Fitting your Saddle
New cyclists and those who are just getting back into cycling often adjust their saddle so that they can get both of their feet flat on the ground, whilst sitting on their bike. The result of this though actually inhibits riding. Cycling with a saddle too low actually debilitates leg power and adds great stress to the knees. So, here are some tips on correctly re-fitting your saddle for an efficient riding position.
A correctly positioned saddle height can be quite daunting at first for new and returning cyclists. So if this position does feel very high, reduce its height a little by an inch lower or so to introduce you to feeling higher on your bike. You’ll quickly learn to balance on your bike at this new height and it’ll become second nature before you know it, and what’s more your knees will love you for it too.
Some tips for a great fit
Aim to position your saddle high enough so that as you sit on your bike, your leg is almost, (but not fully) extended at the base of the pedal stroke (the lowest part of the rotation of the pedal), keeping the knee joint soft. As you adjust your saddle here’s how to check for this correct leg positioning.
Here’s how…
To check your leg sits in the correct position, take your left pedal and bring it up in-line with the seat tube of your cycle frame. In doing this will bring the lower right pedal to the 5 o’clock position.
Next, sitting on your saddle with the balls of your feet on the ground, you should aim to have your ankle align this lower right pedal. Adjust the height of the seat post up or down until your ankle is near level the lower right pedal whilst keeping the balls of your feet grounded.
Adjusting the Saddle Seat Post
To adjust the saddle position on the bike you’ll need to loosen the binder bolt (this bolt sits between the seat post and the seat tube of the actual frame), then you can move the seat post up and down. On the seat post, there is usually a minimum insertion mark etched on, so be careful not to go past this position. If you find that you do need to go past this point, you will have to get a longer seat post to replace it with. Always make sure that once adjusted, the binder bolt is securely tightened back up again.
Even the saddle itself can be adjusted to more comfortably fit you. For instance you can adjust the tilt of the saddle and move the saddle back and forth to adjust the way you prefer to reach the handlebars. Visit the link below to find out more.
Tilt and Position of Your Saddle
