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Unless I jump on the pedals and roll forwards to ride away, the extended saddle of my bike feels high despite being the same-as-road-and-mtb-race distance from BB of 73.5cm.
I'm assuming because my bike (Occam LT) has a higher BB, because when seated I can nearly touch the floor with my toes. On the other bikes, my front foot/cleats touch the group despite my heels angled up slightly.
So, do I set the correct saddle height and lower the dropper to avoid embarrassing car park tumbles, or do I lower the saddle height and compromise my legs length/knees?
When you say that your heels are angled up, what do you mean?
Also where are your cleats with respect to your feet, under the ball of your foot, or under the arch?
A
though you should get used to the height - FWIW my feet are no where near the ground with saddle at pedalling height.
I’d also say if your heels can nearly touch the ground with your seatpost fully extended on your Occam, it’s likely that you’re running too much sag.
Can't quite visualise what you're describing but saddle height is for pedalling, not standing next to, so yeah, use the dropper
When you say that your heels are angled up, what do you mean?
Cleats on the ball of my foot, standing on the ground with heels elevated say at a 40 degrees angle is the position on my road bike and my race MTB.
A search for BB drop / height has the Occam 20mm higher at the BB than the Spark which I guess explains it.
So I guess set saddle properly and use the dropper to mount / dismount is answer.
So I guess set saddle properly and use the dropper to mount / dismount is answer.
This is what I have to do with my Epic.
Cant get anywhere near the ground on any bike with the dropper at the correct height for pedalling
A rule of thumb for saddle height is go set it so your heel can just touch the pedal with your leg straight. That should give just enough bend in your knee for optimal pedaling once you put the ball of your foot over the pedal spindle. You won't be able to put your foot on the ground when you're seated, you need to move forward and off the saddle when you stop.
Cleats on the ball of my foot, standing on the ground with heels elevated say at a 40 degrees angle is the position on my road bike and my race MTB.
It may be worth trying the cleats further back, more under the arch of your feet, which are likely to help you to get your heels down when descending. If your heels are higher than the ball of your foot when pedalling then it’s likely that your saddle is too high and you’re not pedalling efficiently, because you’re engaging your (weaker) calf muscles more than your (far stronger) glutes.
You won’t be able to put your foot on the ground when you’re seated, you need to move forward and off the saddle when you stop.
This. Though I suppose you could lower the saddle every time you stop, on bikes without droppers you don't have the option.
Unless I jump on the pedals and roll forwards to ride away
Why wouldn't you be doing this? Leg over top tube, one foot on the pedal, roll away, other foot on pedal, sit down. Reverse procedure when stopping. Doesn't everyone do this or do you all totter on top of the saddle until you fall one way or the other hoping to put a foot down?
Surely this is the 1st thing you learn when riding?
So I guess set saddle properly and use the dropper to mount / dismount is answer.
Try thinking of it as a upper post rather than a dropper post.
The only time my post is ever at full extension is while pedalling up a fireroad climb.
It's natural state is either partly or fully down.
I can never touch the floor without leaning over, but years of riding before droppers has made this second nature.
Setting off too - rh pedal at around 1-2 o' clock, stand on it, ltush off and seeing left leg over.
Nowadays I just drop the post when I come to a standstill.
Would never have the max saddle/post extension at anything other than the optimal height (drop it a touch for single-track etc). In fact, when I built the new bike, I measured from centre of crank to top of saddle on one of my other bikes, set the new one roughly at that and it was perfect. I'm not to a few mm either way though
do you all run same length cranks on everything? I measure from pedal spindle rather than BB axle..
Well, no as it happens. The bike I measured was my ebike with 165mm cranks and I have 170's on the Ragley. It was a rough measure leaning over a load of empty boxes in the shed to get an idea of dropper insertion. So maybe more of an example of a rough estimation than precise measurement. As it happens, turned out just right (don't run the saddle quite as high on the eeb)
Do you run the same thickness pedals? 😉
If you aren’t going to measure accurately, why bother measuring at all…
Yes but do you measure the thickness of all the soles on your shoes.😉
If you aren’t going to measure accurately, why bother measuring at all…
Is someone a little cranky today? It's the weekend, chill out
Yes but do you measure the thickness of all the soles on your shoes.😉
🤣🤣
Do you account for the thickness of your shorts and how the padding seems to get thinner after a few years?
Saddle height should be the same as your other bikes. Full Sus bikes ride higher. Had this issue when I got MrsF a full sus - she has to use the dropper to get on and off as she's not used to how high they sit due to the increased BB height and of course, the unladen height of the suspension.
Is someone a little cranky today?
I’m good, my post got delivered.. 😉
Set the saddle height properly for you and your bike... embarrassment can be avoided by leaving dropper down in car park.
I’m good, my post got delivered.. 😉
🤣🤣