Operation Manual

17
8. Adjusting the bike to the rider
Adjusting the bike
Your body height is the decisive criterion for
the frame size you need. Pay particular atten-
tion that there is enough space between your
crotch and the top tube so that you won’t hurt
yourself when having to get off your bike
quickly.
By choosing a specific type of bike, you
already roughly determine the posture you
will be riding in. However, some components
of your bike are especially designed so that
you can adjust them to your proportions up to
a certain degree. These include the seat post,
the stem and the brake levers.
After carrying out assembly work, always
make a short functional check as described
in “Before every ride” and do a test ride in
an unfrequented place. This will allow you to
safely check whether everything is in good
order.
If you are unsure about how to do something,
it will be better just to check your seating posi-
tion. Consult your MERIDA dealer, if you feel
you want something changed. He will see to
your wishes the next time you leave your bike
at the workshop, e.g. for the first inspection.
8.1 Adjusting the saddle to the
correct height
The correct saddle height is the height which
provides maximum pedalling comfort and
efficiency. When pedalling, the balls of your
big toes should be positioned above the cen-
tre of the pedal spindles. With your feet in
this position, you should not be able to stretch
your legs completely at the lowest point, oth-
erwise your pedalling will become awkward.
You can check the height of your saddle in
the following, simple way. This is best done
wearing flat-soled shoes.
Sit on the saddle and put one of your heels on
the pedal at its lowest point. In this position,
your leg should be fully stretched and your
hips should not be tilted to either side.
All the tasks described in the following
require experience, appropriate tools
and manual skill. Take particular care when
tightening bolted joints. Increase the torque
bit by bit, checking the seat of the compo-
nent in between. Use a torque wrench and
never exceed the maximum permissible
torque!
To adjust the saddle height, loosen the binder
bolt or quick-release lever (first read chapter
7. “How to use the quick-releases“).
Use a suitable tool to release the seat post
binder bolt, turning it counterclockwise by
two to three turns.
Now you can shift the saddle to the desired
height.