How To Set Your Saddle Height
Saddle height setup in 5 easy steps
Setting your saddle to the correct height is a small, yet important part of bike setup. It can make your riding more efficient, more comfortable and reduce the potential for any unnecessary aches and pains, making for a much more enjoyable ride.
1Find a base height
You want to find a base height in which to work from. We recommend starting at the height of your hip bone. Loosen the seat clamp with an allen key and raise your saddle to the height of your hip bone. Make sure the saddle is straight and tighten the seat clamp.
2Sit on your bike
Find a comfortable way to sit on your bike. Make sure the bike can stand on its own with you on it and your feet on the pedals. Either have a friend hold the bike, place the bike in a trainer, hold onto a table, or just leaning against a wall.
3Identify position
While sitting on the bike, pedal backwards to reach the 6 o’clock position with the chainset. Now, place your heel on the pedal. Your leg should be straight and your knee should be fully locked. If it isn’t then get off the bike and slowly increase the height of the saddle, repeating this exercise until this is reached.
4Adjust height accordingly
If it is too high and your heel doesn’t have contact with the pedal, then get off the bike and slowly decrease the height, repeating the exercise until you get full contact on the pedal. Make sure your knee is locked like in Step 3.
5Finding the right height
Once you reach the point that your knees are fully locked with your heels on the pedal, go back to your normal riding position. Your leg should be about 30° as shown in the image. It might take some trial and error, but getting comfortable on the bike in an important step to being confident and happy on your bike.
Remember that the little things can have a big impact. Your shoes and cleats may affect the height as well as your clothing, so it’s good to take these into account.
And at the end of the day, it’s about being comfortable on your bike, so go and ride to get a feel for the final height of your saddle and make little adjustments accordingly.
