Bicycle Mechanics - Setting seat height

Am I doing this right? I set my seat height so that when the pedal is at the very bottom my foot is level to the ground and my leg is locked straight. I know that the bottom bracket height is higher off the ground on ATB's but now I can't even touch the ground with my toes when I come to a stop. Very spooky with clip-in pedals. My suspension droop (full suspension) is set to about 25%. I like the setup as it gives me full power when pedaling but stopping is a matter of "where's the nearest pole to grab on to". Am I missing something here?

DONT LOCK IT STRAIGHT YOU WILL INJURE YOURSELF. MAKE SURE THERES A SLIGHT BEND IN IT. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LOL..

you should be on urr tippytoes when sitting on the saddle as well

The usual benchmark for seat height is to start with a slight bend in your knee when the pedal is at it's lowest point, and fine tune from there.

OK......thanks guys. I will lower my seat a little and try it from there. I was reading several books on bike setup and they all pretty much stated that your leg is suppose to be straight when the pedal is all the way down. I guess the final adjustment should be the one that best suits your needs. I'll have to look on the 'net for some "outrigger" wheels in case I can't find a suitable pole to grab onto when I stop.

on a road bike, the best rule of thumb, is to have someone ride behind you. and raise or lower the seat until you do not rock your hips when pedaling.

But after you get your seat height adjusted, be sure that you have not moved the seat too far forward or back in relation to the cranks (knee over toes) and your reach to the handlebar.

i've learned that the way to set up the proper seat height is to sit on your bike, place your heel on the axle of the pedal and lock out your leg. This should provide you w/ the proper bend when you do have your foot on the pedal (ie: ball of your foot over axel). good luck, proper seat height is very important...especially if you are doing any climbing while seated...

You should also set the springs on the pedals so you can get out easily.

Springs are adjusted okay on my pedals (after numerous "ground assaults") so no problem there. I lowered my seat 1/2" (about 12mm) and I'll try it this weekend. At least I can just about touch the ground with my tippy-toes so maybe I won't have to look for those "life-saving" poles so often. Thanks all.......

Jim
If you tilt the bike to one side as you stop, your feet will reach the ground without a problem.
You should be able to stop without any drama if you unclip before stopping . Are you new to cycling or to clipless pedals?

Maybe you need to fit some cheap platform pedals and practice track stops and very slow riding.