Seat position

[stuarttunstall]

Hi

Not logged on here for a while although I have been reading posts

When I ride my Scott Sub Cross 10 I have the need to move back slightly on the seat to get more comfortable, not far just back slightly..

As far as I can tell the height seems OK and my arms are not locked out, just a slight bend...

The picture shows the current position of the bars/seat..

Would you say I either need to move the seat back slightly, or tilt the seat up at the front slightly, or both... or in fact neither of these...

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Stuart

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I agree about the saddle angle too.

 

[stuarttunstall]

So I just need to tilt it up at the front a little? it does feel like I slide down the seat so maybe that would fit in with the issue..

 

[ColinJ]

[QUOTE 5554963, member: 9609"]i have a theory that the seat should point to the same level your hands or at. so for me that looks like its tilted too far down.[/QUOTE]

I agree about the saddle angle too.

Whereas, I completely DISagree!

Would you say I either need to move the seat back slightly, or tilt the seat up at the front slightly, or both... or in fact neither of these...

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Stuart

I would have my saddle about 5-6 inches higher than yours, would have a longer stem on, and would tilt the saddle slightly DOWN!

Like this:

So ... my suggestion is that you experiment to find out what suits YOU and don't bother about what suits US!

 

[Heltor Chasca]

So I just need to tilt it up at the front a little? it does feel like I slide down the seat so maybe that would fit in with the issue..

Possibly yes. Trial and error. At least START with the saddle and go from there. I use a little app on my phone called ‘Angle Pro’ which is a level. Use something like a breadboard to get the angle of the dangle right from the nose to the rear.

Again it’s all trial and error. I am short so two road bikes have shorter stems but my mountain bike and cargo bike which have similar geometries have quite long stems like yours.

 

[12boy]

I have to agree that what's right for you may be different than for others. However, for most, it seems the downward saddle tilt throws you weight forward on your hands and the upward tilt throws it back, and is frequently used by those riding more upright. Normally I prefer to have my saddle high enough so when the pedal is all the way down, my heel rests on it with little leg bend. I find this is easier on the knees and makes spinning more comfortable. When riding offroad or on ice/snow a saddle a 1/4 inch or more lower can feel more secure. Since you have a mountain bike you may find a more upright position best. I suggest starting with a level saddle. The fore and aft position of the saddle and a longer or shorter stem are two ways to adjust forward reach. If you can sit with your hands resting lightly on the grips that is a good place to start as well. If you will be riding for long periods you might consider bar ends to give you a different hand position and a way to stretch into a less upright position. I also like Ergon grips on flat bar bikes and some include a bar end. Hope this helps.

 

[Globalti]

If that was my bike I'd tilt that saddle up at the nose by a couple of degrees.

 

[mjr]

Saddle level, then if you're sliding back on it to get comfy, move it back and readjust the rest (height, bars, and so on).

In general, www.wheel-easy.org.uk/bike-set-up/

 

[ColinJ]

[QUOTE 5555017, member: 9609"]Ha ha - but your bike is set up as per my theory - pointing exactly to the hoods
View attachment 455693
nice looking machine BTW...
[/QUOTE]
Ha ha - you're right!

It's my 15 year old CAAD5. I can't afford a newer bike, but don't really feel the need for one anyway.

 

[MichaelW2]

I use a level saddle, prefer my bars to be 1-2" below the saddle level, and move the bars not the saddle to set reach.

 

[stuarttunstall]

[QUOTE 5555017, member: 9609"]Ha ha - but your bike is set up as per my theory - pointing exactly to the hoods
View attachment 455693
nice looking machine BTW...


stuarts bikes sadle points too low
View attachment 455694 [/QUOTE]


Thank you all.... So, I need to move the seat back a little and up towards the bars... will give that a try, not out until next weekend so I shall test it then

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Before tilting and sliding the saddle back and forth, do the height basics first and make sure it is set correctly for your inside leg measurement. If the saddle is too low, then raising it will also have the effect of moving it backwards in relation to the bars, because the seatpost isn't vertical and in effect can be considered as the hypotenuse of a triangle, so any increase in length of the longest side causes an upwards and rearwards change to the other two sides of the triangle.

 

[mikeymustard]

it's difficult to tell the angle from a photo but it sounds from your description that you need to tip the nose up a little. Too far and it'll be squeezing Biffin's Bridge!

 

[stuarttunstall]

Thanks for all the replies, I will try tilting it just a touch and see if that helps

 

[stuarttunstall]

I have just been and checked the seat position, and to my eye it does actually appear to till down at the front slightly, so maybe I do need to adjust it...

To confirm I am going to check it with a spirit level to see if it is straight, if not I will adjust it either level or a couple of degrees up at the front..