Saddle Fore..Aft? which method u use?

[CarlosContreros]

Just wondering?

Pruitt method...drop a line from front of kneecap should reach to front of crankarm?

Lemond method..drop plumb from front of knee should bisect center of pedal axle?

Serotta method...tibial tuberosity line should bisect center pedal axle?

I'm continuing to address my 1/2" shorter right femur....and I've found my
knee position is about an inch behind the pedal axle when using Lemond method..of course it's an inch plus on my right side 'cause of my shorter
femur over there.

I feel it might be time to move forward a bit.....
and doesn't a saddle adjustment of a 1/4 inch work out to about a 1/2 inch
when you talk 'bout your KOPS knee-position?

thanks!

[regularguy412]

-- using the LeMond method. However, after I spent 4 hours on the fit cycle at my Serotta dealer, I found that my right leg was about 8 mm shorter than the left. It's not as much difference that you have, but I had long battled recrurring saddle sores on my short-leg side.

I also found that I felt more comfortable with a more rearward position, that is: my saddle nose is about 4.5 cm behind the BB. That puts my tibial tuberosity _WELL_ behind the pedal spindle when the crank arm is in the forward horizontal position. In this position I feel that I have more power and that my spin is smoother. I shimmed my right (short leg) cleat by about 3.5 mm. This distance is about half of the total shortage ( on that side ).

There has also been a lot of discussion recently on this board about arch cleat placement. I can see how this change could help some people. I tried it. I moved my cleats as far back as I could ( though I didn't ream out the cleat holes to get them farther back). I just wanted to see if the initial (small) change would net any results. It did show a result, but not a favorable one. I chose to not only move my cleats back to their original position, but I also moved them about 3 mm farther forward. This seemed to help me get my foot over the top of the stroke and drop my heel. In this new, farther forward cleat position, my hot foot has almost completely disappeared.

IMHO, the heel-dropping technique achieves roughly the same 'straightness' of the leg as the arch cleat method does when the foot goes down through the stroke. For me, I gain the benefit of the arch cleat method, without losing the 'snap' one needs when climbing out of the saddle or sprinting ( some have alluded to these issues as a 'problem'). Heel-dropping also takes some of the pressure off the ball of the foot, since in a way, the rider is 'pulling' the pedal down with some of the force going through the heel of the shoe. At least, this is the way it feels to me.

You might want to consult an experienced fitter or sports medicine professional, but shimming the short leg and moving the cleat slightly forward on that side could help even out your leg length discrepancy. Just remember that if you make adjustments, make them in small increments. It takes the body time to adjust to any change.

Mike in AR

[saab2000]

There's a method? Put it to the stops (as far back as possible) and if need be move it forward. You'll find where it needs to be.

[dancinkozmo]

Originally Posted by saab2000

There's a method? Put it to the stops (as far back as possible) and if need be move it forward. You'll find where it needs to be.

+1

[markie]

Originally Posted by saab2000

There's a method? Put it to the stops (as far back as possible) and if need be move it forward. You'll find where it needs to be.

Ummm, are you my long lost brother? I thought I was the only one that did that.

[Fixed]

me too bro I take a wrench in my pocket and stop and adjust if needed
cheers

[saab2000]

All the way back.

Must admit I haven't ridden the bike yet.

[ols]

I used wobblenaught with good results (ymmv)

[DarrenCT]

no method on any of my bikes. i just figure it out in the first few miles

[CarlosContreros]

Originally Posted by regularguy412

-- but I had long battled recrurring saddle sores on my short-leg side.
Mike in AR

I have the same problem with the "short-leg" saddle sores....that's been the impetus to take a good look at my position.

Thanks for the feedback Mike...
to the rest of ya?

........HOW 'BOUT THOSE GATORS!!!

[toaster]

I set saddle fore-aft position by seeing if I can pedal on flat terrain pushing a fairly big gear with my hands in the drops and then letting go of the bars and seeing if I can balance there with a bit of movement but not falling forward.

This tells me if the saddle is back far enough to allow me to cantilever my torso without having to use my arms or core muscles to hold me up.

If I'm falling forward during this fitting procedure then I'll will be using muscles that will use extra energy when pedaling at high power efforts and tells me to move saddle for more set back.

Knee over pedal is only a starting point. Most times this results in a position that will have you pulling on the handlebar instead of pushing on the pedals when you try to hammer hard.

[don compton]

i had a meeting with dr. max testa and for -aft position is not simple. two people with the same leg length can have signifigantly different femur lengths. optimal seat positins would vary greatly. i have short femurs and he moved my saddle forward and higher and i noticed an imediate improvement.
just a thought.

[Grant McLean]

Originally Posted by CarlosContreros

Just wondering?

Pruitt method...drop a line from front of kneecap should reach to front of crankarm?

...

Serotta method...tibial tuberosity line should bisect center pedal axle?

thanks!

These two are supposed to be the same, the kneecap is just easier to find on
most people, so that's the quicker method.

Setback is complex. It changes your center of gravity, and can mess up
the way the bike handles. Handlebar height is a factor, since the hip angle
is part of the whole package.

Where are your cleats set? You can help compensate for a leg length issue
by moving your foot forward on the pedal of the longer leg.

If you have issues like saddle sores or other alignment issues, see a pro, not one
who plays one on the internet. Seeing is believing.

-g

[John H.]

Originally Posted by saab2000

There's a method? Put it to the stops (as far back as possible) and if need be move it forward. You'll find where it needs to be.

And tap it with a rubber mallet to make sure it is all the way back?

[Bart001]

"TiDesigns tells me where to put it" method.