General Discussion Triathlon Talk » seat height Rss Feed  
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2015-05-05 4:42 PM


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Subject: seat height
Hi all,
Went in for a custom bike fitting at LBS. The lead tech said that when on seat, the heel of my foot should just touch the pedal when my leg is fully extended, and foot is horizontal. When riding, this seems to me to be a bit too low (the seat). I have always gone by adjusting the seat so that at the bottom of the stroke, there is still a slight bend in the knee. By fitting the bike based on my heel in relation to the pedal, it seems like I still have a lot of "travel" in my legs when peddling. Meaning, it seems like my seat should be higher?
I'm not that experienced, so if anyone could offer some opinions on this or if this is how you fit your bikes, I would really appreciate any input. I want to make sure I am in a position to get the most efficiency from my cycling stroke, as well as avoiding leg or knee issues too.
Thank you!
Barry


2015-05-05 8:52 PM
in reply to: Burchib

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Subject: RE: seat height
With your intuition, you will be an expert in no time.

The fitter at your LBS was starting with a general rule. There will be some adjusting as time goes by. The more you do any activity, the more aware you become to how your body moves and reacts. It seems you have much more self awareness than a typical beginner.

You want your seat as high as possible without having a straight leg, toes pointing down, or hips deviating from horizontal. Legs can generate more force when they are closer to a locked out position than when at 90 degree bend. Legs with less bend also compress the diaphragm less, so breathing is more efficient. It sounds like the fit leaves you with legs that are too compressed. Try raising your seat 1/4". The next adjustment would be 1/8" either up or down. It may take a couple of weeks depending on how often you ride. Eventually you will dial in your position.
2015-05-06 9:45 AM
in reply to: Six000MileYear


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10010025
Subject: RE: seat height
Thanks for taking the time to reply! I will apply your recommendation and see how it goes
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