vermilionx

i had some time on lunch so i decided to try and raise my seat post. i rode with the new setup on the way home but it's only 4.25 miles. i felt fine and was going a little faster than usual but that could be a bunch of diff variables.

anyway, what should i pay attention to in terms of negative effects? knee pain and such?

if no negative, imma try to raise even more.

thanks.

pdedes

Growing?

vermilionx

no, i just thought that i might have too much bend on my knees.

Creakyknees

A too-high saddle will "feel" very powerful but you'll eventually start to feel it in your saddle regions and lower back (due to the hip wobbling that results).

Instead of gradually guesstimating based on feel, have you taken measurements and used one of the basic sizing guides as a starting point?

Creakyknees

A too-low saddle will "feel" weaker on the power stroke (downward) and a typical symptom is soreness under the kneecaps.

vermilionx

i will watch out for those signs.

i don't have a tape measure though but i'll look into those basic sizing guides later.

also, i thought it's better to go by feel than what some general guide says, no?

thanks.

popeye

Pain at the back of the knee. If you raise the saddle you need to also move it forward.

Mike F

Your hips will rock and you could hyper-extend the back of your knees (as popeye mentioned) and hammy's.

vermilionx

thanks a lot.

i should be able to test it out better on thursday night.

if im solo, i'll do 20 miles, if somebody joins me, i'll do 30 miles.

that should give me a pretty good test either way.

SCochiller

Continue raising till you make Pro Tour.

MarkThailand

I just had my second bike fitting after riding my Helix OS for about 6 months.

This was at the recommendation of the original bike fitter.

In the six months that I started riding seriously on my Helix OS, I had steadily increased my average rides to ~51 miles in 2 hr 30-45 min with only 1-2 5 min drink refill breaks, 4-500 miles a month, 88-93 rpm cadence, and my longest ride (only one) at 102 miles in 6 hours with about 15-30 of resting. I am now currently down in the drops more than 50% of the time and also bend my elbows a bit to lower my stance as well. I also lost some weight.

After a long conversation and interview about my riding experience in the past six months and my ache and pain descriptions, we discussed what those signs might mean. Most of the recommendations seem to come back to - HTFU, ride more, tough it out, do yoga, do more stretches.

Then, the bike fitter asked me to get on my Helix OS and start peddling. This time, the focus was on different cadence rates and the effect they had on my form.

We then discussed that I could lower my steering height by 1 cm, from my current 4.0 cm to 3.0 cm. I am currently using 2.5 cm of spacers since I am currently using the Chris King Inset Headset with a stack height of 1.27 cm. We also discussed my reach to the shifters and brakes. Currently, the stem length is 100mm and we also discussed that I could rotate my handle bar (ENVE Compact) slightly in to improve my reach to the levers while I am in the drops. He also said that he noticed my hips started to wobble at cadences above 90 rpm and there was definite wobbling at 95 rpm. We discussed how he would not yet recommend changing the seat height of 69 cm yet until we get some power meter data in six months.

I then got fitted for another more relaxed geometry bike, the R330. For this bike, the goal was to ride it primarily for longer, touring rides of 4-5 hours or more. Thus, the reach was set a bit shorter since the bike had a shorter eTT with the same stem length of 100mm and a different handle bar (FSA K-Force Carbon Compact). The steering height was also set at 4 cm but there will only by 1.25 cm of spacers since I am using the Cane Creek 110 headset with a 2.8 cm stack height. Although he recommended the same set height of 69 cm, he said that I could try 68.5 cm seat height to see if I am more stable since he feels that this will help my endurance. He said that my goal for this bike should be a sub-5 hour solo century or a 4 hour group century. Once again, I told him that I have at least 15 years on him.

Once again, he asked me to come back in six months or 2-3000 miles, whichever comes first.

So, I would recommend getting a bike fitting before you play around with the seat height. My brother had behind-the-knee pains when he got his new bike and rode it without getting a bike fitting. After a bike fitting, the recommendation was to lower the seat height by 0.5 cm. But, the fitter was hesitant and mentioned something about power output.

Mark

Grim Ace

Really impossible to tell without actually seeing you. Some things to look out for are obviously pain and discomfort. Also, you do not want to lock your knees on a pedal stroke. It is not exact science but your knees should be at an angle through the whole stroke. You should also be able to pedal with all the power that you have without feeling like you need to "lean into" the pedal stroke. Instead, you should be able to comfortably generate that power while staying balanced and not rocking your hips from side to side.

jesspal

Pain behind knee

topflightpro

Did you also slide your saddle forward?

Raising the saddle generally needs to be offset by sliding the saddle forward, while lowering the saddle needs to be offset by sliding it back.

rangerdavid

your hips will be rocking and that's not good. also, if you ride it inside on a trainer, your head will either hit the ceiling or the ceiling fan, so be careful..........................

ne_dan

Mice, always look out for the mice.

vermilionx

ok i will move the saddle a little forward. thanks.

Banzai

If you're asking this question, you probably shouldn't be doing your own fit adjustments. Cyclists that are doing their own fit, and are obsessive about it, are also conversant in why certain moves are being made, and what the physical outcome will be.

Given the fact that you also don't understand the critical importance of saddle setback, and why it may or may not need to be adjusted as you start altering vertical measurements, leads me to believe that you're walking a treacherous path here.

vermilionx

that's why im asking here and learning.

cjbohl

How much does a good bike fitting cost?

caloso

The older I get, the more sensitive my back and knees get to tiny adjustments. 1/4 inch is roughly 6mm and that would be a huge difference for me. It would surely cause me some knee or back pain.

vermilionx

Ride to work today and i paid attention to my knee bend.

I still have a slight bend on all positions unless of course my foot is facing upwards which i never do unless to stretch.

And fitting cost anywhere from 100-300$. I dont wanna spend that since i just cycle for fun and fitness.

BarracksSi

Quick n' dirty:

Pain behind knee: too high
Pain over front of knee: too low
Aching lower back: bars too close

Those are the pains, and their solutions, that I've found so far. I'm really trying to feel how much my hips might be rocking, but I'd need someone to watch me. For example, I saw a rider the other day whose hips looked like they were rocking 20º or so from horizontal -- much more than I've seen on anyone else (especially anyone in a pro race on TV).

momo15

Watch out for freeway overpasses that you previously only cleared by 1/8th inch.

Nick Bain

leg separation. It may seem fine at first but once you get off the bike your knees may buckle and you'll just fall down go boom.