Compare optimal seated riding postions for different “fields” in mountain biking

Asked by: John Graham

What is the best seat position on a mountain bike?

The optimum height for efficient seated pedalling is when your legs extend to about 85-90% at the bottom of your pedal stroke. If the saddle is lower than this, your quads and hip flexors will get unnecessarily brutalised.

What is the most efficient cycling position?

The “Top Tube 2” position is the fastest position that allows for effective pedaling. The cyclist in this position is sitting more upright compared to the previous top tube positions, but the rearward position on the top tube allows for effective pedaling.

What are the different positions in cycling?

Breaking Down the 5 Cycling Positions

• Sprinting. 1 of 6. When: Cyclists normally sprint at the finish line, to breakaway from the peloton or during intermediate sprints for points. …
• Seated Climb. 2 of 6. …
• Standing Climb. 3 of 6. …
• Descending. 4 of 6. …
• Extreme Descending. 5 of 6.

What are the three main positions in cycling?

The four main cycling positions (a) the traditional position, hands on brake hoods (b) the dropped position, hands on drops, arms bent (c) the hill descent position (d) the time trial position.

Should you be leaning forward on a mountain bike?

Lean forward slightly. Your torso should be tilted forward from 90 degrees to an angle of between 10 and 15 degrees. Tip your head back just slightly and look forward under the visor on your helmet. Your neck should be comfortable and you should have a good view of the trail ahead of you.

Should I tilt my saddle forward?

Saddle adjusted correctly? Your saddle should be at a neutral angle, so you’re sitting on the middle portion, not sliding forwards on the nose or backwards off the rear of the saddle. The best way to achieve this is to use a spirit level.

What is the most aerodynamic position on a bike?

hands on hoods

But the most aerodynamically efficient posture was actually hands on hoods, arms bent with forearms parallel to the ground. In that position, the rider needed to produce 372 watts, a 13.4 percent reduction from the first hands-on-hoods posture.

What is the Superman position in cycling?

The Italian bike rider has developed a move that’s been dubbed the Superman pose, which features Guerra removing his feet from the pedals and laying down—planking, essentially—on the saddle.

What is an aggressive cycling position?

But how is an amateur to know if the position on their new aero bike is too aggressive? “It’s normally the amount of drop to the front end,” Burt says. “If you’ve got too much weight on the front end handling will become twitchy or too fast. Numb hands is a sign you’ve got too much weight on the front.

Should your legs be straight when riding a bike?

If you have the bike seat set at the right height, your legs will become straight when cycling (and then bend back up, according to the cycling process). So, yes, your legs should be straight when riding a bike. However, some people recommend maintaining a slight bending of the knee.

How should you sit on a bike?

Quote from video: The arch of my back. But if you're going to be in the drops. For a long period of time you kind of want to sit back a little bit more on the saddle.

When should I lean back my mountain bike?

We need to “lean back” so that we don’t fly over the handlebars on the steeps, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that one of the best ways to end up going over the bars is too get in the habit of leaning back when things get steep. Here’s how it works: When we lean back, we get all of our weight is over the rear wheel.

Why do bikers lean forward?

The cyclist leans towards the direction of the curve’s centre of curvature. By bending, he avoids skidding and falling. He performs that to provide centripetal acceleration. Making the cycle turn is essential.

Are my handlebars too far away?

Switch your stem



If you feel like your handlebar is too far away, you can swap in a shorter stem to reduce your reach. On the other hand, if you feel like your handlebar is too low, you could add a spacer underneath the stem, provided there’s room on the fork steerer.

What angle should a bike seat be at?

The correct saddle angle is much more important than most cyclists realize. For example, lower back pains are a common issue for cyclists, and an incorrect saddle angle is often (part of) the problem. The guideline for the angle of your saddle is between 0 degrees (horizontal) and 4 degrees nose down.

How far forward should my bike seat be?

Move the saddle forward or backward so your knee is over the pedal spindle when the crank is in the 3 o’clock position. Again, this is a good starting point, and then you can adjust your cleats fore and aft as needed. Use your thumb to feel the ball of your foot on the inside of your shoe.

What happens if the saddle is too far forward?

If your saddle is set too far forward then you may be using your upper body too much causing tension in the shoulders and arms as well as having sore hands. You will be able to have a quicker cadence but you will tend to sit back on the saddle up climbs.

What happens if saddle is too far back?

If your saddle is too far back on its rails, or tilting down even slightly, the chances are your centre of gravity is too far forward and your hands are bearing too much load. With your saddle level and correctly positioned, it will take the strain off your hands.