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Old 05-26-23 | 08:28 AM
  #4  
alexk_il
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Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 220
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Originally Posted by oldbobcat
Basically, your body tries to balance itself over your feet. The lower you drop your torso, the farther back your hips want to go to avoid falling on your face, or at least doing pushups with your arms to support it all day long.

My only suggestion is, by increasing saddle setback you are increasing the distance between the butt end and your pedals. Instead of increasing saddle height, you might want to be decreasing it. Or perhaps your bike dealer set the saddle a little low in the first place to accommodate your beginning skill level. I can't see you on the bike, but if you feel like you have to rock your hips or point your toes to finish the stroke, or if the saddle feels like it's driving a wedge up your perineum or you feel out of balance, you're probably too high. And a little too low is better than a little too high, especially on a mountain bike.
Let me see if I got it correctly:
  • If I drop my torso, my center of gravity moves forward. Therefore I need to the saddle back to maintain the optimal balance/weight distribution
  • If I raise my torso for more comfortable position my center of gravity moves back. Therefore I need to the saddle forward to maintain the optimal balance/weight distribution
It makes sense now, though looks like it's impossible to have both. Then again, I imagine this issue being studied ad nauseum and solved by millions of cyclists, so that are the known ways do address this?
  • Do I prioritize one over another?
  • Any tech solutions to mitigate the issue, maybe a saddle that can interactively slide back and forth and be locked in either position?
  • Keeping the saddle forward and get Popeye hands? Aerobars to hold my weight if I'm too lazy?
Thanks
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