Saddle Height question
 

Hi Everyone,

I have Giant defy advanced road bike. I have question about my saddle height position, I hope some one can help me here.
I am male with 5'5'' (165) and my inseam is about 28''. Base on this website (Road Bike Saddle Height Calculator), my saddle height should be 30.5''. I just wondering is this number seems good to you?
My current saddle height is 31.5'', I don't have any shoulder, back and knee problem but my left leg hamstring get really tight after 20 miles. Please give me some suggestions.

Welcome to the forums.

I would first ask you to confirm your inseam. 28" is fairly short for someone 5'5" (many charts don't offer a combination of 5'5" height with 28" inseam). Are you using your cycling inseam (do not use your pants inseam, which is different).

Tight hamstrings might be from too high a seat, or too far back a seat. If you are really a 28" cycling inseam and you are using 31.5" height from saddle to pedal, your saddle is probably too high.

Igualmente,

I double check my bike inseam by using a text book againt my crotch then measure the distance. It was 28 to 28.5'' without shoes on.

OK. I would lower the saddle to see if it helps. Maybe try a ride with the saddle 1/4 inch lower and see if anything happens. If that doesn't help, maybe try another 1/4" lower on a second ride. Normally it is advised to move the saddle in fairly small increments.

Set the saddle height so that you can't quite touch your heels to the pedals in your cycling shoes. This is a good starting position.

Textbook? What kind of textbook? It is supposed to be a very thin book. One that can slide right past your junk and make solid contact with your pubic bone even though your legs are together. Is that how you are doing it? In any case there are other ways of setting saddle height. You can sit on the bike and attempt to pedal backwards using your heels (in shoes). You should be able to do this without any undue rocking of your hips to reach the bottom of the stroke. If you aren't sure go lower than higher. Then when you pedal properly with the balls of your feet on the pedals you should be more or less ok as to height.

H

Really? That isn't how I (and probably most of us) have heard it. You absolutely should be able to reach the pedals with your heels.

H

^^This. Without shoes, your heels should just be able to rest on the pedal with the leg fully extended.

My textbook is about 2'' thick. I will try other way [sit on the bike and attempt to pedal backwards using your heels (in shoes)] to see what happen later on when I received my bike trainer. Thanks for help.

I will try it when I received my bike trainer. Thanks for help!