BMX bikes are no doubt the smallest two-wheelers around, yet the only models ever made for doing tricks and stunt performance. With their seats in the lowest position, you’ll mostly be riding the bike in a seated position. But can you sit on a BMX bike?
You can sit on a BMX bike provide you raise the saddle to a more comfortable position. With a seat post above the standard position, a BMX bike can be ideal for commuting and going long distance. You can even add a seat cover to give the saddle more padding to make the bike more comfortable.
Raising the position of your BMX bike’s seat can be a challenge, but it isn’t impossible.
Taking the BMX to a bike shop near you to have the saddle raised is one option, but that’s going to cost you a couple of bucks. Doing the adjustment on your own will take time, but that’s the best approach because then you can adjust the seat more than one if you ever need to.
In this guide, you’ll learn more about sitting on the BMX and exactly what steps to follow to adjust the height of the seat if you want. In particular, you’ll learn about:
- Riding a BMX sitting down
- Why BMX bikes have the seats lower than usual
- The right height at which a BMX bike should be and
- How to raise and lower the saddle of your BMX bike
Let’s get to it.
Can You Ride A BMX Bike Sitting Down?
You can ride a BMX bike sitting down, but you will need to make some necessary adjustments to find the seat position that makes the bike comfortable to sit on for an extended period.
The adjustments are easy to make and therefore you don’t need to hire the service of a bike shop near you.
You may need to go the extra mile to fine-tune the seat also, especially if you intend to BMX off-road or ride the BMX for long distance.
Here’s why:
Every BMX seat is made of extremely hard plastic, on top of which is a thin layer of foam that makes the saddle generally uncomfortable for sitting for an extended period.
From a bmxing point of view, a saddle that feels this tough is good because it provides an additional contact surface for performing stunts and doing advanced tricks.
However, that may not be of great help to someone who just wants to get by on the bike, hence the need to tweak things a little.
The best part is that you don’t have to overthink the comfort of the saddle. All you have to do is buy a seat that has a thick padding and switch it with the current one.
If you don’t want to buy a padded saddle, get a gel seat cover to add more comfort to the current seat.
Why Are Seats So Low On BMX Bikes?
Have you ever looked at a BMX bike and wondered why the saddle is at such a lower position? There’s a higher chance that you have, and there are a number of reasons why manufacturers design them that way.
If we look at it from the face value, we can conclude that BMX bikes have low seats because they’re primarily for kids. Yet given that adults have transformed these bikes into sport two-wheelers, the reason why the seats are low goes beyond the height of the rider.
Here’s the deal:
BMX bikes are perfect for tricks and stunt performance.
For a rider to get the most out of bmxing, they need to maneuver their bodies more freely, which is why you tend to ride a BMX more when standing than when sitting on the saddle.
What’s more?
The seats are so low on BMX bikes to give a rider momentum and power for better pumps. If anything, you can jump from a high point to the ground without worrying about hitting the bike’s frame or damaging your groin.
The lower position of the seat also gives you a lower center of gravity, so you have more control over your body that you do when riding a standard bike.
The low position of the seat gives you more clearance, without which it would be impossible to do acrobatic movements. That makes it possible for you to do simple tricks and try new stunts such as suicide no handers and bunny hops.
Unlike on standard bikes, where the purpose of the saddle is strictly for sitting, the seat on a BMX gives you an additional point of contact, which can be helpful when performing advanced tricks such as the tail whips and no-footed cancan.
Is It Possible To Raise The Seat On A BMX Bike?
You can raise the saddle of your BMX bike by adjusting the height of the seat post.
Some bike models even feature pivotal seats, which you can easily raise or lower for a comfortable feel and flexible use. Adding a seat cover to the saddle can also raise your sitting position by a few millimeters
An Allen wrench is the only tool you need to raise the seat of your BMX bike. You can get the Bikehand Heavy-duty Allen Wrenches (View on Amazon) for under $20 if you don’t already have one yet.
- Insert the wrench into the clamp and turn it counterclockwise to loosen it up
- Move the saddle up and down and side by side until you get a position that suits you best
- Insert the wrench through the slit (or slot) gap in the seat and rotate it to adjust the bolt
- Once you find the bolt, rotate the wrench in a counterclockwise direction to loosen the screw, making sure it’s loose enough so it doesn’t rip the plastic parts during adjustment.
- Find a new suitable position for the seat and raise the saddle accordingly
- Follow this by inserting the Allen wrench into the clamp and rotating it clockwise to tighten
- Adjust the angle of the seat, insert the wrench in the saddle slot to find the bolt, and then tighten it accordingly.
That’s all you have to do to raise the saddle of a BMX bike.
Remember that the most important thing is to make sure you adjust it to the position that best suits you. This may require a few trials and errors, but you should eventually find a saddle position that best suits your riding style.
Can I Lower A BMX Seat?
You can lower the position of your BMX bike seat if you want to, and doing so is as easy as raising the saddle itself.
All you have to do is to determine how low you would like the saddle to be and then follow the steps we have indicated above to lower the seat to the new position.
How High Should BMX Seat Be?
If you’ve considered raising the seat of your BMX bike, there’s a high chance you’re wondering exactly how high it should be in the first place.
You really don’t have to overthink this either because the solution is not in black and white. From what I understand, the height to which you adjust the saddle depends on your personal preference.
A more reasonable approach to determine how high the saddle on your BMX should be would be to use a bike seat calculator.
The tool uses your rider’s height to give you an estimate on the height to consider, which can be a good starting point to help you raise the seat to the right position.
The value you get from the calculator isn’t cast in stone. You may need to make several adjustments to get the actual height for you. So don’t hesitate to switch things up a little if you really have to.
Final Thoughts: Can You Sit On A BMX Bike?
As we’ve seen, it’s possible that you can sit on a BMX bike and ride just fine. However, you do have to raise the saddle to a higher position so that you can ride the bike comfortably, especially if you intend to cycle for an extended period.
Given that a BMX seat height is easy to adjust, you don’t necessarily have to take it to a bike shop near you. All you need is an Allen wrench, such as the one that we recommend in this guide, and a few minutes to spare to get the job done.