Hamstring pain while pushing on

[Peter F]

I've noticed that when pushing reasonable hard on my road bike my right hamstring feels tight and uncomfortable. It's not a pushing yourself discomfort, it's more like a close to cramping up feeling. Sometimes after the ride I do cramp up.

So, am I just pushing beyond my bodies ability, it doesn't feel like it, or is there something I can do to stop this happening?

[Marcus Aurelius]

It sounds like your saddle might be in the wrong position.

[Peter F]

It sounds like your saddle might be in the wrong position.

Interesting. In what respect?
I have my seat as high as I can while still being able to get a toe on the floor but I have moved it back a bit to make getting low easier.

[cyclop]

It sounds like your saddle might be in the wrong position.

Interesting. In what respect?
I have my seat as high as I can while still being able to get a toe on the floor but I have moved it back a bit to make getting low easier.

I,ve never heard of setting the seat height in this way.There are multiple threads about setting seat height and none of them mention being able to get a toe on the floor whilst seated.

[Paulatic]

It sounds like your saddle might be in the wrong position.

Interesting. In what respect?
I have my seat as high as I can while still being able to get a toe on the floor but I have moved it back a bit to make getting low easier.

That sounds a crazy way to set a saddle.

[Jdsk]

Staying in the saddle and one foot just reaching the ground is quite a common way of adjusting small children's saddle height. It means that they don't have to climb on and off the saddle when starting and stopping.

With that out of the way I'd suggest setting it according to modern thinking, and then getting someone else to have a look: an experienced cyclist, a bike shop or photos here.

Jonathan

[Audax67]

It sounds like your saddle might be in the wrong position.

Interesting. In what respect?
I have my seat as high as I can while still being able to get a toe on the floor but I have moved it back a bit to make getting low easier.

I,ve never heard of setting the seat height in this way.There are multiple threads about setting seat height and none of them mention being able to get a toe on the floor whilst seated.

That was the old advice, from the 50s/60s. The height of mine is usually such that I can get one toe down if I cant the bike over a little. (It's always the same toe, so my left shoe always wears out first.) Other than that, if I remember rightly your knee should be bent at around 150°(30° from straight) at the bottom of the pedal stroke - that's measuring ankle-bone to bottom of femur (lump at back edge of kneecap on outside) to hip-bone.

There's also a rule of thumb that relates where the pain is to saddle height, but I've forgotten it. It was something like "pain on underside of thigh => saddle too high, pain on top = too low. Better check that, though.

[Paulatic]

[
There's also a rule of thumb that relates where the pain is to saddle height, but I've forgotten it. It was something like "pain on underside of thigh => saddle too high, pain on top = too low. Better check that, though.

I think
Lower and further back works the Hamstrings
Higher and forward works the Quads
When you feel both muscle groups working in harmony then you know you’ve got it right.

[Peter F]

When setting the height of my kids bike seats I do it so that they can get the toes of both feet on the floor when in the saddle. This is to stop them falling off a lot

I have set mine so that with stretching I can touch the floor with one toe. This is a confidence, or lack of it, thing but maybe it's time to move on?

Pain is in at the bottom of my hamstring close to the back of my knee.

Not a chance of anyone in a bike shop setting my position at this point. There's a 1 month waiting time for repairs right now at one end the other is only open for online orders.

[Peter F]

[
There's also a rule of thumb that relates where the pain is to saddle height, but I've forgotten it. It was something like "pain on underside of thigh => saddle too high, pain on top = too low. Better check that, though.

I think
Lower and further back works the Hamstrings
Higher and forward works the Quads
When you feel both muscle groups working in harmony then you know you’ve got it right.

Interesting. I might try lifting the seat up and forwards.

[Jdsk]

I have set mine so that with stretching I can touch the floor with one toe. This is a confidence, or lack of it, thing but maybe it's time to move on?

Yes. How about always starting and stopping off the saddle? That will uncouple the correct height of the saddle when riding from anything to do with putting a foot down.

Then set the height of the saddle for pedalling according to which piece of advice you prefer.

Then some photos?

Jonathan

[Audax67]

[
There's also a rule of thumb that relates where the pain is to saddle height, but I've forgotten it. It was something like "pain on underside of thigh => saddle too high, pain on top = too low. Better check that, though.

I think
Lower and further back works the Hamstrings
Higher and forward works the Quads
When you feel both muscle groups working in harmony then you know you’ve got it right.

Interesting. I might try lifting the seat up and forwards.

Careful! It's best to vary just one thing at a time, otherwise you won't know which change doesn't work.

T'other thing, of course, is that riding with your saddle too high eventually abrades your posterior.

[531colin]

The main muscle groups involved in pedalling are the glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
Moving the saddle back loads the hamstrings, moving it forward loads the quads.
I tend to set my saddle fore/back by the balance point method, the older I get the further behind KOPS I want to be.
Stuff about saddle height and back/front adjustment in my DIY bike fit guide linked below.
Stretching after exercise (while still warmed up) is useful to ward off hamstring cramp in my experience.

[fastpedaller]

I think
Lower and further back works the Hamstrings
Higher and forward works the Quads
When you feel both muscle groups working in harmony then you know you’ve got it right.

Interesting. I might try lifting the seat up and forwards.

Careful! It's best to vary just one thing at a time, otherwise you won't know which change doesn't work.

T'other thing, of course, is that riding with your saddle too high eventually abrades your posterior.

If it is adjusted forwards it will need raising a little, otherwise it will be closer to the pedals (ie lower) than before it was moved forwards!

[Peter F]

Interesting. I might try lifting the seat up and forwards.

Careful! It's best to vary just one thing at a time, otherwise you won't know which change doesn't work.

T'other thing, of course, is that riding with your saddle too high eventually abrades your posterior.

If it is adjusted forwards it will need raising a little, otherwise it will be closer to the pedals (ie lower) than before it was moved forwards!

Yes, one if the reasons for moving to back was to increase the distance from the pedals.