Saddle Tilt
 

Is there a level which notes the degree of tilt off level? Tilt of saddle is sometimes hard to gauge with only a eyeball impression.

I use a long carpenter's level-also put a 1x6x12 on top of the saddle and put the level on top of it. It's easier to eyeball any tilt that way. My road bike saddles are level but my TT saddle has the slightest tilt with the nose down.

Trial and error works for me.

Get the reach right and where you normally ride on the bars. Then the saddle height and fore and aft.-----Basic fit in other words. Saddle position will set the sit bones on the wings of the saddle and then I tilt the saddle till I am only just resting the pubic area on the saddle. I can just feel it in other words. This normally means that I will be sliding forward on the saddle so raise the nose till I stop sliding forward.

I say trial and error as it is different from bike type to bike type. The two main road bikes I ride do have the saddle parallel to the ground- which surprises me as bar height in relationshio to the saddle is different. But the OCR which gives me a more upright position-Bars level with the saddle and a shorter reach to the bars- Does have a degree or 2 of uplift on the nose. The MTB has a degree of down on the nose. and the Tandem is parrellel with the ground. I don't worry about how it should be set up- My butt tells me when it is comfortable.

There problem with that, first without the bike there, put board and level on ground. Make sure that ground or floor is level, it usually isn't. Basement floors are almost always intentionally off level, so that water spills are aimed toward floor drains. Garage floors will be the same, if there is no drain then the far wall will be higher then the door. Driveways will tilt away from buildings, and toward the street. Parking lots and streets toward storm drains, etc.

Probably a better method is to place the board on the saddle and measure from it to the ground, both at the front and the back. If the measurements are the same, then the saddle is level, if it is not, then it's tilted toward the shorter measurement.

I prefer my saddle tilted back slightly. I just look at it and use my eye to gauge where it should be.

I find that saddle tilt varies a fair amount based on the saddle. With a new saddle or new bike I always plan a long, leisurely ride with a couple of wrenches in my jersey pocket. I just take it easy and stop and adjust as often as I need to until I get the saddle angle dialed in.

how about putting a board on the along a the garage wall, place a level on it and shim the board up until its level. then place the bike on the level board and place the level on the bike seat to level the seat.

That would work, as long as the bike is sitting on a level surface, a level should be good for determining tilt. Often though, surfaces we assume are level are not. It's a little like installing wallpaper, it's the fastest way to determine that in any structure, there is no such thing as a 90 degree angle. :notamused:

I'll start with the saddle fairly level, and make sure to carry the correct size hex wrench with me for a while, so I may make adjustments as needed. I've found different saddles require different tilt to be comfortable, so it really doesn't matter where you start, it's more important to end up with the tilt where it is most comfortable.

Consider an inexpensive laser level mounted on a level tripod. My kids got me one as a gift eight years ago and now everything in the house is level, including bike seats (actually I've got the nose of the Sella Italia SLK's up 2 degrees and the rest are level).

How do you know that the tilt is 2 degrees? Is this just a guess?
Thanks!

Sometimes a saddle will "give" a little - so I often start with the front of the saddle tilted down in front, and then when I sit on the saddle it "gives" so much that it IS actually level.

Often its the taper of saddle and the space between your legs that determines the saddle's fit - more so than the last degree of tilt...... A saddle's fore/aft position affects whether a tilt will increase comfort as well.

does the measured degree of tilt matter? I know the tilt matters (FWIW, i run my B-17s very slightly nose-up), but using a level to determine what it is doesn't seem to offer much. You can't measure accurately, other than "about half a bubble up," or reproduce it with precision, and it may change if you raise or lower the saddle. It's either comfortable or it's not.
One method that I've found useful, once I have the height set, is to measure from the nose of the saddle to the top tube. that changes if you move the seatpost, too, but until you do, it's quick and easy to R&R the saddle and get it back where you want it.

I start with what looks like level to my eye and adjust from there by trial and error to find whatever feels right.

I mark a chalk dot on the read side of the saddle. I then set the laser up for a stright line through the length of the saddle from the side. I then mark another level line starting at the same chalk dot and measure the difference with a protractor. It's basically the same thing you get with a Retul fitting, but their computer does the calculation.

As with others I do a bit of trial and error. I am lucky to have a gold standard with the bike I have been riding for years. Anyway I will take the new saddle (adjust the height and for/aft position first) and then take a long straight edge (like a board) which extends from the saddle over the bars. I set the tilt such that the height of the bar is the same as my gold standard bike - if all other adjustments are the same that sets the saddle angle the same within my ability to measure it. Then I get on it, if there is any pressure from the nose of the saddle I tilt that down until it is gone, if there is any tendency to slide forward when my hands are on the hoods or in the drops I tilt the nose up. I can usually feel just where my sit bones need to be. Then I ride about 40 miles with my wrenches in the back pocket. Fine adjustments are made along the way based on my feel. I will also make any up/down adjustments based on what my knees are telling me and if I tend to rock in the saddle at high cadence. At the end I will recheck the fore/aft position by using a plum-bob on the knee at mid-pedal, if it's OK I'm done, if not I will iterate again. I usually have it dialed in after the first ride.

For me - the fit one gets in the shop is just a starting point, the real fit occurs on the road after many miles.

I "leveled" the seat on my commuter, only to find that I would slide forward on it. After my first commute my arms were sore from holding myself back. And of course the next time I rode in to work I'd realized immediately that I never adjusted it but didn't have the tool with me. And a third time...

I think I just need to tilt it back so the nose is slightly up as there is a dip in the middle. Then maybe it''ll be comfortable. If all else fails I could try a road saddle, since I've been riding a roadie for years.

Yes, this is exactly right. It means that essentially every saddle is different, at least leather ones, due to differences in tension. I use a 24" carpenter's level set across the heel and toe of the saddle, then place a digital level on the carpenter's level. I tend to initially set any saddle level, then go out and ride, fine-tuning on the ride. I also place the bike in the same place in the house each time I want to either mount a new saddle or re-adjust what's on the bike. So if my level setting is not truly level, at least it's consistent. That at least lets me dial in a saddle pretty quickly.

My cheap Avenir saddle specifically mentions that you should start with the saddle leveled with a 9 inch carpenters level. I tend to start nose down by just a smidge as nose up to ANY degree is extremely uncomfortable (meaning I can't ride 25 feet, with the saddle nose up).

While riding yesterday my saddle came loose. So as an ex-spear-ment ( don't make fun of my peach imspediment)
I moved the seat forward and tilted the front up from level.
Less strain on hands and butt sits more secure on saddle

Way way too complicated!! Just make sure the area you are doing it on is level.........I guess I should have pointed that out but thought most folks would realize that. My garage floor is level across but not level front to back-so I just set the bike up across the level direction. Thanks for pointing it out though.

Bring the bike in the house and line up the saddle by sighting to a windowsill or fireplace mantle.

Once I get it set the way I like, using a razor blade, I scribe a thin mark on the seatpost and it's adjustable top section. I used to use a magic marker, but that rubs off, and isn't accurate anyway. If I'm still experimenting, I cut a wedge of masking tape and use the pointed end as a temporary marker on the seatpost.

Road Fan -- a digital level? That sounds like a good tool to have.

Absolutely! Prices for small (8" max) ones vary from maybe $12 on sale at Harbor Freight to way more with a Starrett or something label on it. I like to be able to reproduce the starting point and the results of setting the saddle. It lets me get dialed back in faster after I dink around - er, experiment - with the sizing more than I should.

I think you have to decide what you mean by "level saddle." I find a saddle is most comfortable when it is dead level. But what is meant by level?
Does it mean that the saddle nose and the saddle back are at the same height?
Or does the saddle have a pronounced flat part that you want to make level, but the nose and back are then at different heights?
Or does the saddle have a "spoiler lip" that is meant to be higher than the front (like the old Concor saddles)?
Or do you level by "feel," making micro adjustments until you stop sliding forward or backward in the saddle on a level ride?
Or do you look at the bike in its entirety, and decide on an aesthetic basis when the saddle appears to be "right?"
Or do you have one of those seatposts that has a notched adjustment, so that the adjustment you want is in-between two notches?
Yes, getting the saddle "level" presents a greater difficulty than getting the handlebars "straight."
L.

Just happened to me last weekend. I was installing my old kitchen cabinets in the garage and I "leveled" then with a level as I hung them. Well when I finished and looked they were tilted pretty bad. Turns out the ceiling was not level. I then measured off the ceiling and they are "level" to that so they look good.

Sorry for going OT ..back to you regularly scheduled thread.