I've got 4 road bikes and they are all fit pretty much the same. My saddle height, in particular, never varies. I have found out the hard way that the surest way to injure your knees is run your saddle too low. I can touch my toes to the ground on one side of my bike at stops, but often do a track stand. If it's a long red light, I usually dismount and straddle the top tube.

What happened to the other one?

sure is a lot of emotion in this thread? I use clipless pedals and I can lean over slightly and touch the toes of one foot. If Im at an empty intersection waiting for a light I cruise up to the curb, unclip my right and rest it on the curb with left prepared to go. If Im in traffic I stay in the through lane unclip my left with my right ready to go, staying in saddle and leaning a bit. I always stand through intersections to make myself more visible. So Im basically a start, stand, sprint kind of girl I guess? Once I get clear of the intersection I flip my pedal over and clip back in.

I don't know who made up the "rules" anyway, nor do I care about them, just thought Id add to the poll.

It's common knowledge that the most trivial of details spawn the bitterest debates on the Internet.

Resting your foot on the curb isn't a recommended safe posture at an intersection. You have to inevitably negotiate your way back into traffic. As well, when you're off to the side, with your foot on the curb, it could be taken as a sign to motorists that you're taking a rest.

It's always best to stay in the lane, with motor traffic, while waiting for the light to change.

At least this is what we teach in the bike safety courses.

Nope. Not breaking any rules at all; the fitter was looking at the angles and geometry of *your* body on *that* bike. It's actually pretty common for people to put their saddles too high and end up rocking their pelvis, hyperextending their knees, or putting strain on their Achilles tendon through excessive "ankling" (pointing the toe through the bottom of the pedal stroke). It's a sneaky one because the problems from a too-high saddle aren't as easy to relate as the ones from a too-low saddle (IT band pain, etc).

A lot of people think their leg has to be perfectly straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke, and that's not actually true. Your knee needs to have a bit of a bend to it! There are a lot of other factors including the geomtry of your bike (seat tube angle), saddle fore-and-aft position, crank length, whether you are using clip pedals (and how the cleats are positioned)

I'm in the middle of a bike fitting course through work so have been playing with all sorts of measuring tools today - laser levels are fun...

Re: the cowboy vs straddle start - that's just silly. Are we suddenly in the SS/FG forum here?

Are you suggesting that when wearing cycling shoes one should do a full dismount when coming to a stop? That's absurd. I wear clipless and when stopped at a red light I can unclip one or both feet and staddle the top bar while I wait. When starting you go to a standing position for a few strokes, get some speed and sit. Maybe I should learn to balance in place to look less childish.

THIS
is the proper way to straddle a bike when waiting to take off. It is the "casually deliberate" position. One thigh resting on the top tube, still clipped in with that foot. Leaning slightly to the side. Ready to take off in the "straddle" position, like a BOSS

obviously AndreyT is a total n00b or is hanging with the wrong crowd and getting bad advice. Energy is to be saved for the right moment and is not to be wasted on pointless things like standing under your own strength (or balancing on the saddle on your tippy toes like a ballerina) You, also don't want to stand directly over your top tube with both feet planted flat on the ground. It looks goofy and takes that much longer to get going when the light turns green.

Rule #80 // Always be Casually Deliberate.


Waiting for others pre-ride or at the start line pre-race, you must be tranquilo, resting on your top tube thusly. This may be extended to any time one is aboard the bike, but not riding it, such as at stop lights.15