# Can your feet touch the ground when you sit on your saddle?



## d19rye (Jul 4, 2006)

I had to put my seat all the way down to be able to touch my feet down while i sit. But I dont like it low like that i want it higher. So is that what alot of people do, Have the seat up high and not be able to touch the ground while sitting down. So if you stop riding you have to stand up to be able to touch or what?


----------



## Plim (Dec 8, 2004)

d19rye said:


> I had to put my seat all the way down to be able to touch my feet down while i sit. But I dont like it low like that i want it higher. So is that what alot of people do, Have the seat up high and not be able to touch the ground while sitting down. So if you stop riding you have to stand up to be able to touch or what?


For XC riding, you should not be able to touch the ground with both feet at once when sitting on your saddle. When you stop, you get off the saddle and straddle your top tube so your feet can touch the ground.


----------



## normdzn (Jun 26, 2006)

I guess it depends on personal preference and the type of rider you are. That's what I have learned on this forum anyhow. Cheers.


----------



## BelaySlave (Aug 4, 2004)

Why do you feel the need for your feet to be touching the ground when sitting?


----------



## *rt* (Jan 15, 2004)

d19rye said:


> I had to put my seat all the way down to be able to touch my feet down while i sit. But I dont like it low like that i want it higher. So is that what alot of people do, Have the seat up high and not be able to touch the ground while sitting down. So if you stop riding you have to stand up to be able to touch or what?


if your feet can touch the ground when you are sitting on your saddle then your saddle is too low and will probably make your knees hurt when you pedal.

in all likelihood you will never need to be able to put your feet flat on the ground when you are sitting on the saddle. if you need to make a sudden stop you will probably automatically move so that your feet will touch the ground first.

FWIW, when sitting on the saddle just the tips of my toes touch the ground.

rt


----------



## fred3 (Jan 12, 2004)

If you have your knees just slightly bent when your extended leg is in the 6 o'clock position per the accepted practices of xc bike riding (bmx/dh not applicable) and you have standard 175mm crank arms, don't have really long feet then normally your feet would not reach the ground. When I stop I straddle the bar. You'd have to be some lazy to circumvent doing that. ;-)


----------



## ChrisJ (Aug 15, 2005)

> FWIW, when sitting on the saddle just the tips of my toes touch the ground.


I'm the same way. But I guess thats the cross country kinda riding I do.


----------



## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

As most of the others have said, I ride XC and if I want to touch the ground while sitting on the saddle I have to lean the bike to one side - I think I can barely touch my tippie toes on the ground if I try with the bike vertical. If you ride DH/FR/DJ or some of the other typres of riding then maybe your saddle's low enouhg that you can touch easily, but not when riding XC.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

I have no need to touch my feet to the ground when sitting in the saddle, serves no purpose. I do lower my saddle for downhill/technical sections, but it's not to put my feet on the ground, it's to lower my center of gravity. It's pretty easy to learn how to stop and still put your feet on the ground, just get off the saddle.


----------



## elder_mtber (Jan 13, 2004)

d19rye said:


> I had to put my seat all the way down to be able to touch my feet down while i sit. But I dont like it low like that i want it higher. So is that what alot of people do, Have the seat up high and not be able to touch the ground while sitting down. So if you stop riding you have to stand up to be able to touch or what?


No. If yes, then the seat is too low for trail riding.


----------



## E ! (Jan 15, 2005)

*Not the saddle*

It's really not about if you can touch the ground. It's your inseam measurement. The distance from center of BB to seat height. I think coloradocyclist.com has a worksheet that is easy to go by. A "ghetto" fit is to put your pedal in the down position. Your heel should just barely touch the pedal with leg fully extended. Start from there. Most mtbr's nowadays ride with seats a bit lower than a perfect fit calculator would tell you. Ride what feels good and adjust in small amounts. Small ,like in MM's.


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

d19rye said:


> I had to put my seat all the way down to be able to touch my feet down while i sit. But I dont like it low like that i want it higher. So is that what alot of people do, Have the seat up high and not be able to touch the ground while sitting down. So if you stop riding you have to stand up to be able to touch or what?


That's only valid when talking about a hardtail with a short travel fork on the front end.

That "test" loses all validity with full suspension.

What you need to look at is leg extension, as some other people have indicated. You'll never be able to really put your feet on the ground most of the time if you have the proper seat height and extension. It might feel more "comfortable" to sit lower sometimes, but it puts more pressure on your knees and severely limits the maximum amount of leverage your legs can generate, so you tire much faster and can't climb up easy hills.

Leg extension depends on the saddle and where your knee and foot end up, has nothing to really do with the ground. 99% of people have to step to one side or forward to get "off" their bike.


----------



## Hecubus (Jan 12, 2004)

If you want to ride with proper saddle height to generate maximum effort and the least fatigue you will only be able to touch the ground with the tip of one foot at a time. Your leg will already be at close to full extension (just before the knee locks open) at the very bottom of the pedal stroke. Many full suspension bikes make it even more difficult since they usually have considerably higher bottom bracket heights. That means that for the same saddle extension you're actually higher off the ground.


----------



## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

in hawaii i lowered my saddle somewhat because the terrain there demanded it. here in Texas i have raised it back to the customary recommended height. the way i used to mount the bike sometimes i feel uncomfortable trying to clip in--almost like i'm stretching my calf---now more often than not i straddle the top tube to clip in instead of doing it half perched atop the seat. i never did get the hang of the racer boy/cyclocross method of clipping in with oone foot, running alongside the bike whilst swinging the other leg behind the saddle and over.


----------



## cherrybomber (Mar 25, 2004)

*your probably on the wrong bike kemo sabe *

if you really want your feet to touch the ground...

www.electrabike.com

:thumbsup:  smilewinkgrin:


----------



## LeiniesRed (May 24, 2006)

My Inlaws have those "flat foot technology" electrabikes and yes. They can put their feet flat on the ground while seated. Also, those bike pedal and coast VERY WELL! I'm proud of the folks. They are up to 14+ mile rides this summer after getting into biking this spring. They really like their electra comfort bikes. Their other geared cruiser bikes are simply spares for visitors.


----------



## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*Wow...*



d19rye said:


> I had to put my seat all the way down to be able to touch my feet down while i sit. But I dont like it low like that i want it higher. So is that what alot of people do, Have the seat up high and not be able to touch the ground while sitting down. So if you stop riding you have to stand up to be able to touch or what?


... I'm impressed with the newbie questions. Keep 'em coming.

Have you checked the beginner forum?

Your next questions:

You get the best power to the pedals (and least knee soreness) if you keep the saddle high enough so your knee is barely bent when the pedal is all the way down.

No bicycling won't make you impotent... not unless you ride 7 hours a day every day, and even that is questionable..

30-35 PSI is a good tire pressure to start with

You have to push the bead down in the low part of the rim to get the tire off.

Glueless patches suck

No, you can't fix a tire and ride home by stuffing it with leaves.

Lean back, do one good pedal stroke while pulling back on the bars

Bend your knees, put your behind over the back wheel, and pinch the saddle between your knees. Don't death-grip the bars.

Yes, you will probably fall over a couple times when you first do clipless pedals, but practice on the lawn, and you'll be fine.

Of course you get chainsuck. That's what happens when you shift from middle to granny gear under load. Learn to soft pedal while shifting, and it probably won't happen.

Lube your chain after every ride, not before. That way, the lube has more time to soak into the chain for next time


----------

