How to set your road bike's saddle height

There are lots of adjustments you can make to alter the fit of your bike, but the height of the saddle is the most important. Even if the position is a few centimetres out, it can have a big knock-on effect, leading to an uncomfortable ride.

In this guide, we'll take you through a few different methods for finding the correct height, but before that, here are a few things to be aware of.

• Read more: How to find the perfect bike fit

Why saddle height matters

Saddle height has a large influence on both comfort and performance. Once in the correct position, you should be in the most efficient pedalling position, and you are less likely to pick up an injury.

If the saddle is too high, you may start rocking at the hips as your feet are stretching for the pedals. You may find that you have to straighten your legs completely to reach the bottom of the pedal stroke. Not only is a high saddle inefficient, it's also a fast track to an injury, usually a knee injury.

If you're stretching for the pedals, it's also going to put extra pressure onto your rear end, leading to plenty of discomfort and, even worse, potentially saddle sores.

A saddle that is too low is less likely to cause problems with your joints, but it is still inefficient. Additionally, a low saddle can make you feel cramped on the bike, which can become uncomfortable, especially over longer rides.

Don't emulate the pros

When hunting for the correct saddle position, many riders automatically emulate the pros. That's understandable as they know what they're doing, right?

It doesn't quite work that way. Pros spend far more time on a bike than the rest of us, and when they're not on a bike, they will probably be doing stretching and conditioning. That means that their bodies are far more accustomed to a road bike position, so they can edge their seat up a little bit to give a greater leg extension.

Even if you want a performance edge, this probably won't work for you. Without the hours on the saddle, and the focussed conditioning, a higher saddle will cause your hips to rock, it'll put more pressure on your backside, and it'll make you slower and less comfortable.

• Read more: Why you shouldn't set your road bike up like a pro cyclist

If in doubt, get professional help

The steps below should get your saddle in the right place, but they might not work for you. Everyone is different, so if our methods leave you feeling uncomfortable, head to your local bike shop for a professional bike fit. Many shops have fancy tools that measure your position on the bike which will help to identify any issues and rectify them.

• Read more: How new technology can help get you the perfect bike fit

With that out of the way, let's look at how to find the correct saddle position. The first two steps are differing ways to alter your saddle height, so test both and see what works best for you. The final two steps cover saddle setback and angle.