Newbie Cyclist Question

Peter H

I hope someone from this excellent group can answer this question for
me.

I'm new to cycling, having just taken it up 2 months ago. Bought a new
Diamondback (Raleigh) Session Mountain Bike on sale. It was about $700
with the odds and ends. I don't know what the frame size is, but I
bought it at a reputable bike shop in the greater Toronto Area and the
salesman seemed to know what he was doing. He said the bike came in
several sizes and that I would need a "large". I'm 5' 10 1/2" and
weigh in at about 180 lbs.

The saddle is a WTB SpeedV and I normally ride in biking shorts.

Anyway, I find that I'm constantly having to pull myself forward on
the seat. When I ride I slowly slip further and further back on the
seat until every 5 or 10 rotations of the crank I have to pull myself
forward again.

I've tried moving the seat back as far as it will go, but it doesn't
seem to help.

Currently riding about 150 kms / week and really enjoying it.

Any ideas why I keep sliding back in the seat? Frame too small? Shorts
too slippery?

Thanks for all repliies.

Peter H

Bill Sornson

Peter H wrote:
> I hope someone from this excellent group can answer this question for
> me.
>
> I'm new to cycling, having just taken it up 2 months ago. Bought a new
> Diamondback (Raleigh) Session Mountain Bike on sale. It was about $700
> with the odds and ends. I don't know what the frame size is, but I
> bought it at a reputable bike shop in the greater Toronto Area and the
> salesman seemed to know what he was doing. He said the bike came in
> several sizes and that I would need a "large". I'm 5' 10 1/2" and
> weigh in at about 180 lbs.
>
> The saddle is a WTB SpeedV and I normally ride in biking shorts.
>
> Anyway, I find that I'm constantly having to pull myself forward on
> the seat. When I ride I slowly slip further and further back on the
> seat until every 5 or 10 rotations of the crank I have to pull myself
> forward again.
>
> I've tried moving the seat back as far as it will go, but it doesn't
> seem to help.

Try moving it /forward/. Your body is telling you you want to sit farther
forward, not back.

> Currently riding about 150 kms / week and really enjoying it.
>
> Any ideas why I keep sliding back in the seat? Frame too small? Shorts
> too slippery?
>
> Thanks for all repliies.
>
> Peter H

Getting the bike set up for you ("fit") should be included in the purchase,
so if your own tweaks don't work then by all means go back to the shop and
tell 'em what's going on. They'll be able to help.

Bill "meantime, move that saddle forward" S.

Tom Keats

In article <1ac93273-57a9-4a6d-aadf-f05894408a29@y21g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
Peter H <haneburyp@rogers.com> writes:
> I hope someone from this excellent group can answer this question for
> me.
>
> I'm new to cycling, having just taken it up 2 months ago. Bought a new
> Diamondback (Raleigh) Session Mountain Bike on sale. It was about $700
> with the odds and ends. I don't know what the frame size is, but I
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You can get an approximate idea by measuring from the centre
of the bottom bracket (the bit the crank spindle goes into)
to the top of the seat tube.

> bought it at a reputable bike shop in the greater Toronto Area and the
> salesman seemed to know what he was doing. He said the bike came in
> several sizes and that I would need a "large". I'm 5' 10 1/2" and
> weigh in at about 180 lbs.
>
> The saddle is a WTB SpeedV and I normally ride in biking shorts.
>
> Anyway, I find that I'm constantly having to pull myself forward on
> the seat. When I ride I slowly slip further and further back on the
> seat until every 5 or 10 rotations of the crank I have to pull myself
> forward again.
>
> I've tried moving the seat back as far as it will go, but it doesn't
> seem to help.
>
> Currently riding about 150 kms / week and really enjoying it.
>
> Any ideas why I keep sliding back in the seat?

I've an hunch your MTB is equipped with a so-called "riser" (upswept)
handlebar. You may have also set your saddle height too low.
Too much drop from saddle height to handlebar height will tend
to pull you foward (and put a lot of weight on your hands & wrists
too much rise from saddle height to handlebar height will tend to
push you back. In general, both handlebar and saddle should be at
approximately the same height, and the saddle should be fairly level,
although its tilt would probably have to be micro-adjusted to suit
you. And of course the saddle should be high enough that with a
pedal at the six o'clock position, the respective leg has maximum
extension at the point just before the knee locks.

A little bit of drop can give you a competitive/technical advantage
at some expense of comfort; a little bit of rise can give you added
comfort at some expense of aerodynamics, weighting the front wheel
just enough on uphills, and the ease to hop or wheelie. Too much of
either drop or rise is not a good thing.

If you've got a riser handlebar, I suggest trying a flatter one.

N.B: there's good reason why the J-bar-equipped Stingrays of
the mid-'60s came equipped w/ those long "banana" saddles.


cheers,
Tom
--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

landotter

On Jun 1, 6:36*pm, Peter H <hanebu...@rogers.com> wrote:

snip

> Any ideas why I keep sliding back in the seat? Frame too small? Shorts
> too slippery?

For starters, roughing it in the classic way isn't half bad: center
the saddle on the rails, get the saddle dead level with a carpenters
level or eyeball it, then set the seat height by pedaling with maximum
leg extension with your heels while wearing your cycling shoes, but
without rocking your hips. This will get you close. Ride around the
block after doing this and see how it feels, then read one of the more
sensible articles on fit on the web:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm

It's probably just an issue of saddle height and it not being dead
level.

mark

Peter H wrote:
> I hope someone from this excellent group can answer this question for
> me.
>
> I'm new to cycling, having just taken it up 2 months ago. Bought a new
> Diamondback (Raleigh) Session Mountain Bike on sale. It was about $700
> with the odds and ends. I don't know what the frame size is, but I
> bought it at a reputable bike shop in the greater Toronto Area and the
> salesman seemed to know what he was doing. He said the bike came in
> several sizes and that I would need a "large". I'm 5' 10 1/2" and
> weigh in at about 180 lbs.
>
> The saddle is a WTB SpeedV and I normally ride in biking shorts.
>
> Anyway, I find that I'm constantly having to pull myself forward on
> the seat. When I ride I slowly slip further and further back on the
> seat until every 5 or 10 rotations of the crank I have to pull myself
> forward again.
>
> I've tried moving the seat back as far as it will go, but it doesn't
> seem to help.
>
> Currently riding about 150 kms / week and really enjoying it.
>
> Any ideas why I keep sliding back in the seat? Frame too small? Shorts
> too slippery?
>
> Thanks for all repliies.
>
> Peter H
>
Most seatposts will let you tilt the saddle as well as well as sliding
it fore and aft. Play around with this as well as experimenting with
saddle height before you spend any money.

HTH,

mark

Peter H

On Jun 5, 1:50*am, mark <markfel...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Peter H wrote:
> > I hope someone from this excellent group can answer this question for
> > me.
>
> > I'm new to cycling, having just taken it up 2 months ago. Bought a new
> > Diamondback (Raleigh) Session Mountain Bike on sale. It was about $700
> > with the odds and ends. I don't know what the frame size is, but I
> > bought it at a reputable bike shop in the greater Toronto Area and the
> > salesman seemed to know what he was doing. He said the bike came in
> > several sizes and that I would need a "large". I'm 5' 10 1/2" and
> > weigh in at about 180 lbs.
>
> > The saddle is a WTB SpeedV and I normally ride in biking shorts.
>
> > Anyway, I find that I'm constantly having to pull myself forward on
> > the seat. When I ride I slowly slip further and further back on the
> > seat until every 5 or 10 rotations of the crank I have to pull myself
> > forward again.
>
> > I've *tried moving the seat back as far as it will go, but it doesn't
> > seem to help.
>
> > Currently riding about 150 kms / week and really enjoying it.
>
> > Any ideas why I keep sliding back in the seat? Frame too small? Shorts
> > too slippery?
>
> > Thanks for all repliies.
>
> > Peter H
>
> Most seatposts will let you tilt the saddle as well as well as sliding
> it fore and aft. Play around with this as well as experimenting with
> saddle height before you spend any money.
>
> HTH,
>
> mark- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thanks for all who replied.

My handlebars are pretty much straight and about the same height as
the seat. I had the saddle height about right, but it was tilted
upward at the front. This seat has only one bolt on it and I didn't
realize that you can move it around on the rails, but also tilt it
when this bolt is slackened off. I took it into the shop where I
bought it and the technician adjusted it for me. He was kind enough
not to give me the, "are you a complete idiot" look. I guess they are
used to this stuff.

Anyway it's all good. I'm back on the bike and it feels much better.

Thanks again.

Peter H