Road bike seat height versus tri-bike seat height

Triathlon Forum
1

First of all, I don’t have professional tri-bike fitter in the area, so I am trying to do this on my own. My road bike seat height is 92 cm from the ground, should my tri bike’s seat height be close to the same. I currently have it at 93.5cm. I am going to ride the tri-bike for the first time tomorrow.

Thanks,

Kevin

2

measure your seat height from bottom bracket. They can range 1 - 1.5 cm so if you measure from ground you’ll be all messed up cause your legs turn in circles around the BB

3

Dev:

I think the OP might be asking whether the BB to seat top should be the same for the road and tri bikes. I always assumed they were the same.

Bob

4

The distance from the bottom bracket should be the same or close. Use it as a starting point at least.

5

So where on the seat should be my measuring point to BB? Tip? Middle?

Thanks,
Kevin

6

Mr. Mott-
You might want to rethink your last statement…

7

Follow the center tube. Straight line to intersect the level over point of the seat. The main idea is to do it the same every time from the same point.

As devashish paul said; center of BB. This is a fixed reference point.

8

I always use a point halfway between the widest part of the saddle and the nose, I feel this allows for differences between saddles. For example you might sit differently on a Fizik Arione compared with a Selle Italia SLR.

Kevin

9

If you measure pedal or BB to where you sit on the saddle then it should be the same. The problem with measuring to the same spot on both bikes is that you probably sit forward on the Tri bike and that effectively lowers the seat. The difference is even worse if you sit back on the road bike saddle.

10

FWIW - I use a flexible tape measure and measure from the center of the bottom bracket to the middle of the nose of the saddle. I feel that this accounts somewhat for saddle width differences. David K

11

So where on the seat should be my measuring point to BB? Tip? Middle?

Thanks,
Kevin
To where you sit most of the time. This may vary between road and TT saddles.

12

If you follow the FIST method than the tri seat should be a little higher to allow for a steeper knee angle.