Seat Height......?

Question

Having brought my first bike in many many years i was wondering about the correct seat and handlebar height, do they have to be at that certain height so that on the down stroke of the pedal your leg is straight..... cause being a lanky git i was'nt sure if this was practical !!

Answer 1

no not at all your leg needs to bend and give it space but do it as it feels comfortable

everyone is different

as long as you dont think your gonna fall off lol

have fun

Answer 2

Try to get your seat height set so that you have a slight bend in your leg when it is vertically down.  This will get you an "estimate" of where you want your seat, however much of it is trial and error and what feels right.  Once you get an estimate of where you need it, you can adjust it as you ride until you get it right.

As with handlebar height, it depends on what kind of bike and what kind of riding you are going to be doing.  If you are just a casual rider, you are going to want your handlebars to be at the same level with or even above your saddle (seat).  If you are a competitive rider/rider looking for performance, you may prefer to have your bars lower than your saddle.  These adjustments are also based off feel as well...the more you ride, the more you will like certain positions.  If you find you like your bars higher, then raise them; if you want them lower, then lower them.

Answer 3

A couple of basic "tricks" to get your position correct.  (1) using a clothier's measuring tape, have someone special measure your inseam (bottom of foot to inside of crotch).  Multiply this number by .885 and that should be the approximate correct height from the center of the bottom bracket to top of the cranks.  I say approximate as an aggressive rider may like a little taller saddle than this (like me).  (2) When your saddle extension is correct, you should be able to put your HEEL on the center of the pedal and be locked (but not more than that) at full leg extension.  (3) If you drop a plumb bob (string/weight) from the knee cap it should intersect with the ball of your foot when your crank is at a 90 degree (forward) angle.  If your height is correct but your seat fore/aft is off you will lose power and comfort and may suffer an injury.  Happy trails.

Answer 4

Your leg should have just a slight break at the knee when your foot is at 6 o'clock on the pedal. It gets a little more scientific than that but you'll be close if you do that little test.

Answer 5

You want the saddle as high as you can get it without rocking your hips while pedalling.   Typically this means a slight bend in your leg at the bottom of your downstroke.   The amount of bend depends on the flexibility of your hammies.   I found I've had to lower the saddle maybe a half inch as I've lost a little flexibility over the last 20 years.

I prefer to have my bars lower than my saddle, but then as a triathlete, I'm accustomed to a pretty agressive riding position for aerodynamic reasons.    If you have a gut, or flexibility problems, you may need to set them higher.

Answer 6

Pull up the seat height until you can only just rotate the crank using your heal.  This should be about the right length when you transfer you position to the ball of your foot.

Sit up and beg bars are more comfortable.  However, for hill work or slipstreaming, lower bars are better.  Your weight is pushed forward so that you are not fighting the front wheel.

Luck