Originally Posted by
PTbiker
Thanks for replying. I wish I could find an entry level Shimano crank of less than 170mm.
My inseam measurement is around 780mm and saddle height is 645mm from bottom bracket to saddle, or 795mm from pedal to saddle. (The sole of the shoes is 15mm height, flat pedals 5mm. Bib shorts padding is 5mm when compressed. Thus, 780+20-5=795.)
I recently rode around 30km up and down and didn't feel any discomfort on my lower back during and after the ride, right after I made small changes to the saddle position: moved it forward 2.5mm and tilted the nose down 0.5 degrees. I immediately felt I was sitting on a different part of the saddle and perhaps sliding a little bit forward, but without the thigh rubbing/touching the saddle. I'll try to level the saddle next time.
Now, do you think a 135mm curved saddle would work for me, or would it be too narrow?
Looks as you've done a lot of homework. All good to know.
Wondering, with the inseam you're saying, why you would consider riding with 175 cranks (as you noted) ?
the measure of fore/aft, height and how you might find a tilt angle are not some hard numbers, they are just references for you, to compare when you might make a change...
Each/any saddle might have a different 'feel'/effect on how they work for you, so setting to a measurement is likely only a 'start' point from which you might modify with 'on-saddle' time.
as you noted...
What I think is that I can't say anything about how appropriate a saddle might be for you... The saddle width is only one factor, The curvature and transition are just as important.
For me, I do best with saddles which have a flatter curvature and a quicker, more pronounced transition.
If you don't like how a saddle might be rubbing you, then look for a saddle with a quicker/sharper transition.
And depending on your body morphology, a flatter curvature might support more and keep the 'private' parts from pressure problems.
Ride On
Yuri