Understanding seat height whilst riding

rumbataz
rumbataz Posts: 796
edited September 2015 in Road beginners
Got a quick question on seat height adjustment. I understand that if the seat is too high then your body is going to be swaying from side to side when you're cycling.

However, what are the symptoms if the seat is too low?

I want to get the seat height right by 'feel' when I'm cycling so am looking for symptoms of incorrect seat height so that I can adjust by a few mm after each ride until it feels just right.

Comments

  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Painful quads / pain in front of knee.

    But you shouldn't be using symptoms or lack of them to fine tune your seat height.

    Simple way to get a decent starting point is to have your leg nearly straight with your heel on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke. That way when you're pedalling clipped in / with the forefoot over the pedal axle you'll have the required bend in the knee.
  • rumbataz
    rumbataz Posts: 796
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19707579#p19707579]keef66[/url] wrote:
    Simple way to get a decent starting point is to have your leg nearly straight with your heel on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke. That way when you're pedalling clipped in / with the forefoot over the pedal axle you'll have the required bend in the knee.

    Yes, this is what I did over the weekend and spent a fair amount of time getting the seat adjusted using this method. It's really more about fine-tuning the seat height after a few rides and what to look for.

    Thanks for your help.
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    Just keep raising it a few mm higher after every ride until it feels too high on a ride, then set it a bit lower. Job done
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    Its better to be slightly too low than too high, and don't forget getting the fowards / backwards position on the rails.

    If someone watches you cycle past they will have a good idea.

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