Road Cycling - Saddle height

Can someone tell me what the general rule for saddle height is? I know it has something to do with leg extension on the peddles. Also what about with regards to saddle position (fore and aft)? Thanks muchly for any help.

I've been told that the saddle height should be high enough so that your leg while its closer to the ground during pedaling is outstreached so its just a little bit bent.....almost fully extended.

Thats what ive been told...correct me if im wrong...cause if i am id like to know too .....

Some authors suggest taking your inseam measurement times .883 to get the proper saddle height and then deduct two cm for clipless peddles. For me, this approach results a saddle height that is in too low.

that could take pages and pages to answer and still there would be more questions. Suggest a search through Google, you will get about a zillion hits and about the same number of oppinions.

Personally, I put my saddle height at Inseam x 1.09 (measurement from c/o of pedal spindle to top of seat) and put my set back at back of knee cap over pedal spindle. IIRC, Lemond recommends inseam x .883 with the the measurement for the c/o of the bottom bracket.

I think it comes down to trial and error and what works for each individual. With my seat height, I'm trying to strike a balance between back pain and hamstring pain while not overtaxing my quads. I think I have the wrong sized frame but then again you can get twenty different answers to that question as well.

Good advice so far.

The thing is ones knee should be slightly bent with the ball of your foot on the pedal when it is on the down position. You should be able to lock out your knee when you push your heel as far down as you can.

But there is still a little wiggle room. I have noticed that ultramarathoners tend to ride with their saddles low. I understand that having a slightly low saddle is easier on the posterior and when you are doing 200 mile rides, the rear goes first.

Now people who ride hard for shorter distances like most racers, tend to like the saddle on the high side which tends to maximize power and minimize knee strain when you are really cranking.

As a caution, there really is a very small difference in the ultramarathoner's low saddle height and the racer's high saddle height.

When I am tuning in the saddle height, I set it up according to formula. I then go out and ride. I take an allen wrench with me. I ride about 5 miles. I adjust it a couple of mms or so. I ride 5 miles. I adjust it a mm or so. Even a very small change in height can make a surprising difference in feel.

For for-aft, first ensure that your cranks fit. If they are too long or short, you will simply move the saddle to compensate, and screw up your position.
As a rule of thumb, sit, so that the axis of your knee joint is directly over the pedal spindle. You can use a plumb-line to guage this. Move the saddle, so you feel well supported in this position. You can, if you chose, sit further forward or back, by about 1cm.
Most riders move back and forward on the saddle according to the conditions (hills, headwinds etc), so the advice is a guide, not a prescription.

And don't forget that for inseam, actually measure your crotch to the ground. Do not use your pants inseam measurement.

You can use a broom handle, level, or whatever. Hold that under your crotch with pressure that feels similar to the pressure you get from your saddle. Then measure from the top of the pole to the ground.

There are several methods for setting height, but at some point you will need to ride the bike. Keep track of you position, and note any change as you experiment. To record your posture on the bike see http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/roadposition.shtml

www.bikefitting.com

I would highly recommend reading this and understanding it. There are a lot of supposed rules of thumb, but they are approximations and they don't work for everybody. This takes a little more attention and experimentation but it gets to the root of what you are really trying to achieve with bike fitting (especially the parts about fore-aft positioning and balance on the bicycle).

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

There are so many theories that it´s a joke : remember one rule "it´s better to be a bit low rather than too high " but only a bit , and don´t make big changes 3-4mm max at a time AND DON´T ADJUST TWO THINGS AT THE SAME TIME ´cause you´ll never figure out what´s working and what isn´t . ( most of the rules don´t take foot size into account for example , then shoe/ cleat / pedal thickness/ hight : it´s a nightmare )