building.

It *seems* to. I have made the seat on mine slide (mainly so that
smaller people than me can ride it - the bottom bracket is fixed) and
'slightly flexed at bottom of stroke' seems to work for me. Mind you,
as the thing doesn't have wheels yet this is a tentative conclusion.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Semper in faecibus sumus, sole profundum variat.

geepeetee said:

It appears a common method for adjusting the seat on a normal bike is to
have your leg slightly bent with your heel on the pedal at the bottom. Does
this formula work with a recumbent too, i am currently deciding on the bb
/seat position for a recumbent i am building.

Works for me on both the 'bents and the wedgies (though the uni I have a
bit higher), but other people have very different feelings about it. At
the Edinburgh meet last summer I found Mark's Windcheetah far too short
for me, though his legs are at least as long as mine (judging by
standing next to him), and I typically have my saddle higher than people
with legs at least as long as mine.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 21:45:52 +0100, "geepeetee" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

It appears a common method for adjusting the seat on a normal bike is to
have your leg slightly bent with your heel on the pedal at the bottom. Does
this formula work with a recumbent too,

Yes, more or less. You need to fettle it a bit on the first few
rides, but it's a good enough rule of thumb.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Peter Clinch said:

geepeetee said:

It appears a common method for adjusting the seat on a normal bike is to
have your leg slightly bent with your heel on the pedal at the bottom. Does
this formula work with a recumbent too, i am currently deciding on the bb
/seat position for a recumbent i am building.

Works for me on both the 'bents and the wedgies (though the uni I have a
bit higher), but other people have very different feelings about it. At
the Edinburgh meet last summer I found Mark's Windcheetah far too short
for me, though his legs are at least as long as mine (judging by
standing next to him), and I typically have my saddle higher than people
with legs at least as long as mine.

wheras I could ride Mark's windcheater but your streetmachine was far
too long for me..

But your legs are longer than mine.

...d
...d

you know? said:

On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 21:45:52 +0100, "geepeetee" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It appears a common method for adjusting the seat on a normal bike is to
have your leg slightly bent with your heel on the pedal at the bottom.
Does this formula work with a recumbent too,

Quoted message said:

Yes, more or less. You need to fettle it a bit on the first few rides,
but it's a good enough rule of thumb.

People can run into problems if they can lock their knee on a high bb
bent by pivoting their heel back.

--

Buck

I would rather be out on my Catrike

http://www.catrike.co.uk

Buck said:

People can run into problems if they can lock their knee on a high bb
bent by pivoting their heel back.

How would that work? I've not had that happen so can't quite
visualise it.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

you know? said:

On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 15:41:51 GMT, Buck <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

People can run into problems if they can lock their knee on a high bb
bent by pivoting their heel back.

Quoted message said:

How would that work? I've not had that happen so can't quite visualise
it.

Iwish I could draw a picture, but imagine your clipped in and then push
through your heel, so your knee locks, with a high bb, this can happen
un intentionaly when very tired, it hurts, jars the knee.

Other than that the high bb is a definite aid to distance IME.

--

Buck

I would rather be out on my Catrike

http://www.catrike.co.uk

David Martin said:

Peter Clinch said:

geepeetee said:

It appears a common method for adjusting the seat on a
normal bike is to have your leg slightly bent with your heel
on the pedal at the bottom. Does this formula work with a
recumbent too, i am currently deciding on the bb /seat
position for a recumbent i am building.

Works for me on both the 'bents and the wedgies (though the
uni I have a bit higher), but other people have very
different feelings about it. At the Edinburgh meet last
summer I found Mark's Windcheetah far too short for me,
though his legs are at least as long as mine (judging by
standing next to him), and I typically have my saddle higher
than people with legs at least as long as mine.

wheras I could ride Mark's windcheater but your streetmachine
was far too long for me..

But your legs are longer than mine.

..d

If it is of any interest to anyone my inside leg is 32".
--
Mark

1x1 wheel, 3x2 wheels & 1x3 wheels.

geepeetee said:

It appears a common method for adjusting the seat on a normal bike is to
have your leg slightly bent with your heel on the pedal at the bottom.
Does this formula work with a recumbent too, i am currently deciding on
the bb /seat position for a recumbent i am building.

Everyone's legs (possibly more related to ankles though) are different.

My basic setup on upright & 'bent is to have the leg fully extended with
the heel on the pedal, but then I gradually increase the seat to pedal
distance until it feels uncomfortable. This seems to be with the heel
nearly 2cm from the pedal with leg extended. Back off a few mm, and I'm
happy. Not only do I wear the same shoes, but the make & model of pedal
is the same.

My ankles are not particularly flexible any longer, and although I could
use "ankling" in my teens I can't do it much now.

If you're building a 'bent leave a good deal of adjustment for the BB
distance, and if it's Over Seat Steering leave what seems an un-needed
amount of knee clearance but with provision to reduce it later. What
seems OK in the workshop is seriously inadequate on the road. I've just
had to make a new steering tube for my Speed Ross, and wound up making 3
before getting enough room. (Owners of Speeds built since 1997 should
contact me **urgently** if they haven't heard from Peter Ross in the last
week.)

Mike