When I got my first road bike in 2020, I felt deeply uncomfortable with the saddle height, and, it took me a few short rides to get used to it. Most of us, throughout childhood, ride bikes that have upright handlebars and seats that aren’t very far from the ground- but soon as you transition to a road bike, you feel like you’ll fall off.
There are a few reasons though, why road bike seats are so high:
First, road bike seats are placed high to allow the rider to pedal at optimal speed and achieve proper leg extension (further details below). Second- the fact that the top tube slants downwards before meeting the seat post and also that road bikes have drop handlebars makes the seat look higher than they really are.
For anyone who wants to ride a road bike properly, understanding why the seats are high is just the first step. You also need to figure out which is the right seat/saddle height for you, and how to get used to riding on a high saddle.
That’s why in the rest of the article I’ll cover:
- How to get the right road bike seat height
- How to change the road bike saddle height
- How to get used to riding on a high bike saddle
- Injuries caused by incorrect road bike seat height (and how to avoid them)
How To Calculate A Road Bike Seat Height?
I’ll give you a quick test that you can do to understand the right road bike seat height for yourself, followed by an alternative method.
But first- an important question: where do you place your foot on the bike pedal?
Most people riding flat pedals place the arch of their feet over the middle of the pedal and start cycling. This is wrong. Instead, the correct form is to place the ball of the feet over the middle of the pedal- this makes the pedalling motion much more powerful and efficient.
If you’re riding using clipless pedals, then you will have the right foot placement by default, so no need to worry about that. If you don’t know what clipless and flat pedals mean- I suggest you read this post.
Alright, now that you’ve got that- put on the shoes you usually ride your bike in, and hop on.
Here are a couple of methods to get to a saddle height that works for you:
#1 My Method
The rule of thumb while figuring out the correct saddle height for a road bike is that while pedaling, the cyclist must get proper leg extension.
What does this mean?
Basically, let’s say you’re riding your bike and your right foot is at the top and the left foot is at the bottom of the pedaling motion (6 o’clock position). If you were to take a photo of the left leg at this point, it should only be slightly bent at the knee. Same for the right leg when it comes to the bottom.
That means you’ve achieved proper leg extension. This position is important because it allows you to recruit the muscles from your entire leg while pedaling.
So, if you don’t want to be super accurate, the first thing you can do while riding your road bike is to just check by yourself/ask a friend to ride alongside you and check if you’re achieving proper leg extension.
If not- adjust your seat height accordingly (you may have to increase/decrease it a couple times) before you get in a position that feels right.
#2 Heel-To-Pedal Method
This was popularized about 40 years ago, and basically is the same as the above mentioned method- with one difference:
Instead of putting the ball of your foot in the middle of the pedal, you put the heel of your foot there.This effectively shortens the distance between your hip and the pedal.
Now, try slowly cycling with this foot placement.
If you have a set-up at home to convert your road bike to a stationary bike ( I wrote a whole post about this – read here, if you’re interested), this will be even easier.
Basically- the thing you need to check is, at the bottom of the pedaling motion (6 o’clock position), your leg should be completely straight.
If you find your knee bending, this means you need to increase the height slightly.
If you find your foot losing contact with the pedal at the bottom of the pedaling motion, this means you need to reduce the height a bit. Another thing to watch out for is if your hips start to swivel excessively- this means they are compensating for extra height.
Just test out the positions a bit through trial and error, and pretty quickly you’ll get to the right saddle height.
When you get there, go on a short ride (say an hour) and make sure you pedal with the right foot placement like I mentioned earlier in the article (ball of the foot on the pedal). Your knee will naturally have a slight bend at the bottom of the pedal stroke now, which is the ideal position.
All in all, this shouldn’t take you more than 10-15 minutes. However, these methods are pretty crude and don’t give you the EXACT measurement that would suit you.
No, for that you have to do a bit of math:
#3 109 Method
Take a paperback book which has at least 200 pages (should be sturdy) and stand with your back against a wall.
Now, place the book in between your legs and press the book’s spine up into your crotch. Press it slightly hard- it should feel a bit uncomfortable.
Next- hold the book in the same position against the wall and measure the distance between the point where the book’s spine touches the wall and the floor. Do this measurement in millimetres.
Next, multiply this measurement by 109. This is the height (in millimetres) that you need for your bike’s saddle.
Road Bike Saddle Position – Another Important Thing To Check
While we’ve discussed how to fix the right saddle height for a road bike, it’s equally important to have the right seat position. If the seat is too far in front, too far back or tilted at the wrong angle, that can also cause discomfort or injuries while riding.
Here’s how you take care of those things:
Get a thick string that is roughly the length of your leg, with a small weight tied to it, at the end. You can make something quickly by yourself like this, or even use something like a mobile/laptop charging cable with the adapter at the end acting as a weight.
To test this out- you will need to sit on a stationary bike, or convert your bike to a stationary bike. Otherwise, ask two of your friends to hold the bike in position manually (one of them holds it from the rear while the other hold it from the front).
Now, sit on the bike, and put your feet in the 3 o’clock position (where both pedals are level with each other).
Take the string and place it along thigh, such that the end with the weight falls down, following the contour of your knee, and the rest of the leg.
If your seat is positioned correctly, the weight should fall right where the bicycle’s crank-arm meets the pedal. If it falls slightly in front, you need to shift the seat back, and if the string falls behind, you need to shift the seat in front slightly.
Do this adjustment till you get the right positioning, then try going for a short ride around the block and test it out in real world conditions.
Some people with knee/back problems tend to want a slightly different saddle position than the one I described- which is fine- you’ll figure that out once you start cycling and testing out different positions.
Last- you can have the saddle either completely horizontal (good for most people) or tilted down at a slight angle.
This is more a matter of personal preference, so you can also experiment with this. Tilting it upwards will just be plain uncomfortable, however- so don’t try that!
How To Change A Road Bike’s Saddle Height and Positioning
It’s pretty simple really- you’ll see a couple of screws you can loosen at the base of the saddle, where it meets the saddle post. This will allow you to shift the seat height up/down.
Look carefully and you’ll see another set of screws that, if loosened, will allow you to shift the saddle forwards/backwards.
Once you have the right positioning, tighten the screws again.
Oh- and if you haven’t got one already – just buy an allen key wrench set– it’s going to be your go-to tool for doing ANYTHING on your bike really- adjusting seat positioning, working on the driveshaft, adjusting the handlebars, etc.
How To Get Used To A High Road Bike Seat (What I Did)
It is a bit scary for most first timers to ride a road bike because the seat is so high up, as compared to a normal bike.
You feel like you’re going to fall off because when you get into the saddle, your feet can only reach the pedals and not the ground, which can be unsettling.
Here’s how you get used to it:
Practice mounting and dismounting from the bike.
This will give you confidence that even if you lose balance while riding, you can quickly dismount, and get your feet on the ground.
The biggest tip I can give you in this regard is that whenever you want to dismount, gently press the brakes so that you come to a stop, get the feet into a 6 o’clock and a 12 o’clock position and, as you come to a halt, bring the foot that’s in a 12 o’clock position down to the ground.
Here’s a nice little video that shows you how to do this exact thing:
My Experiments With Different Bicycle Seat Heights
I actually took a couple 5 mile rides just to write this article better (never question my dedication to this blog).
The first one- I rode with the seat slightly lower than usual, and the second one, higher than usual.
After the first ride (and even during it, to be honest), I noticed that my quadricep muscles hurt, especially right above the knee.
When I rode the bike with the seat a little too high, my lower back and hips hurt slightly the next day.
This was consistent with the points I’d researched on, and have written earlier in the blog post. You should take this bit seriously because if you ride for prolonged periods with bad form, you can end up seriously injuring yourself, the rides will not be as enjoyable as they can possibly be, and you will generally end up going much slower than you can.
As a general rule, I’d say that anytime you feel a muscle hurt after cycling, you should check your posture. Cycling is cardio, NOT a resistance training workout (unless you’re specifically going for that).
Do You Need A Professional Bike Fitting?
The gold standard is getting a professional bike fitting done. While the above methods I described are good ways to get started, they don’t take into account the peculiar dimensions of each person’s body which need to be catered to. Things like how flexible is your body simply can’t be measured by yourself but affect your riding position tremendously.
Also, a dynamic or professional bike fitting will go into all aspects of cycling- from the positioning of the handlebars, to the seat, how large a bike frame you need, what your posture should be like, etc.
My advice:
If you’re just starting out- do one of the at-home tests that I described above. Once you start cycling regularly, however, say a year or so later, go to a nearby bike shop and get a professional bike fitting done. They use software measurements to precisely tell you how to ride the bike, and, trust me, your body will thank you later.
FAQ
Should a road bike seat be higher than the handlebars?
For competitive cycling, generally the handlebars are a full fist’s width lower than the top of the saddle. For non-competitive road cycling, having the handlebars approximately level with the saddle or slightly lower (upto 5 cm) is standard, and based on the rider’s preference.
Does bike seat height affect speed?
A bike’s seat, if placed too low or too high will not allow the cyclist to use all the leg muscles properly in the pedaling motion which will make the cycling speed less than optimal. The second factor that affects bike speed is the foot placement on the pedal.
Should you be able to touch the ground when sitting on the bike?
When sitting on the road bike/mtb, the cyclist should not be able to touch the ground with their feet.