New bike and ouch my knees!

[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.

[rhyme]

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

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

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.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

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!

[KnottedYet]

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.

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!

[TsPoet]

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!

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.
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.

[KnottedYet]

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!

[TsPoet]

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

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