# Bouncing in saddle



## mcaswell (Mar 5, 2011)

Near the end of Saturday morning's ride, another cyclist pulled up alongside me and pointed out that I was bouncing in the saddle quite a bit (thus wasting energy), and suggested I ride at a lower cadence.

I usually ride around 85 - 90 (and don't bounce), but at this particular moment when he observed me from behind, I had just accelerated from a stop (and had not yet shifted into a harder gear), and was probably pedaling closer to 100. On other occasions, I've also noticed that once I pedal above about 95, I do indeed start bouncing.

I've read posts here that indicate others ride at/above this cadence without problem, so that has me wondering... is my bouncing the result of poor pedaling technique? Or is it a matter of individual physical build? Fitness level? Riding position?

--Michael


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## pdh777 (Oct 7, 2005)

One way to help yourself in this situation - pull up on the back stroke, and shift to a harder gear - should solve your problem.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

mcaswell said:


> Near the end of Saturday morning's ride, another cyclist pulled up alongside me and pointed out that I was bouncing in the saddle quite a bit (thus wasting energy), and suggested I ride at a lower cadence.
> 
> I usually ride around 85 - 90 (and don't bounce), but at this particular moment when he observed me from behind, I had just accelerated from a stop (and had not yet shifted into a harder gear), and was probably pedaling closer to 100. On other occasions, I've also noticed that once I pedal above about 95, I do indeed start bouncing.
> 
> ...


Giving you the benefit of the doubt, it could be that at that particular point in time you were in the wrong gear and had little or no pedal resistance. In that circumstance, it's difficult to maintain a smooth pedals stroke, while in other instances (at higher cadence, but with more resistance) it's not difficult to ride smoothly at a cadence of well over 100. FWIW, I can do up to about 110, but others go well above that - track riders, for instance. 

However, the above scenario is just one possibility. It's also possible that you haven't yet developed a smooth pedal stroke, which is understandable and does take time/ practice - and monitoring cadence plays a role in this. It's also possible that it's fit related, but (assuming you've has an initial fit) I'd leave any tweaks to the LBS fitter, if needed.

Bottom line is I wouldn't fret about it. As long as you feel good on the bike and can maintain a cadence of 85-90 I'd say you're doing fine at this point in time. There's room for impovement in just about all of us, but as you build saddle time and experience you'll see progress. In the interim, nothing wrong with working on improving your pedal stroke, just remember to enjoy the ride.


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## foball17 (Aug 9, 2010)

I start the saddle bounce around 105-115 depending on the gear and resistance like the guy above pointed out. I think it has a lot to do with build because I'm pretty sure I'm properly fitted and have good technique.

Whenever I start bouncing I just shift gears. 

I'm going to watch this thread, though, for any tips that might pop up because I like to spin fast for certain workouts and I'd like to up my cadence even more without bouncing.


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## danidani (Mar 29, 2011)

I try to keep my cadence @ low 90,s . I can do 115 with no bounce but above that I start to feel spun out. Bounce pretty bad @ 120. @ 115 I feel all rpm no power, any body agree?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Get a fixed-gear bike and ride down hills. You'll smooth out in no time ;-)

Seriously, just keep practicing. Make your feet go around in circles. Practice at even faster cadences. "Bouncing" in the saddle isn't just inefficient, it's painful and dangerous (at least, it seems to me it would be). I think any road rider should be able to pedal at 110 rpm smoothly for at least a minute or two.

I'm by no means an expert at this stuff (check out some trackies), but I do ride fixed some times, and I can spin (briefly) at 150 rpm with no bouncing.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*No pulling*



pdh777 said:


> One way to help yourself in this situation - pull up on the back stroke.


Nope. All kinds of riders' pedaling has been analyzed and the only time people can do this is at low cadence, typically when climbing, and then for only a few pedal strokes. Our muscles are not well adapted for such a motion.

To the OP: think "pedaling circles." This is not to suggest trying to apply power all the way around the pedal stroke - that is not possible. But if you focus on a smooth circular style, you will feel it come. You can't do this all the time, but it is a good drill to smooth out your stroke. Another thing to drill is rev up 10-15 rpm for one minute (downshift a couple of gears if you don't want to work harder), then return to your normal cadence. Do this several times on every ride. In a couple of weeks, your ability to spin a higher cadence will be signifcantly improved.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

pdh777 said:


> One way to help yourself in this situation - pull up on the back stroke, and shift to a harder gear - should solve your problem.


no one pulls 'up'...that would make the 'bounce' worse.


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## Doug B (Sep 11, 2009)

You are posting in the Beginner forum.... and you didn't mention it.... do you have cycling shoes and pedals? Or, are you riding with normal tennis shoes?

My first six months of riding (20 years ago) I was using normal tennis shoes, and bouncing a lot. I was in highschool, couldn't afford shoes and clipless pedals so I bought clips and straps - and strapped my feet down. No more bouncing.


Eventually, I saved some money and bought some Nike brand shoes - the ones with the groove cleat that actually bit down onto the back edge of the pedal. Cinched down tight, there was no way to remove my feet from the pedals without reaching down and loosening the straps. Remember those days? Needless to say, after that, the transition to clipless was a breeze.


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## vladvm (May 4, 2010)

it just means you have to learn how to spin at a higher cadence when the resistance is low.

If you have a roller at home practice to spin smoothly around 120rpm, then later on 150-160 rpm without bouncing. You will eventually be able to reach 180+ rpm (this is really fast - track/keirin) once you get better at it. This will also improve your climbing.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Saddle could be too high also.


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## vladvm (May 4, 2010)

danidani said:


> I try to keep my cadence @ low 90,s . I can do 115 with no bounce but above that I start to feel spun out. Bounce pretty bad @ 120. @ 115 I feel all rpm no power, any body agree?


If you bounce @ 120, you still need practice. Keep at it, you will improve and you will eventually power up a hill even @ 115 rpm.


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## vladvm (May 4, 2010)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Saddle could be too high also.


yeah, check your saddle height.


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## mcaswell (Mar 5, 2011)

Thanks for the responses. To answer Doug's question, yes I'm using clipless. Saddle height is good I think, though I just discovered that my fore/aft saddle position has been set totally wrong for the past several rides... when I removed/reattached the saddle last week, I inadvertently put it almost all the way back instead of almost all the way forward as the fitter had set it.

So, that's been fixed, and also on my last ride I tried for a more circular pedaling motion instead of just pumping, and it did indeed result in a much smoother ride even at higher RPMs. Now I just need to concentrate on pedaling this way, to overcome years of muscle memory!

--Michael


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

mcaswell said:


> on my last ride I tried for a more circular pedaling motion instead of just pumping, and it did indeed result in a much smoother ride even at higher RPMs. Now I just need to concentrate on pedaling this way, to overcome years of muscle memory!
> 
> --Michael


It will come fast, especially if you work on higher and higher cadences for longer periods. Stay in the little ring for a few rides ;-)


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## pdh777 (Oct 7, 2005)

> no one pulls 'up'...that would make the 'bounce' worse.[/QUOTE
> 
> Try it - a track coach told me about this to help me get RPM's up. Pulling up may not be exactly the right phrase for it - although that's what the coach called it - more like pedaling in circles rather than just pushing down. It works


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## vancouver-rider (Apr 14, 2011)

1) Lower saddle by 2 or 3 mm.

2) Once you start spinning above 90, imagine holding your ankle in a fixed position and letting it begin the downstroke of the pedal ahead of the ball of your foot. In reality, this is not possible of course, but that foot position will allow you to spin at higher cadences without bouncing.

If you try to point your toes downwards as you spin quickly, you will bounce.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

vancouver-rider said:


> 1) Lower saddle by 2 or 3 mm.
> 
> 2) Once you start spinning above 90, imagine holding your ankle in a fixed position and letting it begin the downstroke of the pedal ahead of the ball of your foot. In reality, this is not possible of course, but that foot position will allow you to spin at higher cadences without bouncing.
> 
> *If you try to point your toes downwards as you spin quickly, you will bounce*.


Not true. 'Bouncing' and ankle position are unrelated. If you doubt this, watch some pro cyclists spin at cadences higher than most riders practice. Developing and maintaining a smooth, consistent pedal stroke is what's key. 

Pedaling 'toe down' just seems natural to many riders (me included) and considering some pro's practice the same, we're in good company.


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## vancouver-rider (Apr 14, 2011)

If you read the post carefully, its more about feel rather than reality. It is not possible for the ankle to precede the toes on a down stroke.


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## topflightpro (Nov 3, 2004)

Work on holding your core steady as well.

When I first started riding and would start bounce, I found that by tightening my abs, I would stop bouncing. Now, my core is strong enough that I don't have to concentrate on it.


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## JasperIN (Oct 25, 2010)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Saddle could be too high also.


Just what I was thinking, that was my issue.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

vancouver-rider said:


> If you read the post carefully, its more about feel rather than reality. *It is not possible for the ankle to precede the toes on a down stroke*.


I did read your post carefully, and the reality is that the statement I bolded simply isn't true. And FWIW neither is the bolded statement above, IME.


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