Man I'm such a moron, no wonder I've been slow as hell

LS17

I have been competing in a couple races and I've always been the last. I've been lapped in every race I've entered and a few I've been asked to leave early a few times because I was so slow. Anyways, I am a total beginner but I thought I could a least hang with other CAT 5s for a while but I was painfully slow and never had power to match their speed.

So I was playing around with my bike today and I raised the seat several milimeters. I did this because I saw a lot of bikes with seats way higher than the handlebars at a local ride. WHOAH. what a difference. Now I know why I've been so slow. I can now cruise at a mcuch higher speed with less effort. My legs feel much better as I'm pedalling and I no longer feel I like I've got no power at all. Compared to before if feels like I was in a constant headwind when i had my seat way low. I think I need to train all over again because I must have not been working out the muscles I need to. My seat is now dramatically higher and I feel much better on the bike and I think it even handles better. What a noob.

KeSs

from the sounds of it your seat height is probably still wrong. Go to a bike shop and ask them to fit you

PartisanRanger

Oh man, I totally feel your pain. For months after getting my first road bike, my seat was at the default height and I never bothered changing it, despite the fact that I'm 6'5" tall with disproportionately long legs. One of the local riders insisted that I raise my seat one day and my improvement was ridiculous. My leg fatigue was significantly lower and, as you noticed, I could get more power with less effort. I'm very conscious of my seat height now and am uncomfortable with the slightest changes to it.

Powerful Pete

Get someone who knows what they are doing to fit you on your bike. The results of a poor position go beyond bad performance, and could cause nasty things like tendinitis!

Go to a good shop and have them fit you, even if you have to pay for it!

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fauxpas

I was under the impression your seat height is dictated by your leg length. High to allow extension of the leg but not so high that you fully straighten your leg.

I noticed many pro riders riding with seat and posts very high, yet they still peddled without fully extending their legs.

entwidomela

Your seat height is indeed determined from your leg length. As a general rule of thumb, there should be around a 3 percent bend in your leg at the full extension. On an appropriately proportionate frame, the seat should be higher than the stem.