Moisture

Okay well, about seat height...

According to the heel to pedal method , yes, my seat is too high.

However... I ride with strap in pedals. Meaning that only the front half of my foot is on the pedal... in this case, I still have a bit of knee extension left if anything.

So my question is, while I really like my strap ins and all, even when I'm using them, does that account for the otherwise incorrect seat height...?

Moisture

I'm not gonna post another pic. Too much annoyance to use the timer. Don't see any other settings in the menu.

Bonus:

badger1

I'll try ... once.

For practical purposes -- other than fine-tuning fit at an elite/pro level -- whether or not you use foot attachment is completely irrelevant. Here's one tried/true method (there are many) to set initial saddle height: your saddle should be set -- as a starting point -- so that if you sit on your bike and put both heels on the pedals, you can pedal backwards without your heels losing contact with the pedals. The contact needn't be 'firm', it needs to be just enough to keep your heels in place without 'reaching' for the pedals/rocking your hips etc. As I say, that's a start point; fine-tuning from there is a matter of millimetres.

To the extent that the picture you posted is an accurate representation, there is no conceivable way your saddle is at an appropriate height for your leg length. It is far too high.

Moisture

Youre right. That's a good way to determine saddle height.

I really appreciate all your input and help guys. Im sorry if i came across as "overly eager."

Here is what my extension looks when riding with the strap ins (no time to put my feet in lol)



So.. obviously my seat is still set too high. But with my shoes on, I can JUST manage according to the heel method. so I'm not far off from baseline. I can lower the saddle and my handlebars which would be great, but I don't wanna ditch my pedals..

I realized that I would need a considerably longer reach if I bike according to the heel method.

Trakhak

The one note I can add is that, when I was a beginning racer at age 13 in 1964, I was told that the heel-on-pedal method pertained specifically to bike racing shoes, which at the time had very thin leather soles without a heel added. Thus, using conventional shoes with built-up heels for sizing via the heel-on-pedal method would result in an incorrectly high saddle. To end up with a fit like the OP's, I'd have to use the shoes from a Gene Simmons/Kiss Halloween costume.

badger1

Correct! I should have been more clear: better to use that method with sock feet than with shoes on.

I've always found that it gets me right in the 'ballpark' for leg extension w/shoes -- then fine-tune from there. I tend to go 'up' a very few mms., but that's about it.

I like the Gene Simmons allusion!!

mack_turtle

testing your bike fit in your socks is only useful if you actually ride in your socks without shoes. is that your practice? no judgment from me if you do, but we need to establish this fact. otherwise, you should test it with the same shoes that you wear while riding. the "heel on the pedal" is not precise, but it's a good basic starting point. so long as you're not wearing "Gene Simmons" boots or something, but regular old sneakers, it's a good place to start.

everything starts with saddle "height." get that correct first, then handlebar position, then fine tune your balance on the bike with saddle fore-aft again. that might mean a tiny change in height because, if you move your saddle back, you're moving it away from the bottom bracket. "saddle height" is obviously a misnomer because it's not a vertical measurement but a diagonal one. it's just much easier than saying "diagonal distance from the pedal to the top of the saddle in line with the seat tube angle."

if the appropriate saddle position ends up with a cramped seated position on the bike, you need a longer stem or a longer frame. which is what we've been telling you all along...

the photo above tells me that you've taken a road bike designed for the ride to sit with his body tilted forward in a balanced but powerful position, and you've turned it into an ersatz Dutch city bike. the more you position yourself in a comfortable, confident, and efficient conventional recreational bike position, the more obvious the awkwardness of this setup will become for you.

cubewheels

No, you were hostile to those who tried to give you sound advice and unfairly critical of their tried and proven fit.

You pretty much ruined your rep unless don't intend to have any friends from BF (lots of BF members live in CA)

Moisture

So the most glaring question at this point would be, how does the heel to pedal method of extension measurement apply if you dont pedal with your heels, but say, the middle or front of your foot?

I love my strap in pedals, but I find that pedaling with my foot over the middle of the pedal or closer toward the heel will place less stress on my quads and allow me to lower my seat down to where it should be.

Also, keeping your feet further on the pedals will sort of change the "reach" as in, how far forward you place your feet onto the pedals, and therefore your balance on the bike, correct?

mack_turtle

the "heel method" is a test gives you a pretty good idea if your saddle is too high. your knee should have a slight bend at the bottom of your pedal stroke during normal pedaling with your mid-foot or fore-foot on the pedal. if you can't even keep your heels in contact with the pedal for a full rotation without rocking your hips, then using your ankle to do so it going to be a stretch and probably cause your hips to rock on the saddle. the heel method is not a way to find a precise saddle height, it's just a rough starting point to determine if your saddle is truly too high. it's not scientific and no one is suggesting your should RIDE with your heels on the pedals. that would be idiotic. if you were in a bike shop getting a fit done, no fitter would waste time with it. but because we can only advise remotely using words on a screen, it's the best method that can be explained that you can do on your own without a fitter present in the room with you.

Moisture

when pedalling with the balls of your feet, a baseline seat height will not provide you with nearly enough knee extension.

mack_turtle

I'm done here. good luck with your bike. you've been nothing but ignorant, dense, combative, willfully misleading, and ungrateful. people can help you with bike fitting if you listen, but only you can address your attitude.

cb400bill

Time to put this thread to sleep.

/closed