Sit Up

One of my pet hates (and there are a few) about other people riding bikes is seeing someone ploughing along with the saddle far, far too low. I don’t mean deliberately low to keep it out the way for jumping, or downhill, but that annoying slightly too low look which says “I’m too scared to not be able to reach the ground” and which screams inexperience and a lack of bike knowledge. If you’re not sure what I mean then check out last week’s Gadget show, where Pollyanna Woodward demonstrates it in a way that no words could quite convey. Undoubtedly the bike will be ridden by someone who wants to sit down all the time and so just fails to get the benefit of any efficient pedalling from a correct position. FMFT says stop with the low saddles and learn to find the right height.

This can be done in many involved ways, but our favourite rule of thumb is to sit on the bike with a pedal at the bottom of a stroke. It should be at the same angle as the seat tube, so at the furthest point from the saddle. Sit on the bike and place your heel on the pedal. The saddle is at the right height when your leg is just not locked-out. When you shift to a correct pedalling position, with the centre axle of the pedal under the ball of your foot, you should be in the ideal place to ride. Yes it might mean you can’t put your foot flat on the ground, but you’ll quickly learn to either get off the saddle to stop, or just balance on a toe or two.

Hopefully these tips can start to an end to the scourge of cyclists looking like they’re riding through treacle, and the start of more style and better riding on the country’s streets.

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