Seat Height, Reach and Posture for Healthy, Comfortable Riding
Click on image to enlarge
Considering the basics for folks interested in purchasing or building a bike for touring and commuting. So much information is available and the choices are aplenty. Steel or aluminum, carbon or suspension, for a lot of folks I'm sure that can seem daunting. Once you know what you will be using the bike for it helps to decide which direction to go. The next part is having a simple understanding of bike nomenclature, provided in image below courtesy of Rideon of Australia. Next you want the bike to fit properly. These days some shops have adopted an exhaustive means of determining bike fit that can put a dent in the pocket book. Finding a good local bike shop (referred to as LBS) where you can try different reach options is of great benefit. A good example of what I'm referring to is explained at the Bike n Hike Shop Site located in Oregon.
Simply getting saddle height can seem like a tedious redundant process when there are so many methods currently being considered as useful and most concise. There's the heel method, the 109% method, Lemond method and of course the Holmes method. It uses a device called a goniometer for measuring the angle of the knee joint at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Holmes recommends an angle of between 25 and 35 degrees and closer to 25 for those with a history of patella tendonitis. My right knee has been through a lot over the years and have found having a slight bend to the knee while on the saddle with pedal on down stroke is a good starting point.
Simply getting saddle height can seem like a tedious redundant process when there are so many methods currently being considered as useful and most concise. There's the heel method, the 109% method, Lemond method and of course the Holmes method. It uses a device called a goniometer for measuring the angle of the knee joint at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Holmes recommends an angle of between 25 and 35 degrees and closer to 25 for those with a history of patella tendonitis. My right knee has been through a lot over the years and have found having a slight bend to the knee while on the saddle with pedal on down stroke is a good starting point.
Click on image to enlarge My right knee has seen it's share of injuries over the past thirty years and I have found that fore and aft position of the saddle is just as important as saddle height in eliminating knee pain. Using a plumb bob is a simple method after seat height has been established. Image at left shows pedals in parallel position to one another, then using what is called a plumb bob or a string with weight on end to establish a vertical line as a reference. As a starting point observe the vertical line from tip of knee cap aligning with center of pedal axle. (Note: Use of clipless shoes adds the consideration of cleat adjustment and float). Then see how it feels after a couple weeks of riding and make corrections as feels appropriate and consult your trusted LBS.
| One of the nice things about DIY bike building is cutting a threadless fork to fit one's needs. When purchasing a bike at an LBS or online the fork has been cut to it's own specifications for standardized sizing based on bike frame size. Image at right shows full spacer stack on uncut fork. Also, most quality mountain bike handle bars are marked for easy and accurate cutting for shoulder width sizing and bike handling. Quill stems are still used but are much less common. Benefit of course being that the stem can be raised or lowered by loosening and re-tightening the through bolt. An inexpensive method of determining reach and posture with a threadless design is to have a stem that adjusts to different angles (Like the one pictured from Dimension. At my shop we kept a few inexpensive models in different lengths and handle bar diameters for mountain and rode.. It was easy to change the stem out with threadless sets and after awhile I became quite good at guessing which stem to begin with until the customer landed on what they wanted. Then I would order that particular angle and length of stem. Something you can consider inquiring of at your LBS and expect to pay something for the service. Any savvy tech. with knowledge and experience with building commuter and touring bikes will not waste your time but will help save time in finding that sweet riding position every cyclist looks for which is different in varying degrees for each person. So, look over the image of the bike provided, get a proper understanding of what portion of the bike is referred to as for example the seat stay, chain stay, etc. What stand over height is and how to determine that for oneself. Are the chain stays long enough for a rear rack and panniers and does the frame you're looking at offer mounting holes for the accessories you feel are of necessity.  Click image to enlarge Looking for a mountain bike with disc brake that you can add a solid rear rack carrier to? This photo shows what to look for and inquire about. Notice the frame is built to easily accept a disc brake rack adapter without a lot of hassle of bending things to fit. Rack needs to be centered so as to track nicely when loaded and of course defines correct installation. |  Click on image to enlarge   Click image to enlarge Looking for a loaded touring rig with full fenders, fatter tires and mounting points for those accessories? Photo here shows separate mounting points for both.  Plenty of room for accessories and multiple hand positions. |
These types of considerations are what go into choosing and selecting the proper bike for touring and commuting bike needs. Your LBS appreciates customers with some idea of what they want and what to look for.
Having basic guidelines for bike fit can help a person get situated so as to dial in and and fine tune other aspects such as multiple hand positions and the types of handlebars and accessories that can be implemented for improved comfort and handling as well as having room for other accessories such as lights and a computer for mileage, speed, etc. Know this, the two most common complaints of bike riding discomfort are hand pain or numbness, butt and or lower back pain.
Often times I find bikes sold as touring bikes are not geared properly for most touring or recreational commuter needs. Having more of a mountain bike gear ratio and drive train is a necessity for folks wanting to be able to climb reasonably steep hills and carry packed panniers, either fully loaded for touring or grocery getters for commuting. A good service oriented LBS will explain options to get a bike to serve your needs, that's what they're there for. Point here is to shed light on the fact that having some knowledge of basic bike nomenclature and fit will be appreciated by your LBS when communicating during your search for that right bike for you. It's a fun and rewarding process to find that bike for oneself, as it should be and I didn't discuss wabi sabi or feng shui. Well, I'm not here to give perfect advice.
Cheers!
Other sources of information for this topic:
Bike Touring News
Bicycle Touring Pro
Having basic guidelines for bike fit can help a person get situated so as to dial in and and fine tune other aspects such as multiple hand positions and the types of handlebars and accessories that can be implemented for improved comfort and handling as well as having room for other accessories such as lights and a computer for mileage, speed, etc. Know this, the two most common complaints of bike riding discomfort are hand pain or numbness, butt and or lower back pain.
Often times I find bikes sold as touring bikes are not geared properly for most touring or recreational commuter needs. Having more of a mountain bike gear ratio and drive train is a necessity for folks wanting to be able to climb reasonably steep hills and carry packed panniers, either fully loaded for touring or grocery getters for commuting. A good service oriented LBS will explain options to get a bike to serve your needs, that's what they're there for. Point here is to shed light on the fact that having some knowledge of basic bike nomenclature and fit will be appreciated by your LBS when communicating during your search for that right bike for you. It's a fun and rewarding process to find that bike for oneself, as it should be and I didn't discuss wabi sabi or feng shui. Well, I'm not here to give perfect advice.
Cheers!
Other sources of information for this topic:
Bike Touring News
Bicycle Touring Pro
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