Saddle Height

giantphil

I have been reading a lot of information about the correct saddle height and it all seems very complicated for something that should be very easy. I can't get my head around the 109% rule. My question is, is this tip correct? If you sit on the saddle on level ground and you can stand on tip-toes, that is a good enough guide for the correct saddle height. It seems to work for me and is very quick and easy to remember than messing about with calculations. Any advice?

supersonic

Use what feels best to you. A lot of guides come from the roadie side of things, however our terrain varies a lot more than theirs does!

Saying that, awhen your leg is fully down on the pedal you don't want your leg straight, or knee locked. About a 20-30 degree angle works well for most.

You might want the saddle even lower for harder terrain for more clearance.

milfredo

Only if you are on a road bike.

If there is suspension and the bb is different heights then (unless running the saddle low for down hills) you need it so that at maximum extension with your foot level on the pedel, you knee needs to be slightly bent.

Cheers,
Will

Wooliferkins

Riding shoes on, cranks in line with the seat post, heel on lowest pedal bum on saddle your knee should be just bent ie not locked straight. Taking in above usage advice

robertpb

If you can sit on the saddle and still touch the ground with your toes usually the saddle is too low.

There's about two and a half inches of fresh air under my toes.

I've used the 109% rule for over 25 years and it works for me, plus it is simple.

As you get older you're more aware of getting a good saddle hight to save the old knees.

supersonic

I don't like the tip toes rule - as BBs can vary in height so much. As can our feet, and it may not give you the best saddle/pedal distance.

The Northern Monkey

Ohhh.... so you sit on the saddle?

biff55

robertpb wrote:

If you can sit on the saddle and still touch the ground with your toes usually the saddle is too low.

There's about two and a half inches of fresh air under my toes.

no way will that work on all bikes and every rider.
we all have different limb lengths.

its certainly miles out on how i fit on my bike.

bamba

just try what feels comfy for you, adjust it up and down to suit the terrain you are on,drop it down on downhill or tech' bits where you and the bike need to move about alot more, up high (with knee's a tad bent) on flat up up hill slogs and you def' notice the extra power, some where in between for any thing else.

weeksy59

i run mine lower than most would. Just how i like it, i prefer the control over the power.

nicklouse

supersonic wrote:

I don't like the tip toes rule - as BBs can vary in height so much. As can our feet, and it may not give you the best saddle/pedal distance.

ftue and a Sus fork messes it all up it is a guide from Pre suspension and is a pile of crap.

Ball of your foot, with the leg extended, on the pedal is a great start and then adjust up till your hips start to rock and then back down till they stop rocking.

this is the right hight for pedalling when seated.

then for other riding and descending there are other positions.

robertpb

biff55 wrote:

robertpb wrote:

If you can sit on the saddle and still touch the ground with your toes usually the saddle is too low.

There's about two and a half inches of fresh air under my toes.

no way will that work on all bikes and every rider.
we all have different limb lengths.

its certainly miles out on how i fit on my bike.

Read what I said correctly.

If a group of people with different leg lengths sit on the same bike and adjust the saddle to the same spec their feet will be off the ground by the same amount give or take a smidge.

allthegearnoidea

is aw a guide in one of trhe american mags a hwile back that uses the sit on saddle, heel on the pedal and leg straight method, works a treat for me, and is what a lot of the guys i ride with use,

its all personal preference though! what suits me may be too high or low for you!!

bomberesque

supersonic wrote:

Use what feels best to you.

^this. Set. Try. Adjust. Repeat

a mate of mine came for bike advice once. He had bought a new road bike and it was giving him B0ll0ck pain. "tried dropping / tipping the saddle?" I said .. "But I had it professionally fitted by the shop" he replied. It's amazing how much some people will blindly follow advice the flies in the face of common sense. He dropped his saddle a little and hey presto, the balls stopped aching

On a mountain bike I constantly play with the saddle height. After 20+ years biking I still don't think I have got it completely dialled to one height that will suit all conditions. I rarely ride with the saddle at full leg extension (purely for the XC whippets IMO) the highest I go is probably 3-5 cm below full leg extension on an XC bike. On My trail bike (so it goes up as well as down, as steep as my courage will let me) I use a joplin set to 3-5cm below full leg extension at it's highest and so about 10-12cm below when dropped down. On my SS I use a normal seatpost and leave it a couple of centimetres lower than normal, because most SS riding is out of the saddle masochistic hill humping anyway

richg1979

as nicklous says, as high as poss without hips rocking and knees locking.

tip toe rule is load of crap, i can stand flat footed over saddle on xc race bike but with same bb to saddle hight on 150mm am bike i cant touch the floor when seated.