Flat Saddle Angle.

[GuyBoden]

Whilst we're on the subject of Saddle Angles in another thread.

I always thought that the flat (horizonal) saddle angle was introduced as a rule by the UCI, when they were banning high backed saddles, which they said could be used to push against to give more power. The Pro's had a flat saddle angle because that was the UCI rule. Personally, I find a slight downward tilt more comfy.

 

[mark st1]

I saw a video online the other day that said that the pro's saddle angle rules had been relaxed quite a bit this year ? Something like from 3 degrees to 8 or something similar. Sure someone more knowledgable will have better info...?

 

[jowwy]

I saw a video online the other day that said that the pro's saddle angle rules had been relaxed quite a bit this year ? Something like from 3 degrees to 8 or something similar. Sure someone more knowledgable will have better info...?

Yes its now 8 degrees as said by gcn

 

[GuyBoden]

The old UCI Flat saddle rule probably caused a lot of unnecessary injuries to some riders who would have preferred a tilted saddle angle........

 

[S-Express]

The old UCI Flat saddle rule probably caused a lot of unnecessary injuries to some riders who would have preferred a tilted saddle angle........

Not aware of any injuries caused by flat saddles. If there were, you can be sure the riders would have been protesting. More likely the opposite is true. Needlessly tilted saddles tend to create more in terms of muscular problems than correctly positioned saddles. Generally speaking, if you need to tilt your saddle, then there is an issue somewhere with your setup.

 

[GuyBoden]

Not aware of any injuries caused by flat saddles. If there were, you can be sure the riders would have been protesting..

Apparently, (thanks search engine), they were protesting, British Cycling submitted a report to the UCI.
Read this:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/aug/15/team-gb-cycling-saddle-sore-medals

"British Cycling put together a conference of experts to deal with the problem. There were tribologists, who specialise in analysing friction; reconstructive surgeons, who were experts in dealing with pressure sores; and Prof Jane Sterling, a top consultant in vulval health from Cambridge University.

This niche symposium made some useful discoveries. Top of the list was the realisation that if riders were allowed to tilt the nose of their saddles downwards, much of the pressure on their delicate soft tissue would be alleviated."

"In one of its “just because” rulings, the UCI, cycling’s global governing body, had decreed that saddles were only allowed a tilt of less than 2.5 degrees, with a 0.5 degree margin of error. “We presented our findings to the UCI and they have since increased the angle of tilt to nine degrees with a tolerance of one degree. This has had a major impact on rider health, for both men and women, across the sport,”."

 

[S-Express]

I think that story relates to just GB women...I was mainly referring to the pro tour riders. The angle regs may now have been relaxed, but you only have to look at a few pro bike setups to see that pretty much nobody runs a saddle anything other than flat (maybe give or take a degree or two).

 

[ColinJ]

I think that story relates to just GB women...I was mainly referring to the pro tour riders. The angle regs may now have been relaxed, but you only have to look at a few pro bike setups to see that pretty much nobody runs a saddle anything other than flat (maybe give or take a degree or two).

In the GCN video mentioned above, the presenter actually went round looking at pro team bikes and found lots of them with significantly tilted saddles.

As for why - extreme 'stem slamming'!

Hang on, I just found the video ...

 

[mark st1]

In the GCN video mentioned above, the presenter actually went round looking at pro team bikes and found lots of them with significantly tilted saddles.

As for why - extreme 'stem slamming'!

Hang on, I just found the video ...

That's the one.

 

[S-Express]

In the GCN video mentioned above, the presenter actually went round looking at pro team bikes and found lots of them with significantly tilted saddles.

'Significantly' is not a word I would use in that context, tbh. 'Slightly off the horizontal' is probably a better description.

This is the kind of thing you probably need to avoid...

 

[ColinJ]

'Significantly' is not a word I would use in that context, tbh. 'Slightly off the horizontal' is probably a better description.

This is the kind of thing you probably need to avoid...

View attachment 341488

It's broken!

I have always tilted my saddles down slightly, but some of those pro bikes now have saddles more tilted than mine.

 

[Vantage]

Generally speaking, if you need to tilt your saddle, then there is an issue somewhere with your setup.

Not sure where you get your info from but that's not strictly true is it? The whole point of adjustable tilt on seat posts is so that they can be tilted to fit the owners bum, which is about as personal a preference as you can get when it comes to bike fit.

 

[S-Express]

Not sure where you get your info from but that's not strictly true is it? The whole point of adjustable tilt on seat posts is so that they can be tilted to fit the owners bum,

That's not strictly true either is it.

The main purpose of seat post 'adjustability' is to compensate for seat tube angle and the variance in rail angle which differs widely between different saddles and different saddle manufacturers. It can also be used to adjust saddle tilt itself, obviously.

 

[raleighnut]

Most of my Brooks saddles are slightly 'nose up'.

 

[Vantage]

That's not strictly true either is it.

The main purpose of seat post 'adjustability' is to compensate for seat tube angle and the variance in rail angle which differs widely between different saddles and different saddle manufacturers. It can also be used to adjust saddle tilt itself, obviously.

So in other words you're saying the tilt adjustability is so it fits the rider. Which is what I just said.