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Saddle height

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Old 03-22-14 | 10:55 AM
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Saddle height

Can you guys tell if my saddle is too high or too low from the look of this picture:
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Old 03-22-14 | 11:56 AM
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To be honest you can never really tell from a picture. But at first glance it seems kind of an ok length in the sense that how far you leg extends at the lowest point looks pretty natural. But no one here can tell from a picture better than you can yourself.
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Old 03-22-14 | 12:14 PM
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Originally Posted by veganpower
Can you guys tell if my saddle is too high or too low from the look of this picture:
Looks about right to me.
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Old 03-22-14 | 01:11 PM
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Does your ass rock when you peddle. That is a primary sign of too high. You are definitely not too low.
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Old 03-22-14 | 01:59 PM
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As said above, you need to watch the actual pedaling and not a picture. However, it looks a little bit low to me - but that depends on your pedaling style.
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Old 03-22-14 | 03:11 PM
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You're in the right ballpark, not excessively high or low. Get some longer rides in and adjust if you feel any problems. In general, front knee pain - go higher, back knee and Achilles tendon pain - go lower. Do not adjust by more than 2-3mm at a time.
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Old 03-22-14 | 03:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Fiery
You're in the right ballpark, not excessively high or low. Get some longer rides in and adjust if you feel any problems. In general, front knee pain - go higher, back knee and Achilles tendon pain - go lower. Do not adjust by more than 2-3mm at a time.
I did a 130km ride today with the saddle 2 mm higher than this but didn't feel right so I lowered it, now I've lowered it even more. Now it should be fine. When the picture was taken the saddle height was at 75.5 now it's at 75.2. According to the lemond method it should be above 76 cm since I have a inseam of around 86 cm.
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Old 03-22-14 | 04:05 PM
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This is how it looks now after I lowered it from 75.4 to 75.1. Is that better?
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Old 03-22-14 | 04:17 PM
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Both look like they are in the ballpark. Can you post a video of you pedaling (on a trainer)? Hard to say more than ballpark from a static pic.
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Old 03-22-14 | 04:19 PM
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BTW maybe it's an optical illusion, but the drivetrain looks strange. Looks like the chainrings are facing us but the RD/cassette is facing away from us.

Or is it just me??
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Old 03-22-14 | 04:25 PM
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Originally Posted by datlas
BTW maybe it's an optical illusion, but the drivetrain looks strange. Looks like the chainrings are facing us but the RD/cassette is facing away from us.

Or is it just me??
On the picture both the drive train and cassette and RD is on the left side due to the way I took the photo.
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Old 03-22-14 | 04:28 PM
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Originally Posted by datlas
Both look like they are in the ballpark. Can you post a video of you pedaling (on a trainer)? Hard to say more than ballpark from a static pic.
Maybe I'll do that tomorrow, it's getting late. Have to be up early tomorrow for a pre-Milan-San remo ride
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Old 03-22-14 | 06:23 PM
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The pic is taken thru a mirror
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Old 03-22-14 | 08:22 PM
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You guy's are totally missing the point.

Nice legs, bro. Very muscular.

That's all he wanted us to say.
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Old 03-23-14 | 12:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Jiggle
You guy's are totally missing the point.

Nice legs, bro. Very muscular.

That's all he wanted us to say.
Haha, not really. I have been messing around with my saddle for the past week, it's getting real frustrating.
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Old 03-23-14 | 02:19 AM
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Saddle looks about 1cm too high to me. Your foot is pointed a bit too angled down.
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Old 03-23-14 | 05:12 AM
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Originally Posted by datlas
Both look like they are in the ballpark. Can you post a video of you pedaling (on a trainer)? Hard to say more than ballpark from a static pic.
Here is the video of me pedaling on the trainer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLXd...ature=youtu.be
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Old 03-23-14 | 07:50 AM
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Did you give a "fitter" several hundred dollars to tell you "you are comfortable"? You may want to consider that after making a thread like this.
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Old 03-23-14 | 09:39 AM
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The angle at which you hold your ankle while pedaling is a largely matter of preference. All else equal, if you tend to pedal toe down the saddle will be lower than if you pedal toe level or toe up. The difference can be as much as several cm. Ride for a while, on the road or a trainer so that your ankle assumes it's normal angle and then assess the degree of knee bend at the bottom of the stroke. ~20 degrees is the usual.
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Old 03-23-14 | 10:39 AM
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looks too low.
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Old 03-23-14 | 10:43 AM
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Originally Posted by veganpower
Here is the video of me pedaling on the trainer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLXd...ature=youtu.be
Judging on this, I would not go lower. You have made a change recently, now ride for a while like that before changing anything again. Otherwise you risk going into "adjustment hell", always adjusting, never feeling quite right and completely losing any idea of what you were trying to achieve in the first place.
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Old 03-23-14 | 11:09 AM
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Originally Posted by Fiery
Judging on this, I would not go lower. You have made a change recently, now ride for a while like that before changing anything again. Otherwise you risk going into "adjustment hell", always adjusting, never feeling quite right and completely losing any idea of what you were trying to achieve in the first place.
I think I'm going to stick to this position, definitely not lower. According to my calculations my knee angle when the foot is at 6 o'clock is at around 33 degrees, give or take. From my understanding the ideal angle is between 25-35 so if I would to draw any conclusions from that I would say that my saddle is towards the low end of my range. My inseam is 87 cm and according to the lemond method (.883 * inseam=saddle height B-B) my saddle should be at 76.8 cm, which is 1.5-1.6 cm higher than my actual set up. Doesn't make any sense.

Last edited by veganpower; 03-23-14 at 11:10 AM. Reason: typo
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Old 03-23-14 | 11:21 AM
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Originally Posted by veganpower
My inseam is 87 cm and according to the lemond method (.883 * inseam=saddle height B-B) my saddle should be at 76.8 cm, which is 1.5-1.6 cm higher than my actual set up. Doesn't make any sense.
Started too low, went the wrong way.
The Guimard/Le Mond system (if calculated correctly) will take time/miles to adjust to but it is well proven for a classic competitive fit.

"Guimard raised my position an inch and a half...he told me to raise it slowly...once I got used to it I realized how much difference the right position makes." -Greg Lemond's Complete Book of Bicycling

There is a "Fitting Your Bike" sub-forum, but that is not a substitute for a good coach and/or experience local fitter.

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Old 03-23-14 | 11:35 AM
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I heard that sitting on the saddle placing HEEL on pedal the leg should be almost straight without rocking on saddle.
OP's feet look long so I'm not sure that applies.

Is changing saddle height supposed to fix some problem or just provide more power?
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Old 03-23-14 | 11:50 AM
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Style points for shoe covers indoors.
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