Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race. 
How to Adjust Your Bike Seat
How to Adjust Your Bike Seat
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditIt is important that your bike seat (saddle) is at the correct height to ensure that your bike ride is comfortable and just as importantly, to conserve energy while you pedal.
Steps
- Mount bike and brace yourself against a wall.
- Hold your brake and place your heel on your pedal. Your leg should be straight but your knee shouldn't be locked.
- If saddle is too low (your knee is bent), it will make it harder to pedal. If you want to travel a long distance, it will soon become tiring.
- If saddle is too high (your knee is locked), when are pedalling your hips will go from side to side making it harder to pedal in a comfortable gear.
- Adjust the seat. If there is no quick release, use an Allen key to loosen and tighten the bolt.
- Where there is a quick release, slide the saddle up and down when you open it.
- When you close it, it should be firm.
- If the lever doesn't close all the way down, you may have to loosen the bolt on the other side to get the correct tension.
- If it doesn't clamp the saddle, you may need to open it up and clamp the nut on the other side.
- Check the saddle to make sure it is firm.
- Tighten it if it is loose.
Tips
- Even though you can use your heel to get a good saddle height, you don't use your heel to actually pedal. You should put the pedal on the ball of the foot (between the arch and the toes).
- It is best if you adjust the seat height while wearing the shoes you plan to ride in.
- Most people choose a bike that is too small for them, and then put the saddle up high, which puts a lot of strain on the wrists, neck, back, etc. If you can get your bars a little higher than the saddle, you'll be a lot happier on the bike.
Things You'll Need
- A set of Allen keys
- Bike
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Adjust Your Bike Seat. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
