Originally Posted by legalize_it
pain below your knee cap can certainly be a symptom of your saddle being too low. with a freewheeling bike incorrect saddle height is MUCH less apparent. fixed gears will teach you a lot about positioning in my experience, and will make you a much better freewheeling biker to boot.
Thanks. I found an old post ("link for fit nerds" or something) about an article on this subject. The article says a saddle that is too low can cause patellar tendonitis through over-compression of the joint. I've used the heel on the pedal test before, but lately I've just used the height that felt right. The heel test says it's a good 1/2" too low. I'll move my saddle up after a few days off. I just walked back from the store (with ice) and my knees straight up hurt.