Trying to get kids to raise their seats to a more efficient height?

I finally figured out why mine refused to do so – fear of not being able to put both feet down while seated. Doh!

Many adults have seats way too low, too! This is a problem because it robs you of power and efficiency. You won’t be able to keep up with your pals. And if you’re like me, it’ll kill your knees! (And cause all sorts of muscle aches.)

The solution?

Learn to mount and dismount without sitting...

1. Instead of swinging a leg over and sitting on the seat to start, swing that leg past the seat (or step through) and stand in front of the seat over the cross bar. 

2. From here, put the pedal in the power position, step up on it (starting your roll), then step on the other pedal and sit down on the seat. Now you can enjoy full extension and get a nice power stroke with your legs. 

3. To stop or dismount, do the reverse. As you’re slowing, slide forward off the seat, putting all your weight on one or both of the pedals. When the bike stops, simply put a foot down. Easy! 

Give it a go…and really go!

How high should the seat be? 

With the ball of our foot on the pedal at the downstroke, your leg should be almost all the way extended. Usually, that’s about hip-high when you’re standing next to your bike (in your bike shoes). Once you get it close, experiment with different adjustments till you feel the power.