The proper seat height is vital in cycling. It is the key to a comfortable cycling position as well as good knee and hip health. When you suspect your seat height is incorrect, you can double-check with a simple eyeballing of your cycling position. Get a friend to help, because the extra set of eyes will give you a more complete perspective.
How High
When seated on your bike, you should barely be able to touch the ground with your toes. This should allow for your leg to remain just slightly bent at the bottom of a pedal stroke. To make sure this is the case, sit on your bike and have a friend take a look at your position. He should see that your leg is up to 90 percent extended. If it is not, get off your bike and adjust the seat height accordingly.
Exceptions
Some cruiser bikes are exceptions to the rule of seat height. Some are designed so that you can place your feet flat on the ground when seated on your bike. This is due to a more steeply angled seat tube. It's designed that way for people who are uncomfortable being up high on a bicycle. Cruisers generally also have top tubes that are much lower than a standard bike's and are meant to make getting on and off the bicycle easier.
Risks
The risk of having your seat too low or too high is that you may suffer adverse health effects. If your seat is too high, you may wind up leaning your body from side to side to reach the pedals. This may cause hip irritation. If your seat is too low, you will bend your knees too much at the top of the pedal rotation. That will place too much pressure on your knees, which can result in knee problems such as a misaligned knee cap.
Other Considerations
In addition to the proper seat height, you must also have the proper seat tilt. It should be parallel to the ground. However, if you feel too much pressure when seated, you can tilt your seat forward slightly for relief. You should also make sure your bike frame fits you properly. When straddling the bike in a standing position, you should have between 1 and 2 inches of clearance over the top tube of the bike. The clearance will be up to 5 inches on a cruiser bike and on a mountain bike for aggressive riding.
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