Changing a saddle

[Ajax Bay]

Once you've swapped your desired saddle onto the seatpost with the correct diameter for the bike, before any tightening of the allen key (underneath the saddle), insert the seatpost in the seat tube and secure the seat tube clamp with the saddle in line (height doesn't matter).
Make sure the bike is on level ground and place a spirit level lengthways on the saddle (ie pointing towards the stem). The saddle clamping mechanism will allow you (allen bolt loosish) to tilt the saddle till it's level. Several iterations may be required.
Then adjust for height.

 

[fossyant]

Look, if you can't work out how to take a saddle off a bike, then go to a shop. Have you also checked the height from the rails to the saddle as this can vary between saddles and can cause knee pain and other shoot (got 4 bikes, measure all of them, and can feel 5mm drop).

 

[Sunny Portrush]

Right, thanks for all the helpful advice.

All I had to do was loosen the bolt on the black saddle and remove the saddle. Loosen a bolt on the white saddle and remove it. Then put the white saddle onto the wider seat-post and tighten the bolt again (making sure everything was level etc).

Sounds easy? So why did it take me so flipping long lol

 

[T4tomo]

level is just a starting point for saddles, some people need a degree or three of tilt either way for comfort. feel free tinker with tilt fore aft movement and height to get it right.

A certain Mr Merckx apparently frequently did it mid ride, whilst on the move, but i'd recommend you stop first.

 

[fossyant]

Right, thanks for all the helpful advice.

All I had to do was loosen the bolt on the black saddle and remove the saddle. Loosen a bolt on the white saddle and remove it. Then put the white saddle onto the wider seat-post and tighten the bolt again (making sure everything was level etc).

Sounds easy? So why did it take me so flipping long lol

Well done.

 

[Sunny Portrush]

level is just a starting point for saddles, some people need a degree or three of tilt either way for comfort. feel free tinker with tilt fore aft movement and height to get it right.

A certain Mr Merckx apparently frequently did it mid ride, whilst on the move, but i'd recommend you stop first.

It`s probably wrong on my part but I have never moved a saddle backwards or forwards nor up and down on any bike I have ever owned. I just sit on it and go. There may have been a rudimentary check by staff from the establishment I was purchasing the bike but I would have remembered them moving/tilting a saddle.

This is the first time I have ever moved a saddle just as it was more comfortable than the existing one on the bike - proof will be when I go for the first ride on it but so far everything looks fine

 

[Ajax Bay]

As @T4tomo has said, having the saddle level is a useful start point; then adjust till optimum comfort is achieved. And because you changed over seatposts this is an issue: you cannot just rely on the shop: you'll have discovered that the saddle clamping mechanism allows 'pitch' adjustment.
The saddle rails allow you to move the saddle forward or back a certain amount. If the previous saddle was OK: replicate the distance between the bars and a point where the saddle widens.
The height of your saddle is related to your inside leg measurement. Plenty of advice on 't'net but a simple rule of thumb is, sitting on the saddle squarely, the heel of your shoe should just stay on a pedal at its lowest point (both sides, sequentially obv.).

 

[rockyroller]

I`m the type of bloke that when he takes things apart and then puts them back together again, I have extra screws/bolts etc left over lol

lol my Brother is like that. can you take them to a shop? maybe give it a try, then take them to as shop?

 

[Sunny Portrush]

Wee update - 28 miles done on the new setup and no ill effects (as yet lol)