Woolie Posted December 1, 2010 Share Hi Hubbers, I am having knee problems specifically around the patella. Is this to do with the height of my saddle? Could my saddle be to low? I tried moving it up by half a cm and it helped but still a bit painful. Any advice would be great as I really want to ride the Burger on Sunday. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Saint Posted December 1, 2010 Share Hi Woolie I posted this a few days ago Closest way to calculate your seat height is the following. Measure your inseam - push the tape into the bone between your hol and your nuts and down to the floor (no shoes on)Get someone to help you with this to get an accurate measurement. Take the measurement multiply by 109% and then minus your crank arm length (Cranks are normally 172.5mm in length so less 17.25cm) That will give you a measurement as close a dammit from the TOP of your saddle to the middle of the BB. From there it is mm adjustments to get your seat height correct. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lost frog Posted December 1, 2010 Share Check your saddle position as well. When the pedals are horizontal, your knee cap (knee in front) must be on a vertical line above the pedal axis. This position is supposed to be the more efficient. Hi Hubbers, I am having knee problems specifically around the patella. Is this to do with the height of my saddle? Could my saddle be to low? I tried moving it up by half a cm and it helped but still a bit painful. Any advice would be great as I really want to ride the Burger on Sunday. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassie Posted December 1, 2010 Share Try about 2cm!! Your knee should almost be straight at bottom of stroke...30degree angle if you are very technical. Best is to drop by a LBS and get some proper set-up advice!! Best money I EVER spent!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerus Posted December 1, 2010 Share Hi Woolie I posted this a few days ago Closest way to calculate your seat height is the following. Measure your inseam - push the tape into the bone between your hol and your nuts and down to the floor (no shoes on)Get someone to help you with this to get an accurate measurement. Take the measurement multiply by 109% and then minus your crank arm length (Cranks are normally 172.5mm in length so less 17.25cm) That will give you a measurement as close a dammit from the TOP of your saddle to the middle of the BB. From there it is mm adjustments to get your seat height correct. Hope this helps Just out of curiosity, where did this calcualtion come from? Would this work for any bike, road & mtb? I would like to check mine is right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Saint Posted December 1, 2010 Share Caerus there are a few different formulas around to calculate seat height - most bike shops I know use the 109% formula as it seems to generally be within the correct range and "fits" most people. It will work for both MTB and Road but as I said it gives you a very good idea of where your saddle should be, you will still need to adjust afterward to get it just right. There is no hard and fast rule to calculating saddle height as we are all built differently. For instance the same person would sit lower on a TT bike than they would on a Road bike and slightly higher on a MTB than a Rod Bike - hence the finer adjustments after the initial setup. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTB_Roadie Posted December 1, 2010 Share In the new RIDE magazine they give all tips about setup for MTB and Road Bike by Arran Brown I used it and it worked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Face Plant Posted December 1, 2010 Share my suggestion would be to contact the pros i did my bikes setup by cyclefit and my seat height dropped by almost 4cm after using the general 109% ...... procedure, i cannot get over how much difference a decent setup has made to my riding! best R350 you will ever spend on your bike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minion Posted December 1, 2010 Share I've had the same problem for a while. It could be related to any one or a combination of the following: - saddle height and setback- crank length- cleat position- cleat angle (about the vertical and the horizontal)- forefoot angle- weak knee stabiliser muscles Go and see a medical professional with bike fitting experience (if you're in the Cape, the Sports Science Institute would be a good place to start). Get it sorted out properly right now. If you leave it, it will become a niggling problem that will affect your riding for the whole season, or worse, your whole life.If you're lucky, someone with a plumb-bob and a goniometer will give you a simple fix. Unfortunately, in my case, I found that this wasn't enough. I also found that most bike fitters do not know enough about the detailed biomechanics of the knee joint and its ligaments and tendons to adequately understand or address the problem (there're only so many times I'm willing to pay someone to move my saddle before I start getting fed up). After 8 months of various setup combinations, I've finally found a physio who does bike setups and I'm cautiously optimistic that the problem is on its way to being fixed. Edited December 1, 2010 by Edam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david16v Posted December 1, 2010 Share Just get setup properly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted December 1, 2010 Share In the new RIDE magazine they give all tips about setup for MTB and Road Bike by Arran Brown I used it and it worked Interesting seeing that Cyclefit is in the same building as Ride mag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerus Posted December 1, 2010 Share I went to my prefered LBS for bike fit/ setup not too sure about it though, my lower back is getting very sore in the beginning of my ride and also after a long ride. Im doing core(ab & back exercises at gym) So not sure whats the problem. They never even looked at my cleat position So anyone know you or where to go get done by some that does this or will do it properly in Durban it would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Face Plant Posted December 1, 2010 Share ja Mampara it is interesting hey?!! and anatomic for that matter!! although i dont think there is any connection between the two? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RacerX Posted December 1, 2010 Share Hi Woolie I posted this a few days ago Closest way to calculate your seat height is the following. Measure your inseam - push the tape into the bone between your hol and your nuts and down to the floor (no shoes on)Get someone to help you with this to get an accurate measurement. Take the measurement multiply by 109% and then minus your crank arm length (Cranks are normally 172.5mm in length so less 17.25cm) That will give you a measurement as close a dammit from the TOP of your saddle to the middle of the BB. From there it is mm adjustments to get your seat height correct. Hope this helps Hmm, this looks dodgy. I have an 94cm inseam - your calculation puts me 2.5cm higher than my current position which I have settled on after a consultation with Jeroen Swart (Sports Science Institute) and many hours of tweaking. Your calc is even higher than the old "Le Mond" formula, which also puts me too high. A too-low position can hurt your knees, but a too-high position will give you saddle sores (too much movement on the saddle as you reach down on each pedal stroke). If you're serious about riding, go get measured up and make you bike position a passion - nothing improves performance (given that you are actually training!) like proper bike position. As a start, I would recommend the Le Mond formula (inseam * 0.883) and then put your bike on a trainer and ask someone to watch your pelvis as you pedal. You should keep lowering your saddle from this position until you stop rocking from side to side. As you get fitter and your flexibility improves, you can raise the saddle slightly if you like. Generally MTBs have a lower position (0.5-1cm on my bikes). Not sure why, it just feels better, maybe because my average cadence on an MTB is lower. Don't forget to properly adjust the saddle fore/aft position and the handlebar reach/height as well - they are almost as important as saddle height. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTB_Roadie Posted December 1, 2010 Share Interesting seeing that Cyclefit is in the same building as Ride mag. I don't know as I aint from Jhb, the ad is by cyclefit It is guidelines, use it, don't use it...just improved my understanding of bike setup more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Saint Posted December 1, 2010 Share Yup racer as I stated there is no fixed formula as we are all built differently, The Lemond formula puts me way to low on the bike - my knees almost hit me in the chin Also the Lemond formula states I should ride a 57 Frame and that is way way to big form me - Lemond has also been known to talk a lot of shite from time to time Just the 109% seems to "fit" most people - remember the measurement is from the TOP of the saddle and not the saddle rail. I suppose the most accurate way to measure would be to put the calculator away and get a goniometer which measures joint angles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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