Where Should Mountain Bike Seat Be

The position of the seat on a mountain bike is one of the most important considerations to make. The height and angle of the saddle will affect how easy it is to pedal, how comfortable you are sitting on the bike, and how far forward or backward your hips will be.

The saddle should be positioned so that it’s level with or just slightly lower than your hip joint. This will allow for a more natural pedaling motion and help prevent knee pain.

Should my MTB seat be higher than my handlebars?

For a recreational road bike position, the top of the handlebar should be level with the mid-point of the saddle, or maybe a couple of centimetres below. 5. For a cross country MTB position, the grip should not be above the mid-point of the saddle.^[1]

Where should my bike seat be?

The ideal position is to have your knee directly above the pedal spindle (known as the Knee Over Pedal Spindle, or KOPS, rule) when the crank arm is in the three o’clock position.^[2]

What happens if your bike seat is too high?

A saddle that is too high will cause the hips to rock back and forth. Not only does this detract from pedalling efficiency, but it can also be extremely uncomfortable. Discomfort can show up in your lower back or as knee pain (especially in the back of the knee).^[3]

What angle should my mountain bike seat be?

You want your reading to be between 25 and 30 degrees for optimum power and comfort. Move the saddle up or down until you get it right. It will feel weird for a while if it’s a big change from where you normally have it, but stick it out and you’ll start to feel an increase in output and performance.^[4]

How far back should bike seat be?

Saddle Position: Rules for pros ‘The UCI has its “five behind” rule [the seat nose must be a minimum of 5cm further back than the centre of the bottom bracket], and if you want to be more powerful you want to run right up to that line where possible. And not just forward, but higher too, to open up the hip angle.^[5]

Should my feet touch the ground on a mountain bike?

The height of your saddle is important for the most comfortable position and safe riding style. When you sit on the saddle, both feet should reach the floor and the balls of your feet should be touching the ground.^[6]

Should your leg be straight when cycling?

If you have the bike seat set at the right height, your legs will become straight when cycling (and then bend back up, according to the cycling process). So, yes, your legs should be straight when riding a bike. However, some people recommend maintaining a slight bending of the knee.^[7]

Should your seat be higher than your handlebars?

As a general rule of thumb, you want the top of the handlebar about as high (or higher than) the saddle, unless you’re a sporty rider looking to ride fast. Try touching your elbow to the nose of the saddle and reaching forward towards the handlebar with your hand.^[8]

How do you tell if bike seat is too far back?

Pain in the back of both your knees (pain in one knee is a sign that your saddle is too high). Feet go numb (from “toeing” the pedals). Upper hamstring pain in both legs. Quads only feel like they are working on climbs as you sit more forward on the seat.^[9]

Is it bad to have your bike seat too low?

A saddle too low usually means the hip angle between the torso and the thigh at the top of the stroke is restricted, which further diminishes the ability to generate force. And when force is generated, some of it is transferred into the knee instead of down to the foot, and this is a common cause of anterior knee pain.^[10]

How far forward should my MTB seat be?

Fore-Aft Saddle Placement Generally speaking, you want the saddle as far forward as possible without letting your kneecap move in front of the ball of your foot whilst pedalling; the knee joint becomes much less stable and prone to injury once taken past this point.^[11]

Should I tilt my saddle forward?

Saddle adjusted correctly? Your saddle should be at a neutral angle, so you’re sitting on the middle portion, not sliding forwards on the nose or backwards off the rear of the saddle. The best way to achieve this is to use a spirit level.^[12]