If you've been riding on a bicycle seat, commonly called a saddle, that is too low, too far back or overly tilted, bicycling can seem unpleasant or even painful. When bicycling is comfortable, it's more fun and a more attractive solution for meeting your exercise and transportation needs.
Effects
According to the late bicycle mechanic and bicycling writer Sheldon Brown, proper bicycle saddle adjustment makes you more efficient because the distance between your saddle and the pedals at various points during the rotation affects how well you use your leg muscles to propel you. It also wards off potential leg and back injuries.
Types
The ideal seat adjustment varies depending on the type of bike and the type of riding being done. For example, recumbent bikes, kids bikes, racing bikes, mountain bikes and commuter bikes have slightly different ideal seat positions.
Sizes
The proper seat position can also vary depending on the size of the seat, though this is related to the type of bike as well. Wide saddles, with extra support for the "sit bones," are best for bikes that encourage an upright sitting position such as comfort bikes, beach cruisers and recumbent bikes as the saddles are designed for upright sitting. Narrow seats are typical on racing and road bikes, where you lean over more and a wide seat can cause chafing or other discomfort.
Considerations
On bikes where the rider's legs extend vertically below them, that is, all bikes but recumbents, your seat should be completely or almost horizontally level. Jim Langley, the former technical editor of Bicycling Magazine, notes women often find their saddles more comfortable when the nose is tilted up to 3 degrees down, while men often prefer the saddle to be tipped up to 3 degrees up. Sheldon Brown said your feet should only touch the ground if you dismount the saddle unless you are a child or your bike has a low bottom bracket. If your feet do easily touch the ground, check that the saddle is the right height relative to your pedals.
Solutions
For seat adjustments, Bicycle Tutor recommends mounting your bike, held either in a trainer or by a helper, and placing the heel of your foot on the pedal in its lowest position. If your leg is not completely straight, adjust the seat height. Next, mount the bike and put the ball of your foot on the pedal with the crank pointing forward. If a weighted string does not point straight down from your knee to the pedal spindle, adjust the front-to-back position of the saddle.
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