Saddle position
 

Question for any of you who have monkeyed around with the setup of your track bike enough to have an opinion:

My current setup is a bit too long of a reach for me. I was thiniking of getting a new, shorter stem (from 120 to 100), but then it struck me that the same shortening of reach could be effected by swapping out to a 0-setback seatpost. This of course would change the position of my legs over the cranks, but instinct tells me that might be an advantageous change in terms of power transfer.

Any insights into what the advantages and disadvantages might be of a more forward saddle position?

More forward position usually equates with a faster spin but less power. Getting back on the saddle is for moshing big gears. I've found that when I ride my track bike at the velodrome versus on the road it helps to tilt the nose down a bit since I'm usually spinning faster and riding in the drops. But I'm still racing with the B's.

Moving the saddle forward/back will definitely affect your power transfer, and instinct can be a good thing. Same with experimenting. Generally though cyclists want what's called a "neutral knee position," where a plumb-line dropped from the indented spot just below the knee cap passes through the ball of the foot and the center of the forward facing pedal axle when the pedals are positioned parallel to the ground. Here's a better explanation.

Once you have the setup pretty close to feeling right, a good rule-of thumb is that whenever you want to make an adjustment, change things exactly 1/2 as much as you think you need. So instead of going from 120 to 100 try 110 first. Is your saddle all the way forward? Maybe your frame is too big... but everyone's body is different.