Becoming a Mountain Biker
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7. Initial adjustments
Make sure that the bike will be completely built, when
you get it. It is also wise to ask at the shop, if they can
help you with initial adjustments. If not, then try to
do that with a friend.
The saddle height
First you need to adjust the saddle height, which can be
done quite well just by listening to your body, when sitting on
the bike. Otherwise, the correct saddle height is
achieved, when your leg is almost totally stretched, if
you put your hill of the foot on the pedal at its lowest
position. The correct
height can be checked also while riding. If your bottom
is swinging from side to side when pedaling, then your
saddle is too high.
Fore/aft position
The fore and aft position of the saddle (its horizontal
position) is also important and it depends on several
factors: your posture on the bike, seat angle of the
frame, your thigh length and the frame length. You can
use the plumb line procedure to get the initial position
of the saddle (see the
picture): the straight line should pass from your
knee through the axle of the pedal, when the crank arm
is horizontal. But this applies more to road bikes. So
you should listen to your body, since the fore and aft
position is very much related to the length of the bike
as a whole.
The tilt of a saddle
The inclination or the tilt of the saddle can also be
adjusted. For starters, set it totally horizontal. Later
on, you can adjust it according to your needs. If the
saddle's shape is totally flat, then it can be more
comfortable to tilt it slightly forward, in order to
support your spine more. But it is all personal, so you
should listen to your body!
Stem
Stems come in various lengths and rises. As mentioned
earlier, you can accommodate the length of the bike by
changing the length of a stem. You can also change the height of
your bike's front end (i.e. the height difference
between the saddle in the handlebar) by changing the
rise of a stem, which is therefore one of the key
factors that determines your posture on a bike. And the
posture reflects or should reflect your riding style. So
you should have the right stem for your riding style.
For general cross country riding the handlebar should be
a few centimeters below the saddle, and up to 10 cm. You
can have it leveled with the saddle, if you are more
into freeriding, and even above if you are a downhiller.
If you experience knee pain during riding, your
saddle can also be to blame. It might be set too low or
too much to the back. If you've got back pain, try to
tilt the saddle forwards or backwards or your bike might
be too long - move the saddle forwards. Don't be afraid to
experiment!
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