Saddle height?

Question

how do i know how high to set my saddle for maximum efficiency?

Answer 1

Joeschmo gives you good advice.

What I would add is that your preferred height may change.  A good number of people feel uncomfortable with what should be their correct height because they feel very tall on the bike.  Also, their legs are not flexible enough to stretch out.

So, find a comfortable position and ride it for a couple of days or maybe weeks..  Then try a slightly higher position.  As your legs stretch out, you will cope better with the higher seat position.

You may also want to adjust the front/back position of your seat.  Again, make changes of only 1/16" or 1/8" at a time.  Little changes have great effects.  And with your seat changes may come handlebar position changes.  It all goes together.

Have fun riding.

Answer 2

The right height is when you can comfortably extend your leg when pedaling.

If the seat height is too low, it will feel like all of the pedaling force is coming from your knees (and they will be sore).  If the seat height is too high it will feel like you have to stretch your legs to reach the pedals (and may cause pain in your crotch).

So you want to find the comfortable middle ground, at a height when you can get a comfortable amount of leg extension.  It's a bit different for everyone, but the right seat height is usually when your leg is slightly bent at the bottom of the pedaling stroke.

I would advise you to make adjustments to your seat height in 1/8" increments and see if you can find a comfortable height.

Good luck.

Answer 3

A good rule of thumb is to adjust seat height with bare feet. Set the seat height so with your bare footed heel on the pedal your leg is just straight. Now, with your bike shoes on and the ball of your foot on the pedal you should be about right. If you use thinner shoes than real bike shoes with cleats, put the seat slightly (1/4" or so) lower.

Now adjust the forward-back position of the seat so a vertical line from the front of your kneecap would just pass through the axel of the pedal when the crank is forward and parallel to the ground.

Finally, tilt the seat so the nose is flat or very slightly elevated.

Done.

Now ride and verify the position by having a friend watch from behind as you ride. The seat should be just below the point where your hips rock side to side when riding (i.e. tere should be no rocking, but you should be close) make any small adjustments to fine tune the position over the next few rides. Once you have a position don't make rapid/large adjustments ... it can result in pulled muscles.