Correct saddle height and knee pain

It is important to get the correct saddle height, otherwise you will be more prone to injury. Also if the saddle height is wrong your cycling will be less efficient.

saddle-height

When making adjustments to the saddle position it is best to make small adjustments at a time.

When you have found the correct saddle height and you are happy with it, make sure you keep this same saddle height for all your bikes. This is especially important if you do a lot of cycling and have different bikes for racing and training.

One difficulty I have when measuring the saddle height is – what actually is the top of the saddle? It depends where you take the measurement on the saddle. – e.g. saddle is unlikely to be perfectly flat I try to take the measurement of the saddle in line with the down tube and the heighest part of the saddle (i.e. in the centre of the saddle).

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Benefits of shaving legs (cycling)

Many people asked about the benefits of shaving your legs. I was surprised by the aero benefits of shaving legs. According to this video, in tests at Specialized wind tunnel, one rider saved an estimated 82 seconds saved in a 40km time trial. The average for less hairy cyclists was still close to a minute. I suppose it’s always worth remembering that an estimate 90% of aero drag comes from your body not bike. The good news is that a razor is an awful lot cheaper than buying a new bike. You would have to spend a lot money to get 82 seconds saving from a new bike.

Would be interesting to know about shaving arms. Something never done in the pro peleton. Though, I know Chris Boardman said he shaved his arms for the world hour record attempt.

I’ve updated my posts – ways to improve aerodynamics, which had nearly 20 ideas, but no mention of this – which has probably highest benefit / cost.

Just in case you need it:

Other reasons to shave legs include:

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