So, I got in a copy of Universe2 and as I was watching it, I noticed a lot of the street riders in the video and some of the videos members here have posted ride with their seat relatively low.
Normally, as far as I’ve heard (recognize, I’m very new) is that proper seat height is where your leg is almost fully extended when the corresponding pedal is at the bottom. Obviously this isn’t the case for some people in the video. Didn’t know if there was anything to this or if its just a matter of preference?
having your seat height such that your leg is almost straight it only ideal for long distance riding. street riders have it much lower because rolling hops are much easier with it low (not so much easier, but you can jump higher with a low seat). it also gives you some breathing space between your groin and the seat, which is essential for drops and seat in hopping. trials riders generally ave it somewhere in between, as a higher seat is ideal for SIF (seat in front) hops. my seat is at a height where i will never drop seat in unless i am wearing biking shorts.
i think seat height is really a preference thing(for me anyway) because i rode with my seat really low for a while, then i raised it and there was no difference in how high i could hop
I have my seat up almost all the way and I find this very helpful for most freestyle skills as well, especially the wheel walking variations. I find it harder to wheel walk if my legs are hunched up a lot.
That’s the proper seat height for proper riding. What those guys is doing, is not proper!
In other words, the high recommended setting is optimum for learning to ride, distance riding, and most general riding. But as you start messing around with tricks, and especially hopping and dropping, a little more “safety space” between your legs will come in very handy. So at that point it becomes more a matter of preference, with some riders liking it very low, while others keep theirs fairly high.
I agree with JSM. For freestyle a high seat is better because it gives much more space for lots of foot on wheel tricks, along with more leverage for hopping on the wheel.
I prefer a semi-low seat for trials. It is high enough that I feel limited by it during rolling hops, but for seat out it feels almost perfect. For street a lower seat gives more room for comfort, I guess. It’s really a question of personal preference.
with your seat lower you can hop much higher it not as easy to ride with it really low but when your doing street tricks to hop up like a picnic table or something the lower you have it the easier it will be (but not o low)
it depends what your riding, if you’re riding street, then yes. you want a lower seat becouse it’s much easery and comfortabel with that when you’re doing tech tricks.
For freestyle tricks and general riding, higher the better (within reason). WWing, gliding, 1 foot riding, et al, on a MUni is much harder (than on a freestyle uni) because the uni crown–and tire–is so high, and when you’re that crunched up both the movement and the balance are harder.
For technical downhill MUniing, a low seat – and low center of gravity – is important. But it’s difficult to spin real fast–essential for rolling out of forward drops–if the seat’s too low and your legs are radically bent. I use a quick release on my MUni and can quickly adjust for different conditions.
You can’t jump very high if you can’t kick in your quads and you can’t kick in your quads if your legs are too straight. BBall players and high jumpers don’t dip too low before jumping, but they have a lot of forward momentum which they translate into heigth. For static hops (out of a still stand), you’ve got to be able to dip down and also tuck once airborn, and if the seat is so high that it hits your crotch, you can neithr dip or tuck.
For seat-out (SIF) hopping, having a low seat is actually harder than moving it up a bit.
Bottom line: no one seat heigth fits all conditions. Knowing what works for you, and when, and using a quick release, means you’re flexible to different conditions. Always a good thing.
it not as easy to ride with it really low but when your doing street tricks to hop up like a picnic table or something the lower you have it the easier it will be (but not o low)