Hi all, quick question about saddle position relative to hoods:

Recently, I went into multiple LBS's when researching road bikes, all of who suggested 56/58 cm is the appropriate size for me (I'm 6'0")
I ended up buying a CAAD10 56cm and got a fitting done.

My question is - Is it normal to have the saddle lower than the hoods?
The person who did the fitting says that I have short legs and a long torso, and that moving down to a 54 would leave my upper body too cramped.
However, most all other road bikes I see have the saddle much higher than the hoods.
Is this normal?


Pic of bike after fitting:

Looks right if you are 75 years old and/or touring.

If not, you may need a smaller frame and/or lower the bars/flip stem.

You sure the saddle is at correct height to allow proper leg extension??

it depends on how flexible you are and how aggressive you want to be. You do not need to be 75 to decide this is where you want your handlebars, tho.

What bike shop did the fit for you?

Um, how does it feel when you ride it? And you know there's a new "fitting your bike" subforum now, already getting lots of good input.

w/o seeing you on the bike it's just a crap shot, but i'm guessing your legs aren't that short. You should have like a 10-15 degree bend at most when legs are extended. Also your handlebars are rolled to far up. Drops should be parallel to the ground. You will get more flexible the more you cycle. Stretch your back, neck and legs everyday if you can. Maybe he just set the bike up that way until you get more flexible.

There's no real reason for this setup unless you are super unflexible and/or on a frame too big (referring to seatpost height). Is your saddle even parallel to the ground?

That's hard to believe that's a 56 and you are 6 foot. Unless you have very short legs and little flexibility, it looks way off. Post some pics of you on the bike.

When you said fitting, what did that consist of and how long did it take? Was the shop employee knowledgable?

Have you dropped your handlebars down? If not, I'd suggest that as a starting point if you're really looking for a more aggressive geometry. I ride a less aggressive Cannondale Synaspe 7 Sora, but my brother rides a CAAD and he had the same issue. He lowered the handlebars by removing the steering stem spacers.

Question: Did they do an actual fitment (take an hour or more where they take actual body measurements) or did they just do an initial set-up where they just made sure your legs were at the right positions at the bottom and top of your pedal stroke?

Do you find you reach too far for the hoods; are you feeling too stretched out? My bike has the saddle level with the handlebars and it is extremely comfortable, and I can use the drops all day long if I wanted to. I wouldn't judge a fitting by that alone...for sure.


Edited to say that I think your saddle is pointed down a bit much.

As mentioned by datlas, you may start by flipping the stem. That should bring the bars slightly lower than your saddle (all other things being set up correctly). To specifically answer your question though, no, it is not normal to have that kind of setup on a race bike meant specifically for the kind of riding you intend to do.

There are no set rules. You have a lot of room to experiment. Flip your stem and put some of the spacers above the stem. Try numerous configurations and see what works best. Focus in whats comfortable, not what it looks like. Keep in mind, if you are new at this, the optimal setup will be a moving target as your fitness improves.

Along with everyones good advice remember it's not about the looks it's about the fit and your comfort, as long as you fill good thats all you shoud be concerned about. If not then seek a good fitter some shops fit you but its an general fitting and might I ask did this shop have all the sizes up and down you were looking for or did they sell you something because thats what was on the floor.

Have you measured your cycling inseam? That saddle looks pretty low for someone 6' tall on a 56". I'm 6'3" on a 58 and I have a lot of seat post. Probably could ride a 60-61. Your saddle/bars do not have to conform to any rules but there is a general trend for road bars to be lower than the saddle. If this is properly fit then it's properly fit. However, without some more data (like cycling inseam) it's hard to say. It's possible the shop set you up based on preconceived notions about newer riders rather than something more comprehensive and based on your actual body style and flexibility. A pic of you on the bike would probably help.

People with short legs have less saddle to bar drop.

Well first off, you have like a bajillion inches worth of spacers AND your stem is at a positive angle. If you want your bars to be lower than your saddle all you have to do is place the spacers on top of the stem instead of below it, and then flip your stem.

I work at a bike shop and from personal experience I have seen some customers that need their saddle really low even with the proper leg extension. For people who are chubby/heavy set the problem seems to amplify drastically.

I agree with the fitter that a 54 would be too cramped for you. If it bugs you that the saddle is so low... do what I said and just flip the stem and slam it.

LOL, I have *short* legs w/ *long* torso.

My current bike looks similar BUT is a 54cm with a 120 stem, with level hoods/bars. If I go with a smaller frame, to get that pro-looking huge seatpost... I would need to get a *huge* stem ...

No, that set up does not look right to me. You might see the hoods higher than saddle on touring or city bikes (a la the "French Fit," though even then it's usually at or sligtly below saddle level) , but not on a bike such as yours. Plus, the downward saddle angle is just wrong. I'm about your height (5'11") and also have long torso/short legs, but would not want to ride your bike for very long. If that were my bike, I'd start by flipping the stem, leveling the saddle and tilting handlebars forward. Start with a minimal saddle-to-bar drop, and lower as your comfort/flexibility allows. Oh, and ask for a refund from that fitter.

Get a second local opinion who can see you on it in person.

It may be right, but it looks wrong.

do you want this ...:

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... or what's good for YOU?

If the saddle would be level, you wouldnt need the bars rolled up, like that... ( to use, to push yourself back up on to the saddle/your sit bones... since you are prolly sliding off/down, sitting on your giblets. )

That said, dont flip the stem or slam it, that is a fit issue ...
If you like the height on both leave it, but if you need the extra hight from the handlebar beeing rolled up, get a higher angle stem. ( and still keept he bars "level". )

If all else fails, het a "tall headtube bike" ...

Here is a publicity pic of my bike :


Here is how mine, looks:

Don't compare your setup to the setup you see on bike photos in magazines. No one is riding those - they're just taking pictures. Instead look how people who are actually riding are setup for a more real life comparison. Even in the tour, some of the guys are using less aggressive setups than some of the guys here. It's no indication of skill.

Yours does look a little "mild" but that doesn't mean it doesn't fit right. My Allez is a 56.5 cm. I tried a 54 but I felt cramped on it. It may have been fixable with a long stem and setback post but at the time I was 45 lbs heavier than I am now and flexibility wasn't a strongpoint of mine.

Edit: For perspective, I'm 5'11.5" and my cycling inseam with shoes on is only ~32 in. Short legs here too.

Short legs/long torso, new rider and a Clyde ...that's normal. I suspect over time the seat will come up, bars will come down. When I started biking 6-7 years ago that would have been my set-up. Now, saddle position relative to the bars is much higher.

What matters is riding comfort, power, motivated to ride further. If this fit gives you that then it's perfect. Let change come over time.

Whoever did that fitting for you needs to be shot straight in the face. your hoods should not be rolld up that high on the bars. saddle should be flat and if you are 6ft tall and that is a 56, you have got to have one of the longest torso's EVER. that looks set up for someone with a 28" inseem.

Yeah, ride the bike, do stretching (after the ride), gain strength and flexibility.

Your seat will come up and your bars will come down. You may also need to get a longer stem.

In the meantime, google french fit and eddy fit. People really do ride bikes like that.