by Alan Galatian

Created on: August 08, 2009

One commonly overlooked aspect of cycling is seat positioning. Many riders hit the trails with marginal attention being given to the adjustment of the seat. The result invariably ends with riders feeling aches in their knees, back, neck, etc. Some may shrug it off as just the result of a rough ride, but the cause can be directly attributed to your seat positioning.

You can adjust your seat height on your own, but you may want to seek the help of a riding buddy or your local bike shop. To begin, make sure you are dressed in your normal riding gear before making any adjustments. Wearing other types of clothes can throw off your adjustments. If you are doing this on your own, you will need to find a place where you can sit properly on the bike while it is stationary. Use a bike trainer if necessary.

We will start by setting the seat for a normal peddling position on primarily level terrain. Begin by setting the seat angle so that it is parallel to the ground. Then begin adjusting the height of the seat by loosening the seat post. Most mountain bikes are equipped with a quick release for easy adjustment. Once you pick a height you think will work, get on your bike.

Move one pedal to the 6-o'clock position. With the ball of your feet on the pedal, your leg should be bent at about 25-30 degrees. This position should be achieved without rocking your hips. If no one is around to help, then use a mirror to make sure your hips are not rocking back and forth when pedaling.

After eliminating the rocking hips and proper leg angle, hold on to your handle bars as you would while riding and look down toward your front wheel. Where is your front wheel hub positioned in relation to your handle bars? Your front wheel hub should appear about 1-inch behind your handle bars. If this is out of line, then you may need to adjust your handlebar height or seat height.

Finally, check the positioning of your knees in relation to your pedals when your feet are in the 3-o'clock and 9-o'clock positions. Your forward knee should not be in front of your forward pedal. If it is, loosen the seat where it attaches to the rails and slide the seat backward. Your rear knee should be directly over the crank axle.

After you have these positions set, take a ride and check for any tension in your body. Do you feel any discomfort in your neck, back, knees, arms or wrists? Any tension is a sign that some additional adjustments need to be made.

Once you have everything where it feels right, take a grease pencil, a screwdriver or center punch to make a mark on the seat shaft. Once you reach more challenging terrain you will need to drop the seat position for a greater range of motion. The marking on the seat post will help to ensure you return the seat to the proper position when you return to normal pedaling.

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