saddle position



Caher

New Member
May 22, 2003
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Hi all,
I was just wondering how important is it to sit as much above the bottom bracket as possible as advised by all the various experts?
I have a Kona which has a long top tube meaning that the seat is some way back from the bottom bracket. This is now exasperated by the fitting of a thudbuster, which has a rearward action as it compresses the parallelogram. To get a fit I’m used to I have pushed the seat as far forward as possible. If anything the frame is slightly smaller than my other bikes.
Any advice would be gratefully received.

Caher.
 
Caher wrote:

> I was just wondering how important is it to sit as much above the
> bottom bracket as possible as advised by all the various experts?


It's one of these things that will vary with the overall geometry of the
bike, yourself, and how you ride. It /is/ worth experimenting with the
saddle position, moving it forwards and back as well as up and down, and
experiment a little with tilt too. When I've done this it's readily
apparent to me what works best.

> I have a Kona which has a long top tube meaning that the seat is some
> way back from the bottom bracket. This is now exasperated by the
> fitting of a thudbuster, which has a rearward action as it compresses
> the parallelogram. To get a fit I’m used to I have pushed the seat as
> far forward as possible.


Try it against the old setup and see which feels best in practice.
Worth rather more than theory IMHO.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
Caher wrote:
> Hi all,
> I was just wondering how important is it to sit as much above the
> bottom bracket as possible as advised by all the various experts?


Not all of them.

See www.sheldonbrown.com/kops.html for The Myth of "KOPS".

> I have a Kona which has a long top tube meaning that the seat is some
> way back from the bottom bracket


It's as much to do with the down tube (or distance from BB to back end of
top tube if you don't have a normal down tube) and the angles.

> This is now exasperated by the
> fitting of a thudbuster, which has a rearward action as it compresses
> the parallelogram. To get a fit I'm used to I have pushed the seat as
> far forward as possible. If anything the frame is slightly smaller
> than my other bikes.
> Any advice would be gratefully received.


Maybe you're fine as you are (probably so if comfortable), or else the
bike (and maybe all your bikes) are too large for you.

~PB
 
"Caher" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Hi all,
> I was just wondering how important is it to sit as much above the
> bottom bracket as possible as advised by all the various experts?
> I have a Kona which has a long top tube meaning that the seat is some
> way back from the bottom bracket. This is now exasperated by the
> fitting of a thudbuster, which has a rearward action as it compresses
> the parallelogram. To get a fit I'm used to I have pushed the seat as
> far forward as possible. If anything the frame is slightly smaller than
> my other bikes.
> Any advice would be gratefully received.


Which experts are they?
AFAIK having the saddle farther back can be more comfortable for climbing in
the saddle OTOH track riders generally have the saddle much farther
forward.
I think you can place it where we feel it's most comfortable.

My tuppence worth,
Pete