[Closed] Feeling a bit cramped in the 'cockpit' suggestions please

Layback post and longer stem!

cramped in the 'cockpit'

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?

Wider bars, 100 mm stem push seat back a bit or get a layback but your running a dropper so points 1 and 2 first
Also consider changing frame?

not a 456 by any chance ? your not subconciously keeping your weight forward to compensate for the front lifting ?

try dropping the stem by a spacer or 2

top tube length? Kind of key...

wider bars, I'm only 5'8" and am very happy on 725mm for XC/ST

guess frame etc would help - sorry! its a five....so at 6ft its perfect in terms of size, as a 20" is bloooooody mahhhhhhhhhosive! its not totally awful or anything just feels a tiny bit cramped like im arched over a bit when climbing

Don't you want to be forward anyway for climbing?

What was your previous bike? Are you sure that you're just not used to it yet. A five isn't exactly short in terms of seated cockpit.

There is nothing to say whether what you had before was wrong or right, but if it was wrong before, you've got used to it,. What you have now maybe right, but it feels wrong because you had wrong before.

.so at 6ft its perfect in terms of size, as a 20" is bloooooody mahhhhhhhhhosive!

I dunno, I think you're maybe used to "too small" bikes? Running the saddle right up suggests it's on the small size... I'm 6'4" and a 20 would be a bit small for me in the TT for XC use.

Five or Five AM?

Also... instead of pushing the saddle back on the rails bring it forward... feeling "cramped" and having to arch your back to get comfy might mean that your saddle is too far behind the bottom bracket and hence your pushing the pedals forward which is making you arch/cramped.

it may be totally normal - and maybe before my dropper i had the seat post to high and its only now ive actually measured the whole seat saddle heigh thing since i got this new 350mm dropper post - as i said i cant really say as ive noticed it before, since fitting the 350mm dropper i do feel a bit cramped (as opposed to the 400mm post before, that had a much lower min insert line which obvs meant could be run higher), but not in terms of legs if that makes sense - basically my legs are at full stretch on the saddle with heel on pedal, and kinked when at the lowest point clipped in...

i think ive been running my previous saddle to high if anything , but now after such a long time it suddenly feels cramped - hopefully i can get used to it - but was thinking of ways i could strecth it out abit rather than adjusting the seat height to the point where my legs are straight clipped in

just a five messiah - interesting thought - i kinda imagine pushing the seat back as far as it would go would stretch it out more? and also gain a little more height too as i have my saddle nose down a bit

i think the seat height is ok as if i run it much higher i cant touch the ground, and my legs are fully extended (but this does feel less cramped in the cockpit)...

I am wondering why your feet touch the ground?

With my saddle up where my legs can just bend(which is how I like it), I can not touch the ground with my feet..

If you can touch the ground with saddle up then too me this means two things:

1) You are not at the most efficient when you pedal
2) As your leg is always quite bent, will make you feel cramped..

toys - no logic in the touch the ground comment - ive just always been able to do so on every bike ive owned with optimal seat height...

i thought the rule of thumb generally was heel on pedals with straight leg, and then clipped in should be slightly bent at the bottom of stroke? so basically the leg is never fully extended?

"toys - no logic in the touch the ground comment - ive just always been able to do so on every bike ive owned with optimal seat height..."

you are aware BB heights have risen somewhat - pedals today sit higher than they used to to accomodate for downward movement in the suspension.

seat at optimal height might see you get your toe to the floor just

well two things, I'm shorter than you at 5ft 6 so my feet are going to be shorter too - size 7. Ok yes I can stretch and get my toes on the ground just, but no real purchase.

What I am wondering is:
1) do you feel the need to be able to touch the ground with your feet when at full saddle height?
2) I'm not sure I agree about the heel on pedal thing, I set my saddle at what feels the most comfy which is quite high, I can just bend my knee a bit with the ball of my foot flat (Jedi tip - I can push my heels down at full extension when climbing which I find really helps.)

I find if its too low I get a) knackered quicker, and b) achy knees..

[b]Edit - on reflection you are probably right:
[/b]
With bb height (assume to centre?) at say 12.5 inches = 317.5mm
crank length at 175mm then you have a ground clearance of approx 142mm from middle of pedal at bottom stroke. Then touching the ground by tiptoe should not be a problem for most average foot sizes, if you are a large foot then you could get ball on ground too..

toys - just ignore the feet on ground comment - im merely saying it as a general rule as ive always been able too - no logic whatsoever in whether its right or wrong or even makes a difference at all.... im not saying my foot is flat on the ground BTW - i can and always have been able to just about tiptoe on the ground, even now with seat post height slightly shorter i can still do this and its not as if my feet can be planted on the ground

the heel on the pedal thing is how most people i know and shops i know generally use as a guide for the size etc, the thing is when im stationary on it i feel its fine and feel the height is fine (not cramped) but then suddenly when climbing i just feel like im arched over and cramped in a small space (really hard to explain), maybe it is just my seat height and maybe 350length seat post isnt enough (well it is, but the min insert is extremely high on it), guess i could run it a inch higher above the insert and go from there as a test

[i]I find if its too low I get a) knackered quicker, and b) achy knees.. [/i]

+1

It also depends on what I'm riding. Trail center type stuff I drop the seat by half inch to give me more space to hack. 'Real' riding I have it so knee is a touch bent (ooer) at full stretch. As Jedi said (via Toys) this gives the option to drop heels to get a bit more length (again, ooer).

Oscillate Wildly - yup I understand now.

With regard to saddle height I think its personal with regard to comfort and feel. I was told by an old road racer to just keep upping my saddle until I felt like I was stretching, and then back off until it was comfy again. Which I have set on every bike and it leads to a v comfy efficient position, tiny bend at knee, no hip rock..

i would normally go by instep to middle of pedal, knee slightly bent, to set saddle at pedalling height, but you're not too far away with your method either. so long as your pelvis doesn't rock ( as above ) when you pedal, the seat isn't too high. maybe go up there and then back off, but from what you've written so far i think you're probably alright TBH. i guess if i was you i'd try a wider bar, if i really felt the need to, but my 5 also felt short when i first got it, and i just got used to it! 😀