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Bike riding and flexibility 17-Jul-2016 At 12:19:37 PM devlin66

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You don't want full leg extension. with the pedal at 3 o'clock you want the bottom of the knee cap to be over or just in front of the pedal spindle. With the pedal at 6 o'clock you then want about 145 deg bend in the leg with your foot in it's normal pedaling position. This is an approximate but close to the average. This is awkward to work out your self. For an approximate seat height take your inseam and multiply it by 0.885. That will be the distance from the center of the crank axle to the top of the seat along the seat tube center line.

Too high a saddle in injurious to hamstrings as it stretches them out repeatedly straining them plus it puts a lot more pressure on the perineum and causes the hips to rock making for an unstable core and a lot of movement in the contact area. Too low a saddle is even worse as the knee has to push out of a very inefficient angle that causes a lot of strain on the knee.

As far as being bad for climbing that is bunk. So long as you are not adding a huge amount of bulk the extra fitness and the strength it gives for high steps, dynos, heel hooking etc. is highly beneficial. Like any activity stretching after exercise is paramount. Also not smashing yourself to smithereens every time you go out helps progression.