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stupid seat height question

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Old 11-15-18, 04:26 PM
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windhchaser
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stupid seat height question

ive read about haveing foot at 6 oclock and ya leg should be straight .but it dont say do i do this with or with out shoes?
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Old 11-15-18, 04:52 PM
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Hell no you don't want your leg straight. With shoes, they say you want a 35-40 degree knee angle. But all the formulas to adjust it are only starting points. My saddle height is about 2cm lower than it's "supposed" to be.
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Old 11-15-18, 05:02 PM
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I like the heel to pedal method for starting point. With pedal at 6 o'clock you should just be able to reach it with your heel with leg fully extended:

https://roadcyclinguk.com/how-to/tec...road-bike.html

But as mentioned formulas are all starting points and you could read stuff for days on fitting:


https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com...ard-can-it-be/

https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com...d-can-it-be-2/
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Old 11-15-18, 07:07 PM
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Yeah, heel to pedal for me. With shoes.
fully extend leg so heel touches pedal. Now ride. Your leg is at the correct angle at the 6oclock position.

its worked for every bike I've set up of mine, family, or kids i train with. Foolproof...so far.
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Old 11-15-18, 07:15 PM
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Seat height is also a function of hamstring flexibility. What is said above applies to cyclists with average-to-high flexibility. If your hamstrings are not as flexible, setting your seat too high will put too much strain on your hamstrings, which might lead to tears in the future.
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Old 11-15-18, 07:53 PM
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+ 1 for heel as starting point.
then adjust 1/16” at a time to dial it in if needed.
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Old 11-15-18, 08:21 PM
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Good trolling.
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Old 11-15-18, 08:29 PM
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If your seat is too high you’ll know it.
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Old 11-15-18, 10:47 PM
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what ever seau
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Old 11-16-18, 02:29 AM
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Maximum height is however high you can go without your hips rocking.
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Old 11-16-18, 04:34 AM
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Originally Posted by windhchaser
ive read about haveing foot at 6 oclock and ya leg should be straight .but it dont say do i do this with or with out shoes?

Full cycling attire. Yes, that means shoes.
Heel on pedal.
Pedal at 6:00.
Very slight bend in knee ... so slight you'd hardly notice it, but leg not perfectly straight, and knee definitely not locked straight.

That's a good starting point. You may want to make tiny adjustments from there.
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Old 11-16-18, 06:29 AM
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Not a stupid question at all.
I have been using the heel method 4+ decades. With my knee issues I want the seat as high as possible. I stretch regularly and if my hamstring gets irritated I lower it from the initial method.
(Did I get 10 posts yet?)
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Old 11-16-18, 07:04 AM
  #13  
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I've always used the Achilles tendon as my guide. If it hurts, my saddle is too high. This is the first I've heard of the heel method. I'll give it a try.
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Old 11-16-18, 07:16 AM
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THat heel thing...leg straight with crank arm extended down the line of the seat tube not 6 o'clock. Call it 5 o'clock...but that is your max extension. Roll foot back to six o'clock and your knee slightly bends. A less precise way to set the seat is stand next to the bike and set top of seat at your hip. Then get on and do the heel at 5 o'clock etc.
ill do some of this with setting up a spin bike for someone unless they have measurements which typically they do not.
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Old 11-16-18, 08:32 AM
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The heel method, as mention, is a fine starting point. However in my case, I can barely touch the pedal with my heel when the saddle is as my prefered height. Perhaps in part because I have size US14 feet, and the cleat is probably 8" from my heel.

There is no "correct saddle height." You ride what's comfortable. My saddle is ~1.5" higher than would be recommended by a test (the straddle a level and mark the wall, specifically) but so long as the knees don't hurt and the hips ain't rockin', it's the right height.
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Old 11-16-18, 12:55 PM
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Originally Posted by windhchaser
ive read about haveing foot at 6 oclock and ya leg should be straight .but it dont say do i do this with or with out shoes?
Watch a little professional cycling, to get an idea of "ideal" leg extension.

I used to ride near some office buildings, and could ride through their parking lot and look at myself on the bike as I rode.past their big reflective windows, ... was interesting to see once in a while
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Old 11-16-18, 09:28 PM
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Make sure to wear the appropriate shoes or you could end up with your saddle too high.

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Old 11-17-18, 09:01 AM
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Originally Posted by gl98115
Make sure to wear the appropriate shoes or you could end up with your saddle too high.

that heel on the pedal thingy won't work here...
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Old 11-17-18, 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by DrIsotope
The heel method, as mention, is a fine starting point. However in my case, I can barely touch the pedal with my heel when the saddle is as my prefered height. Perhaps in part because I have size US14 feet, and the cleat is probably 8" from my heel.

There is no "correct saddle height." You ride what's comfortable. My saddle is ~1.5" higher than would be recommended by a test (the straddle a level and mark the wall, specifically) but so long as the knees don't hurt and the hips ain't rockin', it's the right height.
Exactly. It's somewhere between touch and a ~4mm gap, mostly depending on foot size. And then there's touch and firm touch. I play with tiny adjustments until I can feel my hams working well when I'm climbing. I'm in the "barely touch" range. But that's why the heel method is seen by many as inadequate, because it's a datum which is open to interpretation by the rider. OTOH, that can also be seen as a good thing, because we're all different, different foot sizes, flexibility, pedaling habits, etc. There's no perfect calculation.
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Old 11-17-18, 01:32 PM
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Originally Posted by gl98115
Make sure to wear the appropriate shoes or you could end up with your saddle too high.

When I was in the Army in Germany in '67-9, I had a buddy who was a photography nut. I'd drive him through the local small towns with his telephoto out the window, taking photos of young women. They all rode bikes, and they all had great legs. I wonder if that's changed.
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Old 11-17-18, 06:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Carbonfiberboy
When I was in the Army in Germany in '67-9, I had a buddy who was a photography nut. I'd drive him through the local small towns with his telephoto out the window, taking photos of young women. They all rode bikes, and they all had great legs. I wonder if that's changed.
I am pretty sure it is very different now. Those ladies got older to begin with....
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Old 11-19-18, 05:04 PM
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Originally Posted by windhchaser
ive read about haveing foot at 6 oclock and ya leg should be straight .but it dont say do i do this with or with out shoes?
Windy, when are you coming back to Foo?
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Old 11-19-18, 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted by chewybrian
Windy, when are you coming back to Foo?
most likely never i was banned from going to foo.i cant even view it unless i log out. im sure i deserved the ban some of my post was out there. but it is all good.and i miss you all.i even miss those who banned me from foo
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Old 11-19-18, 06:49 PM
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I thought it was with pedal st 12:00 and with pinky toe on pedal was the preferred technique?
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