New bike and ouch my knees!

I just got a Trek 3700 WSD, 13 inches. I'm only 4'10 with short legs, and it was the closest we found that fit me. The problem I'm having now is that if the seat is low enough that I can get my toes on the ground in order to start and stop without falling over, my legs feel squished when I'm pedaling, and my knees hurt.

If I put the seat up a bit, it helps a lot, but then I have a hard time stopping and getting going again However, its true I haven't ridden a bike regularly for like 15 years or so (I'm 33), so I might just be clumsy.

I'm going to use the bike for short jaunts - mainly riding to the train station to commute downtown, and then around town.

It is the cutest little bike, and they put a bike rack on it and I bought a bag for it so I can cram all my work stuff or library books.

Put the saddle up. Keep practicing. It gets easier.

Are you trying to place both feet on the ground?

Don't.

One foot on the ground, the other on the pedal, push.

Getting on and off with the saddle higher will get easier. I'm helping my neighbor with this too. :D

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Originally Posted by SouthernBelle

Are you trying to place both feet on the ground?

Don't.

One foot on the ground, the other on the pedal, push.

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And lift your butt onto the saddle as you push off. Don't try to sit on it first.

Keep slowly raising the seat 1/2" or so every week until your leg goes *almost* straight when your pedal is at the low point in its circle. As you raise your seat you will notice less knee pain.

You're not supposed to be able to put both feet on the ground and still be sitting in your saddle. Even one foot should be tricky unless you have the bike tilted. You're supposed to move forward and off your seat with one foot on a pedal and the other foot coming down on the ground. When you are stopped, you should have one foot on the ground, the other on one pedal, and your crotch over the top tube, not on the saddle.
Practice will make it easier and easier. And the knee pain will be your motivation to get your saddle up where it belongs. ;)

Don't give up! :D

That's a very cute bike. Everyone has great tips. It will get easier with time - just keep pedaling! :)

Platys, I know JUST what you mean. My knees don't hurt but I can't pedal as well as I could.

I'm 5'3" and have a 15" Trek 7.6 FX and I'm still trying to get the seat UP WHERE IT BELONGS. Heck, after a week of intense struggle, I finally conquered swinging my leg over the saddle and off the bike without tripping. Had the seat been higher I'd still be stranded in my driveway with one foot stuck on the top bar.

As someone said, move the seat up half an inch at a time till it's right. I doubt I'll ever get my seat all the way up like the pros but I can settle for comfort and security.

I road my bike to the train!

Of course, I got caught in a thunderstorm and I ended up completely soaked. So now I'm sitting at work in comfy clothes bought at Walgreens while my work clothes dry out. :)

So, I need a poncho.

Moving the bike seat up some is helping - I"ll keep working on it. I road it around more last night, and that helped with the whole balance thing.

It is true that you never forget how to ride a bike, but you do forget, like, how to start and stop and get off and not fall down at stop lights... :)

Good for you Platys!
Don't stress, just take it slowly and it will all come naturally. :)

Good job!

One thing that helped me (I was a too low saddle rider at first) was to watch my BF start and stop on his bike. Once I could analyze the dynamics of stepping on the pedal as I was lifting onto the seat, it made sense.

This is a great thread. Lately I've started to wonder about my bike .... like the position I was in was just kind of odd - I felt like I needed a longer distance between myself and the handlebars - the natural tendency was to sit further back on the seat to give myself a little extra room to drag out, which just isn't comfortable. I wondered if maybe this is what people meant about bike geometry, and maybe this bike just wasn't right for my ill shapen body. But then I just started wondering if my legs weren't extending enough -- I felt like if I could just extend a bit more, I'd probably have a lot more power.

I mentioned it to a friend of mine who isn't a newbie, and he asked how much more I thought I could extend my legs..... I replied at least three inches to a fully extended leg.. and i could sit on the bike with both feet squarely flat to the ground. He suggested im an idiot.

Fixed it today, looking forward to seeing what its like after this.

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Originally Posted by rhyme

I mentioned it to a friend of mine who isn't a newbie, and he asked how much more I thought I could extend my legs..... I replied at least three inches to a fully extended leg.. and i could sit on the bike with both feet squarely flat to the ground. He suggested im an idiot.

Fixed it today, looking forward to seeing what its like after this.

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OW!! that's really hard on your knees to ride with the seat that low. Do come back and tell us about the improvement.

I think this article and video from Sheldon Brown says it best:

http://sheldonbrown.com/starting.html

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Originally Posted by rhyme

He suggested im an idiot.

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Well, that was a little harsh, but at least he only suggested it! :p

Good luck... You really do need to raise the saddle.

How long are your crankarms?
Several wonderful suggestions already, but I'd wonder about shorter crank arms as well. I'm 5'7", but I've switched all my bikes to 158-165 crank arms and I ride faster, because I can spin faster, and my knees are very happy for the change.
If you are 4'9", I'd think you could easily go to 150 cm cranks or even shorter.

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Originally Posted by rij73

Well, that was a little harsh, but at least he only suggested it! :p

Good luck... You really do need to raise the saddle.

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We have an interesting friendship that is essentially built on insults... his actual words were more profanity laden and involved comparing me to an "epileptic monkey", but he's a cool guy and we get along, so no worries.

Anyway the seat is high enough now so I can barely touch with the ground with the tip of my toes, which is not yet quite high enough, but I'll ride that for a few miles and then try inching up another inch. Oddly enough, I've been following proper starting and stopping technique without even realizing it, even though with my seat height where it was, I really didn't need to.

I used to ride with the seat so low when I first started that my knee literally hit my chest because I have a short inseam. When I got my new bike, it has a much lower standover and it took a while, but the seat started going up (you should of seen my face when they set it up for me at the LBS ..my butt is supposed to be up WHERE?). It felt odd when they first did it and I changed it back down. Now I am up where they set it up and wow what a DIFFERENCE!!! I didn't get knee pain but I just felt cramped. The thing for me was getting back on and now when I get on, I get up and then onto the seat, a little pelvis maneuver gets me back in the saddle. Just keep trying!

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Originally Posted by TsPoet

How long are your crankarms?
Several wonderful suggestions already, but I'd wonder about shorter crank arms as well. I'm 5'7", but I've switched all my bikes to 158-165 crank arms and I ride faster, because I can spin faster, and my knees are very happy for the change.
If you are 4'9", I'd think you could easily go to 150 cm cranks or even shorter.

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Hee hee! I'm darn near the same height as you (5 foot 8) and I like my crank arms to be 175mm! (but I'm a masher) Ahhh, the wonderful variety of human mechanical function!

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Hee hee! I'm darn near the same height as you (5 foot 8) and I like my crank arms to be 175mm! (but I'm a masher) Ahhh, the wonderful variety of human mechanical function!

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I, too, felt that way for years. Then I got a ride buddy who yells at me and insults me every time I switch into the big chainring. He's done wonders for my riding! Now I spin much faster, I went from an avg cadence of ~63 to one of ~80, my knees feel better, but I never would have done it without his constant, and annoying, badgering. :p
I was happy before, I'm happy now.
But, my recommendation was based entirely on her feeling cramped, smaller cranks = significantly less knee bend and much less of a cramped feeling.

I just love that there are so many variations available, that let us choose the parts that suit each person's body and riding style best. 20 years ago, I'd never have dreamed I could choose different cranks or different sized bars, or even a different saddle! I just rode what was on my bike.

It's great, being able to make a bike fit so well!

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

It's great, being able to make a bike fit so well!

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Except for the expense :eek: and that I can't stop tinkering, it can become an illness :rolleyes: