Saddle height confusion

[Milesalex]

Hello

I’m looking for some advise regarding saddle height. I had a custom Paul Hewitt Alpine frameset made 15 years ago which I still use today and is my favourite road bike.
I am 5’9” tall with a 31” inside leg, when Paul did the bike fit I got a drawing showing all the dimensions of the frame and the saddle height is 733mm to BB. I have always set it at this height with no problems.
But when I calculate myself using the various formulas its more like 700mm, how could this be so different. I have regular limb / torso length however I do have shortish arms which is why the head tube is a bit longer than stock.
It’s always bugged me and I’m even thinking of having another bike fit.

Would appreciate any advise.

Cheers in advance.

 

[Canuk]

15 years ago... You might have shrunk! Happens to the best of us

 

[Milesalex]

15 years ago... You might have shrunk! Happens to the best of us

I did think of that.....checking my height now....here goes........

 

[non-fixie]

I am not sure I understand the problem. Or whether there is a problem. If you're happy with your saddle at 733mm why not just leave it there? And if you're curious, lower it 1/4" and see if that feels better.

FWIW, my saddles are also higher than most formulas tell me it should be. Doesn't bother me.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Hello

I’m looking for some advise regarding saddle height. I had a custom Paul Hewitt Alpine frameset made 15 years ago which I still use today and is my favourite road bike.
I am 5’9” tall with a 31” inside leg, when Paul did the bike fit I got a drawing showing all the dimensions of the frame and the saddle height is 733mm to BB. I have always set it at this height with no problems.
But when I calculate myself using the various formulas its more like 700mm, how could this be so different. I have regular limb / torso length however I do have shortish arms which is why the head tube is a bit longer than stock.
It’s always bugged me and I’m even thinking of having another bike fit.

Would appreciate any advise.

Cheers in advance.

Check the saddle is level, and not at an extreme fore/aft.
Wearing "normal" shoes, could even be spd cycling shoes, sit square on the saddle, with your heel on the pedal.
At the bottom of the pedal stroke, your leg should be almost straight, but not quite.
That's it.
You may feel the saddle's is a little low. That's normal.
When you are pedaling, try to keep your cadence up around 90, so "1-2-3" a second.
You need to grow the right muscles. So if your setup has been a little wrong, it takes time and effort to adapt.

15 years ago... You might have shrunk! Happens to the best of us

Almost all age related shrinkage is in the spine. old riders often have av taller, shorter stem

 

[Canuk]

I had a very nondescript tourer about 20 years ago. It was pretty ordinary but it fitted me perfectly and it was extremely comfortable set up to do century rides on. I probably happened on this by chance, but I've used the exact same measurements for saddle height and bars reach every since and it's never failed me.

I guess like a lot of these things, we arrive at the perfect fit by trial and error. I've never went for a bike fitting and I doubt I ever will.

 

[novocaine]

Rotation in the ankle (also known as toe drop). fairly normal and 15 years ago was actually considered to be more efficient. I suspect that's changed now (not done a bike fit for a long time). Also the difference between being measured rather than following a magic formula, Paul will have looked at your riding "style" seen that you drop your toe naturally and decided you could afford the extra height, something a formula can't do and instead tries to fit you in to a box with everyone else who has your leg measurement based on an average, completely ignoring body dynamics.

Once upon a time, bike fit was considered black magic. Now we think it's maths.

 

[Milesalex]

I am not sure I understand the problem. Or whether there is a problem.

Apologies, I guess my question is what saddle height should I set my other bikes at?

Check the saddle is level, and not at an extreme fore/aft.
Wearing "normal" shoes, could even be spd cycling shoes, sit square on the saddle, with your heel on the pedal.
At the bottom of the pedal stroke, your leg should be almost straight, but not quite.
That's it.
You may feel the saddle's is a little low. That's normal.
When you are pedaling, try to keep your cadence up around 90, so "1-2-3" a second.
You need to grow the right muscles. So if your setup has been a little wrong, it takes time and effort to adapt.

Great advice thanks! I've always used the heal, leg straight method for a quick set-up. It's easy to get a bit nerdy about the correct bike fit.

I had a very nondescript tourer about 20 years ago. It was pretty ordinary but it fitted me perfectly and it was extremely comfortable set up to do century rides on. I probably happened on this by chance, but I've used the exact same measurements for saddle height and bars reach every since and it's never failed me.

I guess like a lot of these things, we arrive at the perfect fit by trial and error. I've never went for a bike fitting and I doubt I ever will.

My height is now 5' 8.5", inside leg length hasn't changed, could be time of day measuring or my mid 50's spinal shrinkage...
Good point, my thinking now is set all other bikes up as per the Hewitt since this is the most comfortable. But am I missing out on some power transfer when all formulas advise a lot lower seat height.

 

[Milesalex]

Rotation in the ankle (also known as toe drop). fairly normal and 15 years ago was actually considered to be more efficient. I suspect that's changed now (not done a bike fit for a long time). Also the difference between being measured rather than following a magic formula, Paul will have looked at your riding "style" seen that you drop your toe naturally and decided you could afford the extra height, something a formula can't do and instead tries to fit you in to a box with everyone else who has your leg measurement based on an average, completely ignoring body dynamics.

Once upon a time, bike fit was considered black magic. Now we think it's maths

Interesting, thank you. Last week I set my gravel bike seat at the formulas height and ended up with inside front knee pain. I read somewhere that front knee pain = seat to low, rear knee pain = seat to high. Or the other way round, I can't remember.

 

[novocaine]

Interesting, thank you. Last week I set my gravel bike seat at the formulas height and ended up with inside front knee pain. I read somewhere that front knee pain = seat to low, rear knee pain = seat to high. Or the other way round, I can't remember.

if you are getting any pain at all then you are a long long way out. which again is the issue with magic calculations. also suggests other issues and might be worth a chat with your doctor about nodules and cartilage damage.
as a side note more likely to be fore/aft position of the saddle (paired with wrong height) and you aren't compensating by moving your bum. All contact point positions are interrelated, no one thing being wrong is going to be a single point of failure, it will have knock on issues with other positions and together they lead to issues.