Seat Height / Position

tggrissom

Newbie question..

I have been riding a short time and have had heard different recommendations on what the correct seat position should be, or what the correct means for determining the correct position.

I am a commuter rider. I ride 12 miles one way. ( I usually catch a ride back home after work ) By the time I get to work besides some leg fatigue, My nether region is often numb or at the very least a bit sore. Nothing so bad that It does not go away 10 min after I dismount but It gets uncomfortable and discourages me from riding much further.

So, I bought a new "gel" cushioned seat and some padded bike shorts. It has helped but I still get "that feeling" after a long ride.

I asked at my LBS and got a vague answer. Basically I gotta tinker with the angle and height of the seat. Maybe trial and error is the best method at this point but was hoping to get some pointers.

My ride is a Mongoose something-or-other. Mountain Bike I think; Big tires, flat handlebars heavy looking frame. Currently I have the seat height such that my leg is only slightly bent when at the bottom of the crank and the ball of the foot on the pedal. This is too high for me to comfortably reach the ground when still but I step down when stopped.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Tim

jhuskey

Set the seat level with no more than a very slight tilt forward at the most.
Put the seat post at a height so that your heel or your shoe will contact the pedal at it's lowest level and you should be able to tweak it from there.
Now that your saddle is set properly think about upgrading to a good road bike.

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tggrissom

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like my seat is not too far off from what you are suggesting. The LBS set the angle and it sounds like it is similar to what you are suggesting. I will look at it again to be sure. I would have thought tilting it further forward would prevent the pressure causing the discomfort . What are the dangers of too steep a downward slope?

Maybe I am sitting to far forward or back or something....

Anyway. I am not in any position at this point to buy a new bike. Specially after spending $150 getting the one I have "tuned" (cables replace, Brakes replace, Wheels straightened, new seat, derailers aligned etc.)

With that said, for Joe Occational-Rider what are the advantages of a "road bike" over what I have? I am not planning on racing or competing in any fashion. so other than propelling the extra weight of the frame and pushing through the extra friction of the big tires what advantages might I expect to gain if say I find a decent used road bike out there?

Thanks

jhuskey

Too much tilt will put pressure on your arms,wrists and hands. Without going into great detail on a road bike you will gain handling,smoother ride,smoother shifting and about 3 mph on average.
The road bike is much more comfortable on longer rides.

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mongooseboy

i agree with all except: smoother shifting and smoother ride. you will not get a smoother ride out of a road bike unless your on smooth pavement. if your going up curbs, through potholes, on sidewalks, you want an mtb or at least 700x35c tires to help take out the jolts. and shifting, i think top end mtb stuff probably shifts just as smooth as comparable road parts...although dura ace road shifters might be leagues above XTR, XTR is a bit cheaper.

but yes, a road bike will be faster as long as your on smooth roads. for a commuter bike, i think a mtb is good if you have slicks on it, and disc brake options would be excellent for rainy weather, allowing very quick stops. I guess a cyclo cross bike with touring/comfort tires would work as well...

tggrissom

Why faster? is it due to gear ratios/sprocket size? or is there another reason?

Thanks,
Tim

jcthomasjr

Until you figure out your position, try moving fore and aft on the seat a little bit as you ride. Standing up for brief periods also lets blood flow and briefly takes the weight off. I must say I can ride 50+ miles on either my road or mountain bike and my crotch does not go to sleep. Funny thing is, I am so familiar with my correct seat height and placement that when I set up my new bike 3 years ago, I got the position spot on in a very short time and it was exactly the same as on my old bike when compared side by side. Different seats also make a difference as we are all shaped differently and seats are shaped differently and provide different levels of cushioning and flex.

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Like each bike ride, life is a journey.

reub2000

Less resistance means more speed with the same amount of effort.

Take a look at this article:
http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html