Seat height and knee bend

Hi everyone,

I would like to get everyones inputs regarding how high your seat should go and whether if you have a just little more than a slight bend in your knee at the bottom of the pedal whether that's really a bad thing. I feel more comfortable knowing that my tippy toes can Touch the ground. I do hop off the bike seat when needed and push myself off when starting, but there are times when my butt just touches the seat and I push off. Is it ok for the tip of your toes to touch the ground when you're seated?

I kept my seat fairly low when I first bought my bike. Especially in urban traffic where I stop a lot, I felt more comfortable and safe that way. I gradually raised the seat as I gained confidence.

Here's the thing...

It is true that riding with your seat lower than the optimal height can do a few things. It overworks your quads and glutes. It can give your knees a bit of trouble. It is not as efficient.

BUT....

If you don't ride at all because you are not confident to ride at the optimal height, then that is a big shame. So if it is not giving your knees, quads, glutes etc any trouble, and you don't care if you are not quite as efficient as you could be, then I reckon you should ride at whatever height you feel comfortable with for now!:)

I'm sure in time you will gain confidence and speed and distance and you will want to be in a more efficient position (and aches and pains may even dictate it to you) and then the seat can go up a bit more. Do what feels right for you.

Thanks ladies. I feel that I'm almost there and the bend in my knee with the pedal axle down at 6 o'clock looks and feels good, but I read and have been told that my toes should not touch the ground when on the seat and they do. So far no major aches and pains; but plan to do 40 miles between todAy and tomorrow so I will let you know :)

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Originally Posted by MyRubyE

Thanks ladies. I feel that I'm almost there and the bend in my knee with the pedal axle down at 6 o'clock looks and feels good, but I read and have been told that my toes should not touch the ground when on the seat and they do. So far no major aches and pains; but plan to do 40 miles between todAy and tomorrow so I will let you know :)

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I don't know about your toes not being able to touch the ground when you are in the saddle - I think this depends on the bike and you. What matters is that the saddle is at the right height for your leg/knee to be at the right angle to prevent injury/allow proper technique (though of course it is fine to have it a little lower at first).

For some of us at this point our tippy-toes may indeed be able to reach the ground, or not as the case may be. I thought this as well, but both of my fitters strongly came down against the idea that there is a single rule on this.

Sounds like you are doing great, and do keep in mind that the saddle can cause knee-pain if it is too high as well as too short.

It's a personal preference thing and I think it really, really depends on comfort level and why you are riding. On my road bike, I am adjusted to optimal height and do fine, but I am not stopping as much as I am on my commuter, which is much lower to the ground. I started road riding on that bike and I still have to stop a TON of times in traffic in the city. Thus, it is much better to be able to get up/down quickly. I am also not clipped in. I have a short commute and where I ride/why I ride would make me uncomfortable. It's about really getting out there. If you are, I would be happy. And yes, a gradual adjustments can be a great thing. I did that with the commuter. It is taller now then it was when I started. Being happy and comfortable is more important that being at the perfect setting.

When I first started riding, I bought a hybrid (because I wanted to be "upright" as, to me, a road bike felt totally awkward and I worried about lower-back pain) and insisted my seat be lower than it was "supposed" to be. I had it where I wanted it and where I was comfortable with it. DH was always kind of pushing me to raise the seat and move to a road bike. I tried but never felt comfortable so I stayed with the hybrid and kept the seat where I wanted it to be. Fast forward a couple of years. I decided to buy a road bike because I finally really REALLY wanted one... and I was sooooo comfortable in my riding skills that instinctively I adjusted the seat to where it's "supposed" to be :) I sometimes look at my bike and am in awe of how high my seat is... especially in comparison to where my hybrid seat was... but now it's absolutely comfortable for me and I can't ride it any other way! LOL!

Moral of the story... unless it's going to cause you to develop some serious bad habits, do what feels right for you. You can always change things as you grow in your skills and comfort level :) If you're more comfy, you'll ride more... and if you ride more you'll develop more/better/increased skills. It's a wonderful cycle :)