I notice that most of the utility cyclists around here ride with their saddles in a very low position. Their legs are at a fairly sharp angle even when the pedal is at six o'clock.

What's up with that?

At least they're low riders, and not those "one of a million" "riced out" Jap bikes!

Probably don't know any better or are afraid of falling. I tried to get one of the guys (UC) that I speak with on a regular basis to raise his saddle a bit, but he would have none of it. We also have a guy that rides around town on a Schwinn Deluxe 7 and has the saddle on the low side for my taste. To each their own I guess. But it would greatly increase their comfort and efficiency...

Aaron

There seem to be a lot of younger (as in high school/college age) riders around here that put their saddles so low their knees are nearly hitting their chins. I can't figure it out at all - the bikes are MTB types, and the frames look many sizes too small for the riders (standover would put the top tube about 3" above their knees). The only thing I can think of is that it's a kind of attempt at a return to the BMX bikes of my own youth...

One brand marketed at younger people is the Electra Townie which is a type of cruiser that lets you keep your feet on the ground as you sit in the saddle. I've seen ads for them in Bicycling Magazine and they tend to promote it to younger type who wear baggie clothes. They look a little like chopper motorcycles. Nice bike until you try to get up a hill.

Maybe Electra knows something about these kids...

Well I think a lot of those with small frames are BMX bikes. You really can't sit down on them to ride, but they're stunt bikes and intended to be ridden like that. You stand up and ride in a single speed with a freewheel. Not very fast or comfortable for a long ride, but TOEHO.

I was thinking more of the people I see riding adult-size MTBs and hybrids or comfort bikes with the seats in their lowest position....

Many people don't realize they can adjust the seat and that they are crushing their knees. Many people are also riding frames too big for them.

We have a guy with a similar bike in town - me. But I changed the saddle and raised it. Built for Comfort, not Speed.

^^^ Pink fuzzy dice!!!!

'nother thought...the bike may be...ahh freshly liberated and they haven't had time to put the seat up yet ILTB, nice ride. I have been seriously considering getting a Schwinn Classic 3 in Red and putting the humongous Wald baskets on it to use around the town where my wife's shop is at. The town is pretty flat with just a couple of minor hills. I am sure I will have an equal or possibly greater amount of seatpost showing In my paper route years I had a Yellow Schwinn Heavy Duty that I rode to the grocery store on occasion and a Schwinn Sprint for cruising with the ladies and riding to church on Sundays

Aaron

As someone who teaches adults ride bikes (from complete beginners to people who want to commute, tour etc.), I find it amazing how many people who can balance the bike while sitting on the seat are not comfortable with standing on the pedals. Their butts stay glued to the seat: the skill of lifting their weight off the saddle and transferring it to the pedals is something they do not possess and find very difficult to acquire. As a result they ride with saddles low enough to be able to touch the ground with both feet when sitting on the saddle.

Then there are people who don't even know you can adjust saddle height.

Oh yeah, and the kids who lower the seat all the way 'cause it's "cool" (really just very stupid, but then a lot of "cool" things are...)

I must admit that I'm not very adept at standing on the pedals to ride. Do you have any suggestions for developing this skill?

[QUOTE=Roody]I must admit that I'm not very adept at standing on the pedals to ride. Do you have any suggestions for developing this skill?[/

[QUOTE=stevegor]Oops, sorry...I was going to say "Just stand up" , but when you do, make sure you're not rolling so slowly that you lose control, in other words, keep moving and hold onto the handle bars with a relaxed, but steady grip, peddles horizontal to the ground, then as you get braver, try a few rotations of the peddles/cranks, it won't take long to master it.

Thanks, Steve! I'll give it a try.

I saw several BMX bikes at the store today being used as really crappy utility bikes. It seems to be yet another example of style over sanity. Like wearing your pants around your knees and hiking your underwear up.

I would be sore and miserable if I tried to ride one of those things for more than a block! Especially if I was wearing baggy jeans and court shoes.

But keep in mind that those BMX bikes can do things that our big bikes can't do, and some of those scruffy riders have amazing skills.

Years ago, long before I started riding, there was an ice storm late one night. I was going to drive my friend Tony across town with his little BMX bike. He decided he wanted to ride in the ice storm instead. I followed in my car as Tony maneuvered his bike on those icy streets:

doing donuts in the left turn lane, block-long skids with his wheels locked, roostertails and wheelies in the slush.

It was like watching ballet on wheels crossed with slalom skiing! I'll never forget it, and he couldn't have done that death-defying ice ride on any other type of bike.

I find that low saddle position is inefficient and tiring. I always raise the saddle to the point that my leg is vertical with the seat post when pedalling. But these cyclists with the low saddle position are not real serious with their cycling since the farthest that they probably ride is a block or two around the neighborhood.

The very low saddle position is pretty bad relative to a well-set-up bicycle, but people make transportation choices that are even more ridiculous. They're still probably faster than a segway or a razor scooter, or even one of those silly 2-stroke gas (or electric) razor-style scooters. And I saw somebody driving a car in my neighborhood that had a crazy amount of engine knocking going on, was trailing a cloud of blue smoke, and didn't seem capable of going faster than a bike.

I kind of wish there was a law allowing the police to revoke a car's "pass" on the emissions test based on the fact that the car is leaving a clearly visible and smellable trail in the air.

I find it difficult to acquire. But then again, I have balance problems as a hangover from my years of morbid obesity.

I can only stand up and pedal for a few strokes before I need to get back down on the saddle to maintain balance.

Anyway, my bike's saddle is all the way down... but I find that I get pretty good leg extension. Funny thing is, I CAN touch the ground when on the saddle. (Although, I have big feet...) I might try adjusting it up, if the seatpost isn't stuck... However, that'll cancel out me adjusting the stem up to reduce weight on my hands... *sigh*

All the more reason to ride old school bikes, where the stem is ABOVE the saddle. The pressure on the hands along with general stiffness is one of the main reasons I have gotten back to riding the older style of bikes where the handlebars are at a nice reachable level. Most of my regularly ridden bikes have the very upright positioning, not the most aerodynamic but then again I am not competing in the Tour de France

Aaron

Low Rid-er Rides A Little Lower

Take a little trip, take a little trip with me LOL

Here in Cali, an excessive smoke ticket is fairly close to having an vehicle emissions revocation, and usually ends up being a death sentence for a lot of older cars, since the cost to fix the vehicle usually ends up exceeding the value of the car. There was a phase when young drivers of heavily modified diesel powered trucks found amusement in enveloping me and my bicycle in large cloud of black smoke when leaving an intersection, but I no longer see that happening anymore either.

My bike is a 22 year old entry-level road bike.

With that adjustment, I've got a good position overall. I think why it works so well is actually because the frame is too big for me - I haven't measured it, I believe it's a 60cm frame - but it's got old geometry, and where everything's adjusted now is a great compromise between speed and comfort.