Test run: How to recognise potential problems
The steeper and longer a mountain, the more obvious existing problems become. Only those who are sufficiently flexible and strong can pedal pain-free and powerfully on the MTB. In practice, you should therefore be able to ride longer climbs without pain. The following points will help you do this.
MEASURE CROTCH LENGTH
To optimise the find the right seat height on the bikethe following procedure will help: Press a spirit level into your crotch and ask a helper to measure the distance from the top edge to the floor. Variant without a helper: Stand close to a door frame, for example, and mark the height of the top edge with a pencil.
Step length = ................ cm
DETERMINE SEAT HEIGHT AND FRAME SIZE
The crotch length gives you a very good indication of the seat height - this is the distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the saddle.
Seat height = 0.885 x stride length (cm) = ...............
TIP: The right seat height is the measure of good power development. It is best to start approaching the optimum sitting position from a slightly too high sitting position - recognisable by an out-of-round pedal stroke and a tilting pelvis. Feel your way downwards with the seat height until the pedalling is round and the pelvis no longer tilts with every pedal stroke. How to adjust the Determine the right frame size for a mountain bike, read here.
SADDLE POSITION
Many bikers deliberately lower the saddle nose slightly to relieve pressure on the perineal area. However, this leads to more pressure and holding work in the arms, hands and shoulders. For this reason, the MTB saddle should ideally be horizontal. To reduce pressure in the perineal area, read the Tips for pain in the buttocks.
BRAKE GRIPS
To avoid compressing the nerves in the hand, the brake lever should be in line with the forearm - in the riding position, of course. The index finger should be in line with the forearm at the end of the brake lever. Here you can find more Tips on how to correctly adjust the cockpit on your MTB.
HANDLEBAR
The handlebar width should match your shoulder width and your riding style. There is no rule of thumb for this. A good indicator: The wrists do not bend sideways. Handlebars that are too wide (for narrow shoulders) often cause pain in the wrists as they are bent sharply. Handlebars that are too narrow prevent you from breathing freely and reduce control on technical terrain. Here you will find Tips on different handlebar widths and shapes on mountain bikes.
CLEAT-POSITION: Set the pedal plates correctly
To find the basic position, the cleat should sit over your metatarsophalangeal joint (the thick part behind the big toe). Screw the cleat in the centre under the shoe. Use a plumb bob (placed in the centre of the outer knee joint) to test whether the plumb bob falls over the pedal axle. The crank is in a 90-degree pedalling position for this. Now move the saddle forwards or backwards to align the plumb line. Here you will find a Detailed instructions for adjusting Shimano SPD cleats.
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