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seat position

922 views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  theextremist04 
#1 ·
how high should my seat be? im 6'8" and I have no idea how it should fit when I sit on the bike. any help would be appreciated.
 
#5 ·
Seat height depends on the type of riding you're doing. If you're into freeride and downhill, you're gonna want a low seat height. If you're riding cross country, you'll want a greater seat height.

I can't imagine using (.665 * inseam) to set your seat height for cross country. That's really low. I'd set it to around 82-85% of your inseam. That's high enough to give you fairly good power, but still low enough to not bust your balls on single track.
 
#7 ·
i may be wrong but

i had heard somewhere that you wanted your leg ar full extention on the down stroke and thats where ou put your seat. i plan to ride trails of medium skill till i improve my stamina and skill. i need aot of digging power for uphills because i have a weak leg compared to my other. i have had several knee surgeries on the right side and it is noticably weaker so i have a hard time with it. i need all the advantage i can get.
 
#6 ·
Be careful you have post below the tube junctions on your frame. I'm almost as tall, I guarantee you need a 400mm post. As for height you want the bottom of your heel to just scrape the low pedal when the cranks are lined up with the seat tube.

Drew
 
#8 · (Edited)
I'm 6'8" with a 36" inseam, and when I measure the top of my seat to middle of my crank it's 33.25", and my leg has only a slight bend to it on each down stroke. I'll ride like that a majority of the time, but there are times when I put my seatpost down about 3" for when I'm riding on some rougher trails.

The type of riding you do and you inseam are the main factors in determining what's comfortable for you. Here's a pic of how tall my post is on my bike. Everyone always comments on it, but I don't really care. It fits me perfectly.
 

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#10 ·
eminefes said:
Seat height depends on the type of riding you're doing. If you're into freeride and downhill, you're gonna want a low seat height. If you're riding cross country, you'll want a greater seat height.

I can't imagine using (.665 * inseam) to set your seat height for cross country. That's really low. I'd set it to around 82-85% of your inseam. That's high enough to give you fairly good power, but still low enough to not bust your balls on single track.
the .665 measurement only goes to the center of the crank, so it's realistically a bit more. anyways, it's from the serotta fit school, so it's mostly for road bikes.
 
#12 ·
Though I'm not nearly as tall as you, I've found when adjusting the seatpost, you'll want it so when the pedal is at the very bottom of the stroke, you'll want your leg ALMOST fully extended. You don't want your knees locking, but it should feel as if they're almost there. This provides you with more power on the down stroke. At least, that should be the position for your kind of riding. I ride similar trails (medium difficulty singletrack), and that's how I set mine. If you decide to do some freeriding/downhill, you want it set lower so you can get behind the bike more easily on descents.
As far as the seat itself, I've been told you'll want to adjust it so your knees, hips, and shoulders are roughly in line. If your knees are too far in front of or behind your shoulders, it can result in knee problems, which it sounds like you really don't need.
 
#13 ·
momoe said:
wow. 24" hope i have that much post...:D
Yeah, jumbo Clydes like you need at least a 440mm post. Thomson Elite/Masterpiece are the only ones I trust, for the steep price. But, it's the LAST seatpost you'll ever need. They are a work of art- and the most dependable part of my entire bike(never needs adjustment).
 
#14 ·
theextremist04 said:
the .665 measurement only goes to the center of the crank, so it's realistically a bit more. anyways, it's from the serotta fit school, so it's mostly for road bikes.
Uh, I think that formula (.665 * inseam) is for determining what size road bike you need, not for determining seat height. I just tried it myself and it calculates that I need a 58 cm road bike, which is accurate. I know the Lemond seat height formula is .883 * inseam, and that's for the top of the seat to the center of the crank. I prefer to have my bikes set a little below that.
 
#15 ·
eminefes said:
Uh, I think that formula (.665 * inseam) is for determining what size road bike you need, not for determining seat height. I just tried it myself and it calculates that I need a 58 cm road bike, which is accurate. I know the Lemond seat height formula is .883 * inseam, and that's for the top of the seat to the center of the crank. I prefer to have my bikes set a little below that.
oh, right.
 
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