05/05/08
Saddle height in triathlon
There is a strange trend in Age Group triathlon for "high" saddle heights...make sure you're not one of those losing out on power and optimal cadence due to poor bike setup. Head Coach Marc Becker, whom Phil Liggett once said has "the most beautiful pedal stroke in cycling", has these words to say.
Category: Training
Posted by: marc
Among the many strange notions circulating in triathlon is a trend towards too-high saddle heights. Where this bizarre tendency comes from is tough to tell, but what is disturbing is that with most people whom I help to position themselves more effectively on their bike, about three quarters tell me that their saddle height prior to adjustment was set by a "professional bike fitter." In many cases the original, poor saddle height is as much as an inch (2.5cm) too high!
Without resorting to photos or video (there are many sites on the Internet you can google to find a picture of proper seat height), there are a few simple points to keep in mind when setting optimal saddle height.
1) In most cases, you will likely err on setting your saddle too high -- even without the help of a professional fitter. Keep this in mind when dialing in your proper height.
2) To quickly determine proper seat height: With your crank arm in line with the seat tube, set your pedal so that the bottom or your foot is horizonal with the ground. At this position, you should have a noticeable bend in the back of your leg behind the knee. The angle at the knee should be roughly 25 degrees. If you read advice that your leg should be "locked" with the base of the foot parallel to the ground -- forget it.
3) Remember: You should always be pedaling "from the heel." If your heel is dropping the base of your foot below parallel to the ground, raise the saddle slightly until your foot is parallel again on every revolution.
4) If you are pointing your toes to "reach" for the bottom of your pedal stroke, you are too high!!! Any seat set up with a "locked leg" will ALWAYS force you to point your toe. Your hips rocking back and forth is also a dead give-away for a saddle that is too high. Lower your saddle until the base of your foot is parallel with the ground, and you are pedaling smoothly -- without reaching with your toes, and without rocking your hips -- to maintain every pedal stroke.
5) If you notice that the front of your knees are getting sore after pedaling in your new (lower) position, slightly raise your saddle. Generally this is not the case, however, as most triathletes tend to err towards a too-high saddle.
6) When your seat is at the correct height you should feel that the momentum of your pedal stroke carries you through the bottom of each stroke. If there is a stuttering or stopping at that point, it is because you are taking a split second to flex your ankle in order to point our toe -- out of sheer necessity because your saddle is too high for you to bring your foot around otherwise. This jerky feeling and lack of smoothness in your pedal stroke is a dead give-away that your seat is too high.
7) Barring normal fatigue, lack of experience or imbalances in muscle strength, at the bottom of your stroke you should feel significant force in your upstroke. When you are engaging your hamstring with a leg bent somewhat (roughly 20-25 degrees), you can contract the hamstrings forcefully. However, if your seat is too high your leg won't have enough flexion and your hamstring will be fighting to flex a leg that is near-locked at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If you are pulling up on a pointed or somewhat pointed toe - too high.
8) If you are feeling chronic tightness in your pelvis, lower back, gluteus and hamstring insertions, you may be the victim of a well-meaning but inexperienced professional bike fitter. Your saddle could be too high.
With these simple tips, you can optimize saddle height to increase your power output and improve pedaling efficiency by dialing in the optimal cadence for each level of exertion you encounter in training and racing.
Without resorting to photos or video (there are many sites on the Internet you can google to find a picture of proper seat height), there are a few simple points to keep in mind when setting optimal saddle height.
1) In most cases, you will likely err on setting your saddle too high -- even without the help of a professional fitter. Keep this in mind when dialing in your proper height.
2) To quickly determine proper seat height: With your crank arm in line with the seat tube, set your pedal so that the bottom or your foot is horizonal with the ground. At this position, you should have a noticeable bend in the back of your leg behind the knee. The angle at the knee should be roughly 25 degrees. If you read advice that your leg should be "locked" with the base of the foot parallel to the ground -- forget it.
3) Remember: You should always be pedaling "from the heel." If your heel is dropping the base of your foot below parallel to the ground, raise the saddle slightly until your foot is parallel again on every revolution.
4) If you are pointing your toes to "reach" for the bottom of your pedal stroke, you are too high!!! Any seat set up with a "locked leg" will ALWAYS force you to point your toe. Your hips rocking back and forth is also a dead give-away for a saddle that is too high. Lower your saddle until the base of your foot is parallel with the ground, and you are pedaling smoothly -- without reaching with your toes, and without rocking your hips -- to maintain every pedal stroke.
5) If you notice that the front of your knees are getting sore after pedaling in your new (lower) position, slightly raise your saddle. Generally this is not the case, however, as most triathletes tend to err towards a too-high saddle.
6) When your seat is at the correct height you should feel that the momentum of your pedal stroke carries you through the bottom of each stroke. If there is a stuttering or stopping at that point, it is because you are taking a split second to flex your ankle in order to point our toe -- out of sheer necessity because your saddle is too high for you to bring your foot around otherwise. This jerky feeling and lack of smoothness in your pedal stroke is a dead give-away that your seat is too high.
7) Barring normal fatigue, lack of experience or imbalances in muscle strength, at the bottom of your stroke you should feel significant force in your upstroke. When you are engaging your hamstring with a leg bent somewhat (roughly 20-25 degrees), you can contract the hamstrings forcefully. However, if your seat is too high your leg won't have enough flexion and your hamstring will be fighting to flex a leg that is near-locked at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If you are pulling up on a pointed or somewhat pointed toe - too high.
8) If you are feeling chronic tightness in your pelvis, lower back, gluteus and hamstring insertions, you may be the victim of a well-meaning but inexperienced professional bike fitter. Your saddle could be too high.
With these simple tips, you can optimize saddle height to increase your power output and improve pedaling efficiency by dialing in the optimal cadence for each level of exertion you encounter in training and racing.