When we ask clients how they set their saddle height, the answer we hear the most is the heel on pedal method.
If it is so widely used, why does it give such varied results? Quite simply you have no control of your hip position. As this is a static measurement you can sit on the saddle in a multitude of ways without knowing it. Most people will adjust themselves on the saddle until the heel is on the pedal and the knee is slightly bent. If the saddle isn't very high or very low, you won't notice.
So is it a bad method?
Used correctly no. It will get you a rough position on the bike and get you started but it is far from accurate. The key is to sit flat on the saddle and stop yourself from learning off the saddle. Ask a friend to watch your bum to keep you honest.
The vast majority of people use this method and of them 99% are sat too high in the saddle when they arrive with us. We use the dynamic method of fitting as you can't hide what you are doing on the bike when you are pedaling. For this reason be careful of static fit methods as they can be very inaccurate.
So is the heel on pedal method worth using? Yes if you have no other option but a bike fit is better.