Pros saddle height

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Comments

  • mr_mojo
    mr_mojo Posts: 200
    I've always thought Pro's do seem to have their saddles lower than say what I do. On full extension at the 6 'o clock position their knee still looks quite bent compared to the average cyclist. Nothing to do with the size of the frame.
  • styxd
    styxd Posts: 3,234
    Mr_Mojo wrote:
    I've always thought Pro's do seem to have their saddles lower than say what I do. On full extension at the 6 'o clock position their knee still looks quite bent compared to the average cyclist. Nothing to do with the size of the frame.

    Because they have their stems very low, plus the average cyclist tends to put their saddle too high.
  • lettingthedaysgoby
    lettingthedaysgoby Posts: 1,732
    styxd wrote:
    Mr_Mojo wrote:
    plus the average cyclist tends to put their saddle too high.
    Ironically because they're trying to look "pro" no doubt :D
  • N0bodyOfTheGoat
    N0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 6,058
    styxd wrote:
    plus the average cyclist tends to put their saddle too high.

    I thought the complete opposite was true, average Joe/Jill sets their saddle too low, because they want to be able to plant their complete foot on the floor when they take them off the pedals.;)

    Are the pros maybe setting their saddle slightly lower, in order to use more muscle groups during the pedal stroke and help with fatigue over typical stage lengths?
    ================
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  • joey54321
    joey54321 Posts: 1,297
    I too think a lot of pro's saddles look very high compared to mine. I find a high saddle height is an issue of power > comfort and since I'd rather be comfortable than powerful I drop it. Maybe for pros the power is more important?
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    joey54321 wrote:
    I too think a lot of pro's saddles look very high compared to mine. I find a high saddle height is an issue of power > comfort and since I'd rather be comfortable than powerful I drop it. Maybe for pros the power is more important?

    As many have already pointed out on here - saddle height is set by body dimensions and flexibility.

    For Pro or non Pro it's all the same and having a lower saddle does not equate comfort just as a high saddle does not mean more power.
  • svetty
    svetty Posts: 1,904
    Agree many pros do seem to have lower saddle height such that legs are quite bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke. I'd be fascinated as to what underpins this trend.
    FFS! Harden up and grow a pair :D
  • styxd
    styxd Posts: 3,234
    Svetty wrote:
    Agree many pros do seem to have lower saddle height such that legs are quite bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke. I'd be fascinated as to what underpins this trend.

    Slammed stems and hamstrings. Most beginners sit on a road bike like it's a shopper.
  • joey54321
    joey54321 Posts: 1,297
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    joey54321 wrote:
    I too think a lot of pro's saddles look very high compared to mine. I find a high saddle height is an issue of power > comfort and since I'd rather be comfortable than powerful I drop it. Maybe for pros the power is more important?

    As many have already pointed out on here - saddle height is set by body dimensions and flexibility.

    For Pro or non Pro it's all the same and having a lower saddle does not equate comfort just as a high saddle does not mean more power.

    Obviously I meant relative to leg length i.e. the extension angle of the knee at the bottom of the stroke. I'm not just generally saying pros seem to have long legs.
  • reacher
    reacher Posts: 416
    It might be a visual thing, I'v noticed that if you sit on a turbo with full plate mirrors to the side it's surprising how bent the leg looks at bottom stroke and I have my saddle pretty high , quite a bit over any of the methods of calculating it
  • burnthesheep
    burnthesheep Posts: 675
    Some newer bikes coming out have sloping top tubes that meet the seat tube a lot lower down than they used to. Think of where a Supersix Evo top tube meets vs something like a Venge Vias. It's easily a 3" difference there. That gives a bit of "illusion" to a massive seat height.

    The true thing to look at is the distance between seat height and the hoods. Cover the rest of the picture with your hand to eliminate the illusion.

    I have about 8" from the top tube/seat connection and the seat on my Propel. It neither looks goofy high or goofy low. Just normal.
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    Nothing to do with weight I doubt. All to do with getting aero on a bike. I bought a medium Canyon for the same reasons despite large being 'my size'.
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • agentorange88
    agentorange88 Posts: 95
    I have a lot of saddle showing, i have a large frame, am 6ft 2 with 38" inseam.

    Using a number of online bike fit calculators my BB to top tube measure should be in the 65cm range. my frame has a sloping top tube and measurses 54cm in this area. Adding 4inch to the seattube and making the top tube horizontal to match would make the saddle look less high but essentially no different in relation to the bars

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