Still getting comfy on my old girl... What is the recommended seat height adjustment for road bikes (ex: where should my right knee be when the right pedal is at the absolute bottom of its stroke?) Similarly, is there a typical reference on how forward/back to adjust your seat for a good fit? Thanks again all!!
At 6 o'clock, you should still have a bit of bend, but just a bit. Avoid over-extension. This is best accomplished in small increments.
I really like to use the fitting system that Competitive Cyclist has. It has you take alot of measurements of your body but once you plug them into their fit calculator they give you three different setups for your bike. I used this for my wife's new bike and fit her pretty close to comfortable. You might want to make some minor tweaks from there as you ride and figure out what works and what doesn't. Another site I pull fit information from is Jim Langley's website. Just google his name and you will find his site.
For saddle height, you should be able to keep your pelvis absolutely still and level while pedaling...no rocking side-to-side in order to reach the bottom of your pedal stroke. You can check this fairly accurately by setting your bike up in a stationary trainer (or have someone strong hold you up while you are on the bike), place your heels on your pedals and pedal backwards. If you can do this without rocking or straining to reach at the bottom of the stroke, you are pretty close to your correct saddle height. This got me pretty close, then I adjusted down a little for what was comfortable and called it good. SprocketGirl's picture is perfect for getting the correct fore-to-aft saddle position. Basically, the point directly behind your knee cap should be directly over the center of your pedal axle when you are at the 9 o'clock pedal position.
Well that certainly says something about SprocketGirl then, doesn't it? That said, I'm pretty sure my seat post is 2-3" too low.
you know i've been getting shoulder/neck soreness when I've been riding my bike. could my bars be to low? I remember when I first got my bike when they still had the stock handlebars with the stem going 10 degrees up instead of down which I have it now I didn't get that pain. I don't think.
