Set your saddle height
A saddle at the right height makes pedalling more efficient and protects your knees. It takes ten minutes and just a hex key: start with a simple method, then fine-tune it as you ride.
What you need
- A hex key (often 4 or 5 mm), or the quick-release lever
- Some tape or a felt-tip pen, to mark the starting height
- A tape measure (optional)
Why
A saddle that's too low is the most common mistake: your knees stay deeply bent, you strain the front of the knee and tire quickly. A saddle that's too high makes your hips rock from side to side and pulls on the back of the knee. In between, your leg is almost straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
When to do it
- On a new or second-hand bike, or if someone else has used it.
- If your knees hurt, or you rock on the saddle as you pedal.
- After changing shoes or pedals (the sole thickness matters).
The position to aim for
The heel method gives a very good starting point: sitting right back on the saddle, with your heel on the pedal (1) when the crank is at the bottom, your leg should be straight (2) without your hips tilting. When you ride normally, with the ball of your foot on the pedal (3), your knee is then slightly bent (4).
Steps
1. Mark the current height
Stick a piece of tape on the seatpost (5), just above the clamp, or draw a line with a felt-tip pen. You can always go back.
2. Get into position
Lean the bike against a wall, or have someone hold it, and get on wearing your usual shoes. Sit right back on the saddle and turn the pedals backwards to put one crank at the bottom, in line with the seat tube.
3. Test with your heel
Put your heel on the lower pedal. Your leg should be straight, without straining. If you can't reach the pedal, or have to tilt your hips to reach it, the saddle is too high. If your knee stays bent, it's too low.
4. Adjust in small steps
Get off the bike, loosen the seat clamp (bolt or quick release) and raise or lower the post 5 mm at a time. Keep the saddle in line with the bike as you tighten it: line the nose of the saddle up with the frame's top tube, looking down at the bike from above.
5. Tighten it properly
Tighten the clamp bolt to the manufacturer's torque: it's often printed on the clamp, otherwise in the bike's manual. Today's clamps usually take 4 to 7 Nm; an old clamp with a single large bolt, more like 15 to 20 Nm. On a carbon post or frame, never exceed the stated torque and use carbon assembly paste: over-tightened, carbon can crack.
Then test it: grab the saddle by the front and back and pull hard up, down and to the sides. It mustn't move.
6. Check the saddle is level
Use a spirit level, or look from the side: the top of the saddle should be horizontal. A saddle that tips forwards makes you slide and puts weight on your hands; tipped back, it presses on your crotch.
7. Ride and fine-tune
Ride for about ten minutes. Pedalling should feel smooth, your hips stable. Fine-tune a few millimetres at a time, and give yourself a few rides to get used to it before changing it again.
If it doesn't feel right
| What you feel | What it often means |
|---|---|
| Pain at the front of the knee | saddle too low (or too far forward) |
| Pain at the back of the knee | saddle too high |
| Hips rocking, toes reaching for the pedal | saddle too high |
| Numbness in the crotch | saddle too high, or tilted back |
What next
Note your saddle height (bottom bracket to top of saddle): you'll be able to set it again after transporting the bike, or on another bike. For pain that persists, or if you ride a lot, a bike fit with a specialist also sets saddle setback, handlebar and cleats.
Sources
This guide was checked against the following documents:
- Park Tool, How to Adjust a Bike Saddle and Seatpost
- Cycling Weekly, the physio and bike fitter's guide to saddle height
- Study: comparing methods for setting saddle height (Hamley, LeMond, heel, Holmes)
Values vary between models: your part's manual always takes precedence.