I am curious if you find a changing your saddle position has any impact on your performance on the bike? I know it has a major effect on comfort and such.


My saddle had been set up by what felt right and others observation. I took the time this year to set height as usual by checking distance to heel with leg straight out and then running a plumb line to ensure ball of foot is over the center of the spindle with pedals at 3 and 9 position. It feels better but I am slower on the bike now. I don't know if this is a coincidence or just slowing down as I am getting older. Thanks

Performance ? No it's still up to the effort you put out.


68
I just dont care how fast I go anymore .

Different saddle position == different coordination of muscles, which means you are working them in a slightly different way than the way you have trained them.

I used to change my saddle position at random up to an inch, up/down, forward/back, just to change up the workout. It's always slower or harder at first.

So how do you know if you have a saddle that is fitting correct then?? I use to ride a lot when I was a kid. I am 57 now, and looking to get back into riding again. Going to try to do a work commute as well. So I am trying to learn as much as I can. I have not purchased my (a) bike yet. I am hoping to get one really soon. There is soooo many saddles out there, right now I do not have the budget to get 30 saddles to see what fits. I have seen them with splits right down the middle, and then some with a split just on the back part. I know that sitting on one is going to help. Sitting on one for 3 minutes at a store or the like is not going to give you an idea what it is going to feel like after an 9 mile ride. There is one on kickstarter, that is split all the way down the center. It looks like it might be good, but well??? The info on it states that it was designed with the rider in mind. It was designed specific to help keep the lower part of the body from getting pinched. So any input that you can give would be great...

Question is "how do you know if the saddle fits correctly then?"

Sit bone width plus 1.5-2 cm (or by feel, you have a small bit extra saddle on either side of the sit bones). Pear shape (vs narrow body of saddle) if you tend to move forward and back on the saddle. Although angling a more narrow saddle to one side a few degrees has similar effect to the wider shape.

Cut-out if you get uncomfortable pressure in sensitive regions (to check this sit on a wooden bench leaning forward with your elbows on your knees)

Yes

OK.. When I sit on a wooden bench, my entier backside hurts. There is not a lot of padding on that side. So I am looking for one that will be more comfortable. I am going to try to start to commute to work, which is a 9 mile ride each way. I am not going to try that all at once, I will break into it.
Thank you for the advise, I will find a wooden bench, and site as you suggested and see how it feels...

Yes, setting your saddle just a little bit too far back and lower can have a noticeable impact on performance, especially during long gradual climbs. You gain some extra comfort with increasing setback but at the expense of biomechanical leverage on the pedals. I like to set up my bike for climbing which means the saddle a bit forward and higher but then I take a mild hit on comfort for long rides on flat land. The forward more aggressive position gives you more power but you have to also adjust the bars lower and sometimes forward. It sacrifices the sight-seeing laid-back riding posture but if you're seeking exercise and speed maybe it's a worthwhile trade. One thing you can do to improve comfort in a forward position is moving your cleats as far back as possible.

All in the legs

For my riding I can't say if I am faster with better saddle positioning. I know I climb better with a higher saddle, but of course there's a risk of peri abrasion. More leg extension seems to get me more force.

Saddle setback: I don't really see more speed on a longer ride. In a more balanced, Hogg-like position I feel I can bend deeper and better grab the drops. With this I can pull on the handlebars as I pedal and use more muscles, which I think gets more force. But none of these changes seem to change my muscular endurance, so I don't have a higher steady power output.

Faster? I don't think so, and I don't have any way to measure it well. Quicker, more acceleration, easier sprint? Yes, I really think so.

Note the time trial competitors ,
when really putting out maximum effort they are standing on the pedals, or out on the nose of the saddle.

Particularly if your racing.... your saddle position should be set so that you are properly "perched" on the bicycle. That position should allow you to easily stand, slide back (even to a position behind the saddle), use your thighs to grip the horn of the saddle.... and so forth.

People do too much sitting on the saddle. If the cycling is just sitting on the "seat".... those setting may be slightly different. And sitting comfort would be most important.

Yes, absolutely. I'm pretty much entirely out of shape, and when my seat was a bit too low, it felt like pedaling was inefficient, like my muscles weren't being used properly (like the way it's harder to lift something heavy with your arms extended away from your body, and so much easier to do the same when the item is closer to your body). My legs got tired super fast (and I already get tired super fast! this was super faster!). I raised the seat by an inch and felt like I could ride all day.

Someone who is more fit might not notice the difference so strongly.

Saddle positioning makes a major difference in performance for me. Also comfort, for example if my saddle is set wrong my back will start hurting, etc.

In my opinion, the "classic" fit you did is the starting point. Tweak from there to see what works. Maybe something between it and your previous setup.