Riding position

secretsam

hi all

how does one position oneself on the bike? Am worried about saddle position - is the rule straight leg with heal on pedal at lowest point (assume with shoes on)???

I'm a funny shape - long body, short legs, so not much seat pin showing on my bike, but think saddle may be a little low...

Thanks in advance

Uchiga

I have a tall upper body as well, but you should adjust your saddle till your leg is straight, but with a slight bend. You'll have to set yourself up against a wall and play around with your height settings, alternatively measure yourself up and do a fitting guide from the internet, that'll get you 80% or so covered and then take yourself down to a Local bike shop to get yourself measured up by a "Professional" to see how good your riding position and seat saddle height is.

Avezius

The rule of thumb I was told was to position heel on pedal and set seat height with leg straight.

Once the ball of your foot is on pedal (or clipped in) then you have that "slight bend" scenario (whereas "slight bend" is quite difficult to quantify).

...or I might have misunderstood!

Pross

The heel on the pedal / leg straight is a good rule of thumb for setting the height but don't forget that the saddle set back, stem length, bar height, length of top tube etc. will all have an impact on your overall position. My advice as always, if you are new to road cycling get a professional bike fit done and get set up properly before you start. It's much better to get it right than to play around further down the line adjusting for minor injuries that may have arisen.