Does anyone else switch saddle angles?

I don't. I use a dropper. The longer the dropper, the better.

As for nose up or nose down, I can't imagine tilting the nose of my saddle down. Doing so would encourage me to slide onto the narrow nose of the saddle rather than sit on the wide, more comfortable part of the saddle.
=sParty

 

I use a dropper too, have been for years. But that only accomplishes one part of the equation I find. To me, the fact that our sport involves changing grades on the way up and the way down, tells me that we're inherently 'compromising' by keeping our saddles locked into one position. In fact, we use droppers because we don't want to compromise no?

What I find is that while droppers do an awesome job, I can get a little more out of out my ride experience by tweaking the saddle angle since it's likely the easiest of the 3 contact points to manipulate 'on-the-fly' (would hate to change bar sweep or pedals on the trail haha!).

Anyhoo... my 2 cents.

 

Never heard of anyone else doing this.

Agree with the post above. My saddle doesn't get much use on the downs. Drop it and go.

I used to angle my saddles forward because I thought it might spare my ball pack from repetitive and prolonged stress. Now I angle them back a bit. Among other things, that has taken 95% of the weight off my hands,

I am interested to see if anyone else adjusts their saddle angle mid-ride.

 

My saddle doesn't get much use on the downs. Drop it and go.

Thanks for chiming in.

DH riders and DJ' guys use saddle's to control the bike with their knees. Same thing here freeriding / enduro on the North Shore. I use my saddle to steer on the steeps. Maybe it's a personal thing I guess but I don't know many people that don't use their saddles for control on downhills.

 

Isn’t that what specialized was trying to accomplish with their weird dropper that pivoted at full drop?

I set me saddle at -1 degree nose down with a phone level app. But then I don’t touch it ever mid ride. With a 170mm dropper that seat doesn’t get much use on the downs.


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Isn't that what specialized was trying to accomplish with their weird dropper that pivoted at full drop?

Yes! Specialized introduced the Wu post but that product failed due to having only 115mm of travel, a high stack height, weight, complexity, and the angle was dictated for you dependent on the height of the saddle.

I set me saddle at -1 degree nose down with a phone level app. But then I don't touch it ever mid ride. With a 170mm dropper that seat doesn't get much use on the downs.

That sounds like it works like a charm for you, nice! I wish I could run a 170mm dropper but the interrupted stays on my SC Nomad don't agree, nor do my short legs haha!

 

I’ve tried it level and also slightly down by suggestion on this site. Neither has worked for me. Mine is just a mm or two tilted back of level. As far as that position lifting the front wheel, that’s what your upper body is for, move it accordingly.

 

I've tried it level and also slightly down by suggestion on this site. Neither has worked for me. Mine is just a mm or two tilted back of level. As far as that position lifting the front wheel, that's what your upper body is for, move it accordingly.

This is exactly what I've found, as well.

 

I would never angle the nose of the saddle down. Level is the best starting position, make minor adjustments from there.

Some saddle designs lend themselves to angling the nose slightly up. I have a couple like this.

If you see someone with the nose down it's because they don't understand how to properly set up their bike, or they hate the saddle and they think that will help or something. All it does is put lots of pressure on your hands and makes you slide off the front of the saddle constantly.

 

I would never angle the nose of the saddle down. Level is the best starting position, make minor adjustments from there.

Some saddle designs lend themselves to angling the nose slightly up. I have a couple like this.

If you see someone with the nose down it's because they don't understand how to properly set up their bike, or they hate the saddle and they think that will help or something. All it does is put lots of pressure on your hands and makes you slide off the front of the saddle constantly.

Agree that level is the best starting point, but remember that suspension sag adds to the angle of your saddle when seated. I ride a bike with 170mm rear suspension. If you're on a hardtail then level could work.

I used to think the same way you did about nose down saddles until I asked around. What I learned made sense - that angling down would put you in a much better position for climbing. Not great for the rest of the ride (ie flat, rolling, or downhills) - just for climbing. Some ride buddies keep it nose-down but they're blessed with gargantuan limbs and don't fret about the saddle getting in the way.

 

I keep the nose slightly up. Pointing down would just make me slide forward and put pressure on my hands.

 

Totally agree, pointing down does put a lot of pressure on hands but only if the trail is flat. On climbs, nose down means the saddle angle matches the grade of the climb better so you would effectively not feel any added pressure. If you do long climbs give it a try!

 

You’re stopping mid-ride to adjust your saddle angle based on the incline? Even on rolling hills? Do you ride solo all the time? I think riding partners would get annoyed having to wait for you. “Quit f-ing around and let’s ride already!”

I set mine level or maybe a hair tilted nose up.

 

You're stopping mid-ride to adjust your saddle angle based on the incline? Even on rolling hills? Do you ride solo all the time? I think riding partners would get annoyed having to wait for you. "Quit f-ing around and let's ride already!"

I set mine level or maybe a hair tilted nose up.

We all stop when we get to the top of the climb, catch our breaths, piss around a bit.. gives me ample time to reset. I never do this mid-way on rolling hills. Most of the rides we do in the Pacific Northwest (Whistler, North Shore, Squamish) are long climbs up followed by technical or flowy trails all the way down.

I have my saddle defaulted similar to you - a hair tilted nose up, which suits me for majority of rides. Only when we're climbing for 1+ hours will I reset my saddle.

 

We all stop when we get to the top of the climb, catch our breaths, piss around a bit.. gives me ample time to reset. I never do this mid-way on rolling hills. Most of the rides we do in the Pacific Northwest (Whistler, North Shore, Squamish) are long climbs up followed by technical or flowy trails all the way down.

I have my saddle defaulted similar to you - a hair tilted nose up, which suits me for majority of rides. Only when we're climbing for 1+ hours will I reset my saddle.

 

Agree that level is the best starting point, but remember that suspension sag adds to the angle of your saddle when seated. I ride a bike with 170mm rear suspension. If you're on a hardtail then level could work.

I used to think the same way you did about nose down saddles until I asked around. What I learned made sense - that angling down would put you in a much better position for climbing. Not great for the rest of the ride (ie flat, rolling, or downhills) - just for climbing. Some ride buddies keep it nose-down but they're blessed with gargantuan limbs and don't fret about the saddle getting in the way.

 

Set it and forget it! ...level that is

 

I've occasionally found my seat slightly up or down and it drives me crazy. I do lots of ups and downs (New England singletrack) so I prefer level. As for 'control' on downhills, before dropper yes...used knees/inner thighs to grip seat in technical terrain. When I got a dropper it was totally different and had to sort of re-learn things to get used to seat being out of way. Now it's natural.

 

Good call. For most trails I set it and forget it. Especially for rolling types of terrain or trails that are new to me and I don't know what to expect.

I also use a dropper but only change the saddle angle on climbs that are really long (eg 6 - 8km+) or really steep (>12 - 15+ degrees).

 

I wonder if you have been misunderstanding what you have read.
Or maybe you don't have the experience to have located the best saddle tilt for you, personally.

Regardless of the above, do what feels right for you.

I have one bike about level, one bike with a slight tilt downward in the front. That bike has different geometry and with the saddle set level I get too much upward pressure while reaching for the bars.

The tilt is noticeable enough that I can feel the difference but in no way am I sliding off, just to help draw a mental picture.


I have never once heard of a person adjusting their tilt to climb or descend. I do, however, know many people that LOWER their saddle before a descent. Lower the height, not lower the tip via angle adjustments.

One that that I am having a difficult time understanding is when you say that a downward tilt makes the rear of the seat too high and you can't descent well with the high rear.

It also sounds like you need to dial in your bike just just a bit more discussing slight changes to the tilt helping with hand soreness due to too much palm pressure.

The bike fit is full of slight (mm or a couple mm) adjustments that eventually fall in line perfectly for the rider.

The only adjustment I ever make on either of the 2 bikes are seat high via the dropper. If I didn't have a dropper I would need to lower the seat height manually. My old bike was not a big deal for seat height for descending for 2 reasons:
1) I wasn't as skilled at downhill, but was pretty good
2) The bike was smaller and I could move around the seat when shifting weight rearward.

With both current bicycles being quite a big larger (longer and taller), I am not able to shift weight rearward as the seat is in the way. Now my arms are more fully extended disallowing myself to get back further without hitting the seat. That is not 100% the problem, but is more noticeable when trying to get shifted forward onto the seat.
One reason is that I ride more aggressively these days than I did with the smaller bike -it did take a long time for me to learn how to be comfortable with the seat lowered.

I think you'll get it sorted out. For now keep making your trailside adjustments until you get it just right, then forget about the days when you 'used' to stop on the trail to lower the tip.

Lastly, perhaps your saddle is too long. A shorter saddle would not interfere with your body as it may be doing now which would allow you to lean forward more easily without applying pressure to the 'numbing zone'.

Good luck man!

 

I wonder if you have been misunderstanding what you have read.
Or maybe you don't have the experience to have located the best saddle tilt for you, personally.

Thanks for the feedback! Really appreciate the detail and length of your reply!

For reference I've been riding since 92' (yes I'm that old), cut my teeth on the gnarly trails of the North Shore, Squamish, and Whistler starting with XC then to freeriding, DH, and now more enduro-oriented riding.

Back in the freeride days I kept my saddle defaulted with an nose-up angle but that was when we sported 50 lb rigs and pushed or shuttled up. These days I love the climb up nearly as much as the ride down.

For the record I don't always reset my saddle angle. I've experimented with saddle positions a lot over the years and have found changing my
saddle angle works best for really long climbs (>6-8km+) or for those with steep grades (>15 degrees+).

Regardless of the above, do what feels right for you.

I have one bike about level, one bike with a slight tilt downward in the front. That bike has different geometry and with the saddle set level I get too much upward pressure while reaching for the bars.

The tilt is noticeable enough that I can feel the difference but in no way am I sliding off, just to help draw a mental picture.

I have never once heard of a person adjusting their tilt to climb or descend. I do, however, know many people that LOWER their saddle before a descent. Lower the height, not lower the tip via angle adjustments.

One that that I am having a difficult time understanding is when you say that a downward tilt makes the rear of the seat too high and you can't descent well with the high rear.

It also sounds like you need to dial in your bike just just a bit more discussing slight changes to the tilt helping with hand soreness due to too much palm pressure.

I agree with you that I don't know many that do this and I don't blame them. It is a bit of a hassle to deal with for sure. But I find it's worth it for me on a few select trails. Here in the Pacific Northwest you'll find our trail systems generally include a long haul up - either technical climb or fire road - followed by pick-your-adventure descents that are more gnarly than your average trail found anywhere else in the world.

Lowering the saddle before a descent is a given. And for most descents I'm fine with my saddle at either level or with a 5-6 degree nose up so I can slide on and off the saddle with ease and make my bike virtually disappear beneath me. This is critical for me given I've got a short inseam of ~30cm AND chunky thighs. Lowering the saddle, nose tilt up, in combination with a short saddle with narrow wings help me navigate my bike safely down double and triple blacks here.

Cheers!

 

I set mine up like this, otherwise I'll fall asleep and my boss will yell at me.

 

I set mine up like this, otherwise I'll fall asleep and my boss will yell at me.

View attachment 1299381

haha! Thankfully cell phones are smaller than newspaper and are a lot quieter, helps with stealth 'business meetings'.

 

Jaroslav Kulhavy the 2012 Olympic Gold medalist says we're all doing it wrong..

 

Jaroslav Kulhavy the 2012 Olympic Gold medalist says we're all doing it wrong.. View attachment 1299383

He slid right off the front of the saddle onto his top tube though...

 

I keep mine level and leave it that way as it feels fine to me doing both climbing and descending.

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fromme604, you're showing great patience & tolerance. I live & ride in the PNW (Oregon) but with regard to challenging terrain, yours up there is another level. I know because I've ridden there. Based on where you live & ride I'm sure you're an accomplished rider so appreciate you accepting a smidge of insolence & flak from us know-it-alls.

I've never adjusted saddle tilt mid-ride but I suppose when conditions get wicked steep, I'd do so if only it could be done instantly, easily & as frequently as necessary.

Now I'm going to head over to the "what will MTB see in the next 10 years" thread and add "electronic remote tilt-adjust seatposts" to the list of future MTB contraptions. j/k

Seriously, if making tilt adjustment wasn't a PITA, I'd probably give it a try. I can't deny that I spend a certain amount of time climbing while perched on the nose of my saddle as we have some intense pitches to gain around here. Whenever necessary, my go-to technique has actually been to lower my dropper (so my saddle nose doesn't bump the backs of my thighs) and stand.

I don't believe I could remain seated (even with adjusted tilt) when climbing the kinds of steep ups I'm talking about -- STA of inclined bike would prohibit sitting regardless of saddle angle. For long grinds (we have plenty), personally I don't find tilt adjust necessary. But we're all different.
=sParty

 

fromme604, you're showing great patience & tolerance. I live & ride in the PNW (Oregon) but with regard to challenging terrain, yours up there is another level. I know because I've ridden there. Based on where you live & ride I'm sure you're an accomplished rider so appreciate you accepting a smidge of insolence & flak from us know-it-alls.

Haha thanks! I'm new to this forum but not variety of 'interesting' commentary lol! All in good fun and lots to learn along the way.

If you're ever up this way give me a holler and I'd love to show you some of the wicked trails here on the shore, sea to sky corridor of valley trails - amazing stuff!

I've never adjusted saddle tilt mid-ride but I suppose when conditions get wicked steep, I'd do so if only it could be done instantly, easily & as frequently as necessary.

Seriously, if making tilt adjustment wasn't a PITA, I'd probably give it a try. I can't deny that I spend a certain amount of time climbing while perched on the nose of my saddle as we have some intense pitches to gain around here. Whenever necessary, my go-to technique has actually been to lower my dropper (so my saddle nose doesn't bump the backs of my thighs) and stand.

I don't believe I could remain seated (even with adjusted tilt) when climbing the kinds of steep ups I'm talking about -- STA of inclined bike would prohibit sitting regardless of saddle angle. For long grinds (we have plenty), personally I don't find tilt adjust necessary. But we're all different.
=sParty

I'm of the same mind as you in that I only do this for a select few rides - ie when the climb up is realllllly long or realllly steep. Thankfully I've got the process down and it only takes me less than 2 minutes. I also only do this once, at the end of the climb just before the descent.

I agree that if there were a way to do this instantly, easily and frequently I'd probably do it for more trails. At the moment, I typically only use this technique in areas like Burke Mountain https://www.trailforks.com/region/burke-mountain/ which has a nasty long climb, Pemberton, Squamish and Whistler trails. North shore trails are shorter climbs so I typically leave my saddle as is, which for me, is defaulted to a very slight up-nosed position. If I do leave it in said position but encounter a short steep punchy section, like you I also drop my saddle and stand/grind it out.

The real beauty of this technique is that, when you're climbing, having the saddle tilted nose down gives you a much more sturdy platform to sit on and helps you reduce fatigue, increases power, and not to mention helps alleviate pressure on the perineum so you don't numb-up on the way up! Trust me: give this a shot next time you're faced with a long or steep climb and you will notice a HUGE difference.

Now I'm going to head over to the "what will MTB see in the next 10 years" thread and add "electronic remote tilt-adjust seatposts" to the list of future MTB contraptions. j/k

If this product existed I'd be the first in line to buy it!!!

Cheers and happy trails bud!

 

I do not adjust the angle of my saddle mid-ride. That's silly business.

The specific angle at which my saddles are set depends on lots of factors including the bike/bike geo, and the specific saddle.

But I agree that tilting it too far down forces my arms to counter the forward slide, or at least puts more pressure on my shoulders/hands. Don't like it. Too far back pushes the nose of the saddle into my taint, causing numbness. On most saddles, it's a small window in between those two where a given saddle is comfortable to sit on. I do not find that my ability to slide forward and hover over the nose of the saddle on steep climbs is affected by the saddle position. I DO find that my ability to do that depends on the specific saddle, and as such, I like a saddle that has a well-padded nose as well as a bit of a droop to it.

 

Good points! You're bang on in that the optimal saddle position is based on many factors and to your list I'd add: one's personal sit-bone configuration, personal preference, tolerance levels, seat tube angle.

Saddle choices are pretty awesome nowadays. SQ Lab makes a pretty cool saddle that features 'stages' where you can elect to sit on dependent on trail grade. Chromag use to make saddles with an in-built downward nose tilt so you had something to sit on while climbing. If suspension is your thing Morgaw has a custom solution for that. What a beautiful time to be alive!

Cheers!

 

Slightly nose up, just a few degrees. Been riding like this for many many years.

 

Same here, oh wait I already said that.

 

Nose to the sky, more fun like that, 'specially on the bumpy bits

 

Fizik Aliante saddles.
Flat on the road bike and single speed mtb.
1-2 deg down on the gravel bike.
2-4 deg down on the full squish or it feels like I'm sliding off the back all the time (Anthem with 100mm travel and bars 30-50mm below the seat).

With my old Selle SL XC Gel Flow saddle, it'd be pointing at the bars before it felt like I wasn't sliding off the back.

Never nose up.

 

I hear ya! I'm not a roadie (yet) nor do I have a gravel bike (yet) but if I did I have a hunch I'd have the bikes setup just like yours which based on intended use and grades I'd be dealing with.

My SC Nomad is set with a saddle defaulted with a slight nose up around 2 degrees. This is how I ride 95% of the time. If I'm faced with a monstrous day of climbing - only THEN will I change preset the saddle with an aggressive nose down in the range of -10 to -12 degrees. Bear in mind my bike is set up with a lot of sag and has 170mm of rear travel. My DH bike saddle is set and forget at a similar degree nose up.

 

depends on which bike. all my bikes have cushy dirt jump seats, so the longer i spend riding in a seated position, the more level the seat to keep me more situated on my sit bones. for shorter periods of sitting, i find the uptilted saddle more comfortable. on the many mile grinds, i find the level seat is more comfortable...

 

100% this is how I view things. While I don't have a cushy seat, I approach rides the same way you do with the only difference being that I'll change my saddle angle ONLY FOR the longest and steepest of climbs.

Cheers!

 

Couldn't say I start level and then adjust a bit till comfort, could be slightly nose down...whatever so long as I'm comfortable on the long climbs, don't care.

 

I never even considered the angle of my saddle. I don't have angle adjustability, just front to back. So it is set the way it was made, I guess. From the looks of the picture, it is angled downward. I've been using this for years, so I must not hate it.

*Edit: the angle is exaggerated. The photo is tilted a bit. The lines on the yellowish wall in the background are horizontal.

 

I never even considered the angle of my saddle. I don't have angle adjustability, just front to back. So it is set the way it was made, I guess. From the looks of the picture, it is angled downward. I've been using this for years, so I must not hate it.
View attachment 1299487

The angle is adjustable with that post, loosen the 6mm bolt on the bottom and rock the seat rail bracket back or forth on the notched concave part on top of the post.

Downhill riders generally favor nose up, climbers nose down.

 

Should still be able to adjust tilt on that post.

 

yeah, sliding the guts "forward" will angle the seat upward...