Took me 8 months to figure out I was pedaling wrong in the bike lane

I've been commuting on the greenway bike lane near downtown Austin since last spring. Every day I'd get passed by people on road bikes and just figured I was slow or out of shape. Then last Tuesday a guy on a cargo bike pulled up next to me at a light and asked if I knew my saddle was way too low. I never even thought about it, I just set it where it felt comfortable. He showed me the knee angle trick and I raised it about 3 inches. Now I'm cruising past the same people who used to blow by me. Has anyone else had a simple adjustment totally change their ride?

2 comments

2 Comments

gavin803d ago

Eight months pedaling wrong? That's brutal. You basically turned your legs into a human jackhammer the whole time. I can feel my knees aching just reading this.

mark493d ago

Oh man, I actually read somewhere that sitting too far forward on the saddle is a common culprit for that kind of knee strain. It shifts all your weight onto the pedals and makes your joints take the impact. Good thing he finally figured it out before doing permanent damage.