18. How To Adjust Your Seat Height and Angle

Correct saddle adjustment is important to prevent knee injury and increase efficiency.

IMPORTANT: Nuts and bolts on your bike should always be tightened to the manufacturer's specifications.

If you like this video, buy me a coffee

27 Comments - 112,320 views

VIDEO UPDATES

00:12 - Seatposts will have a "minimum insertion" marking. The seatpost must not be raised beyond this mark.

Proper adjustment of your seat height, angle and position is important in order to avoid injury and improve your cycling efficiency.

Seat Height

Adjust your seat height by loosening the pinch bolt where the seatpost slides into the frame. Twist the seat to raise or lower the post as needed and then tighten the bolt.

Now get on your bike and place the ball of your foot directly on top of the pedal spindle, when the crank is at the bottom of the rotation. Your leg should be just slightly bent. If your leg is too bent you will need to raise the seatpost, and if your leg is too straight you should lower the post. Another way to check this is place the heel of your foot over the pedal spindle. Your leg should be exactly straight in this position.

Seat Angle

Seat angle and position are adjusted by loosening the seat clamp under the seat. These often have a lot of parts so be sure to only loosen the clamp enough to move the seat around.

Your seat angle should be horizontal, but you may want to play with the adjustment. Women often like to have the nose pointing just slightly downward, while men often feel more comfortable with the nose pointing slightly up.

Front-to-Back Adjustment

You’ll notice that the seat has two rails that the clamp tightens on to. This allows the seat to slide forward and backward, which adjusts your body’s distance in relation to the bottom bracket. For proper positioning, place the ball of your foot on the pedal spindle with the crank arm pointing directly forward. If your seat is in the correct position your knee should be directly above your pedal spindle.

Now tighten your seat bolts and go for a test ride. You may have to play with these adjustments several times until you find the seat position that is most comfortable.

Bicycle Torque Specifications

Saddle Forums:

Bicycle Repair Guide

Help Forums

Recommended Books:

Zinn & MTB

Mountain Bikes: Maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting.
Zinn & Road

Road Bikes: Maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting.
Sutherland's Manual

Sutherland's handbook for bicycle mechanics on CD-ROM.
Park Blue Book

Hundreds of photos and hundreds of procedures.

Discuss this topic in the Saddle Forums

27 Responses to “How To Adjust Your Seat Height and Angle”

Jodi on March 15th, 2008 1:16 pm

Hi Alex:

Something so simple that can make a big difference. Thanks for making this video. I now have a much better idea of what I should be looking at in regards to my seat height and angle.
Efried on March 16th, 2008 3:44 am

Hi,

“so simple” – I would love to see some hints for some “so difficult” tasks like fixing a disc brake so it does not touch anymore the brake pads…

Status of this Request
Alex on March 16th, 2008 12:34 pm

I don’t have a bike with disc brakes right now, but my buddy Joe at North Park Bike Shop in Victoria is really good at them. He’s agreed to do a few guest tutorials this summer!
debra on May 10th, 2008 12:55 pm

Alex, I looked around a bit for online help for bike repair and maintenance,Yours is awesome. I’m sure we will be watching and re-watching as we work through all of the salvage bikes and get the family riding this summer. I particularly like how clearly you speak and the video is well done timing wise with the directions. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. Have a great day.
Bob Gelman on May 31st, 2008 9:19 am

Seatposts will have a “minimum insertion” marking. The seatpost must not be raised beyond this mark.
Alex on May 31st, 2008 10:32 am

Thanks Bob, I’ve inserted your tip into the video (marked with a green dot).
Paco on June 1st, 2008 11:21 am

Hi Alex,

As Debra, I think these tutorials are the best on the net. Thank you.

Have you planned to include something about internal gears maintenance? Is it also a “do it yourself” task or would you recommend to have it done by an specialist?

Thanks again,

Status of this Request
Alex on June 1st, 2008 11:30 am

Oh yes, internal hub gears were my favorite thing to overhaul when I was still in the shop. I built up a nice collection of spare hubs and parts but unfortunately I gave them to my friend Joe a few years back when he opened his new shop.

The best thing I can recommend for maintenance (without doing an overhaul) is to open the cap and pour a bunch of Phil Wood Oil into the hub.

They can be pretty bit tricky to adjust and overhaul yourself, but I will do a tutorial on this in the future (when I borrow the parts from Joe). I’ve added it to the request list and I’ll let you know when it is posted!
CitrusFreak12 on June 17th, 2008 6:17 pm

I was just asking someone how the heck I should go about doing this.
And then I saw your site posted on The Blue.

Thanks a ton for this wonderful resource.
Kirsten on June 25th, 2008 7:10 am

Hi Alex;

These videos look great so far!

What about the issue of toes touching the ground when you’re sitting on the seat? When I adjust my seat the way you explain to do it, it feels comfortable when riding, but I can’t touch the ground while sitting on the seat. Both the guy at the bike store and my husband say this is unsafe. What’s your opinion?

Kirsten
Alex on June 25th, 2008 1:38 pm

Hi Kirsten,

Yes, if your seat is adjusted properly you won’t be able to touch the ground with both feet. If you’re worried about safety you can lower the seat, but you won’t be able to pedal as efficiently and you may end up with sore knees.

With some practice you’ll get used to riding with your seat at the proper height. You’ll always be able to put one foot down in a pinch anyways.
trish on September 7th, 2008 8:20 pm

Hi Alex – ditto on the general comments of the other posters on this and other tutorials — clear and well-timed speech, good camera angles, deconstructing the task to manageable, not mountainous! Many Thanks!

I like the helpful hints such as what your toolkit should have; would love to see a brief tutorial on component options pros/cons for like various seats (women’s, gel, hard shell etc.) and same for pedals and other typical parts that make a great difference in riding comfort and physical safety/injury…
Daniel on September 21st, 2008 7:48 pm

This is the best video for any rider. So simple yet helps solve so many problems.
Bunny on October 6th, 2008 8:09 am

Hi Alex,

Greetings from the other side of “the pond” ! Great site, really informative. You make no mention of adjusting handlebar height. Is there a “correct height” or do you consider this to be down to personal preference? Best wishes.
Alex on October 6th, 2008 12:39 pm

Thanks Bunny, I’ll be including handlebar sizing in an upcoming tutorial about bicycle sizing!
rkms on November 4th, 2008 9:35 am

Hi,

I recently bought a bicycle. And I am very pleased with my selection of bicycle. See the image of the cycle at the following link :

http://linuxandfriends.com/2008/10/26/review-of-an-indian-roadster-bicycle-avon-cycle/

But I have run into a problem. While riding the bicycle, I feel really uncomfortable and my butt hurt like hell even after just a few minutes of cycling. The saddle is made of cheap plastic and has two springs which give a little buffer while navigating through gutters on roads.

I would like to know what is the criteria for choosing a good saddle. I have some fat on my midriff but I am not over weight. Is a narrow saddle better or a wide saddle ? And can you provide some websites where I can order online a good comfortable bicycle saddle ?

Thanks
Alex on November 8th, 2008 2:46 pm

Wow, that’s a very nice bike! If I had that bike I would definitely get the Brooks B17 saddle… they take a while to wear in, but they are by far the comfiest saddles you can get

Sheldon Brown has a great article about saddles and comfort here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html
rkms on November 17th, 2008 4:38 am

Hi Alex,
Thanks for the saddle recommendation. I feel pleased that you like my bike. Though it is nothing compared to the kind of bicycles you have featured on your site, the one I have bought is very sturdy and is intended for rough use on Indian roads.

I have been riding my bike consistently for these many days and I am pleased to tell you that the ride sitting on the saddle is more bearable. Though I don’t think it will ever replace a Brooks saddle.

If you are interested in taking a closer look at the saddle, please see the pictures at the following link :

http://linuxandfriends.com/2008/11/13/bicycle-saddle-review-indian-roadster/

Your site is a great store house of resource for bicycle enthusiasts. I wonder if it is possible for you to do a review of an (Indian) Roadster bicycle. It will be really nice to get your professional opinion about this bicycle.

I may add that a Roadster is the most common bicycle on Indian roads and this type of bicycle is the most sold in the world I believe.
Alex on November 17th, 2008 4:43 pm

rkms, I would love to feature an Indian Roadster… I’ll add it to the list and hopefully I can get my hands on one!

Personally, I’d swap the saddle out for a Brooks B135. They are a little pricey for sure, but it would be sooo worth it to sweeten that type of classic ride!
Rita Stout on December 18th, 2008 2:15 pm

I just had knee surgery and bought a Schwinn Stationary Bike for rehab. I ride it 30 minutes a day. After several weeks I find that I’m problems with my bladder I guess, from hitting the seat wrong. Any suggestions. This is not very bearable and I want to continue riding until I am able to walk outside again. Thank you.
Alex on December 19th, 2008 2:19 pm

There are anatomic saddles that help (usually with prostate numbness) but that might work for you. There are so many styles and sizes to choose from… I recommend picking one up at your local bike shop to be sure you’re getting the right thing for you.
Richard C on January 6th, 2009 5:39 am

Alex,

Thank you very much.

Many more cyclists would certainly have a more enjoyable and safe ride because of your kind sharing here.

God bless you always.

(from Singapore)
sherwin pua tan on October 29th, 2009 5:30 am

Alex,

I’m new to biking and i don’t have much idea how to troubleshoot bikes… My bike’s seat post keeps on sliding down after i adjust it up to its proper riding height… what could be the problem? (i can notice this because my bike has a rear shock absorber… and after i ride my bike i notice that the bottom end of the seat post has inched its way down.)

Do i need a new seat post? Quick release clamp?

Thanks
Alex on October 29th, 2009 1:33 pm

Sherwin, it sounds like your seatpost may be too small a diameter for your frame. Is it the original seatpost that came with the bike? To confirm this, your local bike shop should be able to measure it for no charge.
Christopher Brady on March 29th, 2010 3:31 am

Hi, Thanks for the tutorials. They are helpful. I’ve had a Brooks Champion Flyer for 3 years and it is comfortable and broken in with Prooffide. I don’t know the correct angle and tension of the seat however. Any pointers? I’m noticing a dip in the middle of the saddle and the nose is a bit higher than the mid section. I’m thinking I should use the wrench and tighten it. Any suggestions? I don’t want to stretch it out too much and affect the life of the saddle. 6′1″, 213 lbs if that matters. I’ve checked the Sheldon Brown site.
Alex on March 31st, 2010 7:44 am

Hi Christopher,

You could try tightening the saddle a bit and see if it helps. You’re right that it shouldn’t be tightened too much, but they do soften over time and need some tightening every so often.

As for angle, I have my Brooks set up with the nose a little higher than the rear. This doesn’t work for everyone, so you’ll have to play around with the angle until you find a position that feels right for you.
enoch on June 29th, 2010 7:27 am

hi, I’m a Korean user. good to know your site.

oh, I just thank you
I bought a bike at a shop.
But now I came to know my seat’s angle is not proper for me.

I’m able to adjust it by myself now.

thanks. Hope your business get the best performance.