Seat Position on a Bike

Index of contents:

1. Overview 2

2. Goals 2

3. Known Results 3

4. Equipment 4

5. Diagrams & Description 7

6. Analysis & Comparison 9

7. Interpretation 10

1. Overview

This experiment examined the optimal seat position on a bicycle ergometer using the two dimensional SimiMotion Software. The focus was on hip & knee, so the position of the upper body & the foot (angle of the ankle) was totally ignored.

The project includes the matching of certain marker points on the knee, hip & ankle axis, the measurement of the knee angle and the hip movement of our test person on the ergometer.

It should be shown that the optimal saddle height allows the best power output of the thigh muscles (knee angle) & keeps the exposure as low as possible. In addition, we logged the position of the hip axis while pedaling.

2. Goals

By testing different seat positions on the ergometer, the bandwidth of the knee angles and the various hip movements should be shown.

This project should demonstrate that the wrong seat position and the following knee angle bandwidth and movement of the hips causes a not as efficient power output as the optimized seat position.

• Show the hip joint movement

• Show the seat position

• Show the knee angle

3. Known Results

- acquiring knowledge using the available literature:

Specifications (optimal seat position)

HЬGI-Method: 0,893 x length of the inner leg

LEMOND (1987) : saddle height = 0,883 x length of the inner leg

LINDNER (1993): HЬGI - Method

GRESSMANN (2003): LEMOND und HЬGI-Method, knee angle at bottom dead center: 165°-175° (not as far as 180°)

HOWARD: BURKE, Edmund. R. (1995) right seat position: