Saddle height

Jack Halpern (jhalpern@super.win.or.jp)
Fri Jan 27 22:07 JST

Goodrich, Paul - TEB-3 wrote:
|>
|> Seat height is right up there with politics and religion on the list of
|> things that people tend to have pretty fixed notions about, but, for what
|> it's worth (free, in this case, and probably worth every penny) here's what
|> I do. I'm about 180 cm tall, of which about 150 cm seems to be legs. There
|> was no way I could ride on the standard Schwinn seat tube, so I had a metal
|> shop create a longer one. What's comfortable for me is high enough so I can
|> still just about pedal with my heels. This gives me pretty good extension
|> for my leg muscles so they don't cramp up. (Now several dozen other folks
|> on this list will give you conflicting advice, and you'll finally come up
|> with something on your own that works for your body and riding style. Have
|> fun!)

Well this is an important topic and should be given proper attention. I
think that it is of cruicial importance. Too low will bring painful knees,
too high makes it difficult to ride. Most good riders prefer a saddle height
with the leg nearly stretched, but the knee can still bend somewhat.

I don't believe there us much disagreement on the issue of saddle height.
I ran some experiments some years ago, and I believe that for racing,
lowering the seat slightly -- just slightly -- helps, but there may
be racers that disagree. Here is a quote from my book, ANYONE CAN RIDE
A UNICYLE, on the subject.

"...down position (perpendicular to the ground). You should be able
to reach the pedal in this popsition without leaning your body or
stretching your leg. That is, your leg should be extended straight but
without any strain. Next, put the ball of your foor on the down pedal.
In this position, your knee should be slightly bent...

Stay on top,

Jack Halpern, IUF Vice President
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