Cycling is an excellent way to keep your heart healthy and your weight in check, and bicycle races and triathlons have blossomed in popularity in recent years. To cycle safely and prevent injury, you need the right gear. But once you've bought the right bike, helmet, bike shorts and shoes, you are still not finished preparing for comfortable cycling. Fitting your bike, including the seat or "saddle," will help you get a comfortable ride free of saddle sores, achy joints and pulled muscles.
Step 1
Park the bike on a level surface.
Step 2
Make sure the seat is level front to back using a carpenter's level or by placing a yardstick on the seat and sight-checking the stick to verify that it's parallel with the ground or another horizontal line, such as a windowsill.
Step 3
Put on your cycling shorts and shoes. Place your bike's rear wheel in a trainer to hold it steady.
Step 4
Mount the bike and pedal until you've warmed up your leg muscles, then rotate your legs until one pedal is at the 3 o'clock position.
Step 5
Have a friend make sure the crank arm is level with the ground. Have your friend hold the end of a plumb line --- string with a nut tied onto one end --- against your leg just below the top of your shin bone, the Peter White Cycles website instructs. When the seat is in the proper fore/aft position, the plumb line will bisect the pedal axle.
Step 6
Move the seat forward or back as needed.
Step 7
Put your bike's rear wheel in a trainer. Mount your bike, square your hips, put your heels on the pedals and extend one leg down. Adjust the seat height until your leg is completely extended (straight), with your heel resting in the pedal. This will give your leg just the right amount of bend when you pedal with the balls of your feet.
Step 8
Move the seat up or down as needed using the Allen wrench.
Step 9
Try the bike on a few short rides, paying close attention to how the seat feels. If it feels too high or too low, fine-tune the seat height by moving it up or down. You should only make slight adjustments to the seat height once you have completed Step 5.
Step 10
Put electrical tape or mark with permanent marker around the seat post to mark your perfect seat height, so it will be easy for you to find it again.
Tips and Warnings
- This article provides the first steps to fitting your seat. The Cyclery USA website, among others, offers help picking the right saddle for your ride. Wear your cycling shorts and shoes while you fit your bike's seat, so you know the seat will be comfortable in a real-world situation. It's particularly important to wear your cycling shoes, since other shoes will cause your feet to sit differently on the pedals, which will cause you to fit the seat too high or low.
- Sit back firmly on your sit-bones when you ride your bike; too much pressure on the perineum can cause nerve damage in cyclists who ride several hours a week, the "New York Times" reports. Wear cycling shorts when you ride; street clothes chafe and cause saddle sores. Don't tip the seat forward, even if leaning forward makes you feel like you're going faster. A seat that is tipped down too far in the front will make you put too much weight on your arms and shoulders, which can lead to muscle aches and injuries. If a level seat feels uncomfortable to you after you have tried it out on the road, tip it no more than 3 degrees nose-down or nose-up, whichever is most comfortable for you.
Things You'll Need
- Carpenter's level or yardstick
- Bike trainer
- Electrical tape or permanent marker
- String with a nut tied on one end
- Allen wrench (most bikes require a 5 mm wrench)
- Bike shorts and shoes
References
- Peter White Cycles: How to Fit a Bicycle
- Jim Langley --- Bicycle Aficionado: Bicycle Seats Explained
- Jim Langley --- Bicycle Aficionado: Bike Fit
- Cyclery USA: Selecting the Right Bicycle Saddle
- "New York Times"; Serious Riders, Your Bicycle Seat May Affect Your Love Life; Sandra Blakeslee; Oct. 4, 2005
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