As I mentioned in another thread, I have a new Giant Cypress that I am having a great time on. But I'm curious about seat adjustment. I realize that this topic may be more appropriate in another forum, but what the heck - I hang out here most of the time anyway...

I've always heard that you set the seat height so that you can fully extend your leg when your heel is on the pedal. But the guy at the LBS said that that only gets you in the ball park. He says that as you ride, you'll find that if you feel pain on the top of your knee, you should adjust you seat up a fraction of an inch. If you feel pain on the back of your knee, adjust your seat down slightly (I may have that backwards). He said it's really just a matter of millimeters, and eventually you'll find the exact position where you will be most efficient and have the least pain.

Has anyone else heard of this method? Did I describe it correctly? Do millimeter sized differences in seat height really make that big of a difference?

And there's something else on my mind (well, actually at the other end. Mrs. Wild would suggest that there's no practical difference). The Cypress has a shock mounted seat. That obviously will make a big difference in seat adjustment. When the seat springs up and down 1 or 2 inches, how do you know where to set the seat height?

And since I no longer need to pad the number of posts, please allow me one more question. How do you determine an appropriate distance from the seat to the handlebar stem? A quick glance under the seat and you'll see that there's 3 or 4 inches of adjustment there. Is there a rule of thumb (or some other body part) for determining where the seat should go? I've noticed that I seem to be putting a lot of pressure on my hands, so I wonder if I don't have the seat position adjusted incorrectly.

Thanks!

c~

"I may be going to hell in a bucket, but at least I'm enjoying the ride"