3 Easy Do-It-Yourself Saddle Adjustments to Improve Bike Fit

Getting a proper bike fit is the single most important step you can take when purchasing a new bike or pulling an old bike down from the rafters to begin riding again. A properly adjusted saddle, handlebars and brakes make a world of difference in comfort and performance. You will enjoy your ride more, minimize any chance of muscle strain or injury, and be more excited for the next ride when you take a little time to make the necessary adjustments.

Let's start with saddle adjustment. Brakes and handlebars can be tricky. If you're a novice you may want to visit your local bike shop for these adjustments. Saddle adjustment, on the other hand, is pretty straight-forward and can be done at home with minimal tools. Start out with a level surface next to a wall or garage door.

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All you'll need is an Allen wrench (preferably a torque wrench) and a plumb bob. It's best if you have someone who can help you when making these adjustments, as you'll need to be seated on the bike and have another set of eyes to check your position. If you don't have a plumb bob you can make one by tying a pencil to the bottom of a piece of string about 30 inches long.

Start out with a level surface next to a wall or garage door. There are three basic aspects to saddle adjustment:

• Saddle height
• Saddle position fore and aft
• Tilt or angle of the saddle

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Saddle Height

To determine correct saddle height you can sit on the bike while leaning against a wall or garage door with your outside pedal all of the way down at the bottom of the pedal stroke, perpendicular to the ground. Be sure that you are sitting evenly on the saddle and not leaning to one side or the other.

When your saddle is at the proper height you should have 27 to 37 degrees of flexion in your knee with the pedal all of the way down at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Raise or lower your seat by loosening the seat post clamp and moving the seat post up or down as needed.

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Never raise a seat post higher than the limit line that is marked on the post. Raising a seat post past the limit line can result in the post breaking during a ride and can potentially lead to a bad crash. If the adjustment requires a longer post it may be that the frame size of the bike is too small for you. A trip to your local bike shop should help you to determine if your frame is the correct size.

You can sometimes purchase a longer seat post that will allow you to extend the post sufficiently and still be below the limit line. All you need to do is remove the seat from the original seat post and install your seat on the new post.

Saddle Fore and Aft Position

That brings us to our next adjustment, saddle position fore and aft. Bike saddles mount on a rail system that allow for adjustment forward and backward. Again, sitting evenly on your saddle without leaning to one side or the other, bring your outside pedal parallel with the ground.

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Your helper can kneel down and move your pedal until it is parallel with the ground. Hold this position while your helper takes the string of the plumb bob and places it against the inside of your knee just behind your kneecap with the weight hanging down past the pedal. You will probably need to angle your knee in slightly so that the string hangs down freely without touching the pedal or crank arm.

A proper adjustment will have your knee tracking in line with the spindle of the pedal within 2 or 3 centimeters in front of or behind the spindle. If the plumb bob is way in front of the pedal spindle you will need to move the seat rearward on the rails, if it is way behind you will need to move the seat forward on the rails.

Once you determine the correct position you can retighten the seat clamp and fine-tune your final seat adjustment, saddle tilt.

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Tilt or Angle of Saddle

A comfortable and correct saddle angle will have the seat level or one or two degrees angled up or down depending on personal preference. If you are not sure, start with a level seat, and if you decide to change the tilt make sure that you don't angle the seat more than a couple of degrees either way.

Most seats have two bolts that clamp down the rails. The angle can be adjusted by tightening the front or back bolts, depending on which way you want to tilt your saddle. And as with all other adjustments, a torque wrench is preferred when tightening bolts to make sure you tighten more than the manufacturer's specifications.

These basic adjustments can be done in a matter of a few minutes and will make your riding much more comfortable and efficient. A more complete bike fit can be purchased at your local bike shop by a trained bike fitter. Enjoy your riding and have fun!

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