straight post vs offset post
12-05-15 | 03:28 PM
#26
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12-05-15 | 04:38 PM
#27
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Living the life of a bike racer means you HAVE to ride. That means riding with saddle sore. At close to 10,000 miles/year, year after year, they will happen. Tipping the seat to get it off the sore is just something you have to do. Either that or write off a large portion of your season, either because you took time off or because of the pain and discomfort. But I agree with the importance of the saddle position. As soon as my week or two of "purgatory" was past, I went right back to the position I had before. And that is why I consider two bolt posts so important. As long as I kept track of how much I changed the tilt by amount of bolt turned, I could go back exactly to where I was before. For that I loved the old Campy (and Zeus) posts that required the special bent wrench. The SunTour posts later and now the Thompsons are lighter and much easier to access with ordinary wrenches but far more important, share that ability to replicate the position exactly and without measuring tools, even on the road.
I went 8 years between my last Campy style post and my first SunTour. During that time I had a single bolt post with "micro-adjust" grooves. After hours of fiddling, I got the position dialed in between clicks. Rode that position for 8 years knowing if I ever touched that bolt I could never get it back again.
Ben
I went 8 years between my last Campy style post and my first SunTour. During that time I had a single bolt post with "micro-adjust" grooves. After hours of fiddling, I got the position dialed in between clicks. Rode that position for 8 years knowing if I ever touched that bolt I could never get it back again.
Ben
Last edited by McBTC; 12-05-15 at 04:43 PM.
12-05-15 | 04:53 PM
#28
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From: Portland, OR
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
I went to the website. It looks like it is a single bolt post and it looks like it has micro grooves. I hope I am wrong on both counts but until I hear otherwise, I will stay far away from them. I would much rather ride a 1975 Campy that weighs a ton.
Ben
Ben
12-05-15 | 07:00 PM
#29
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From: Ann Arbor, MI
Bikes: 1980 Masi, 1984 Mondonico, 1984 Trek 610, 1980 Woodrup Giro, 2005 Mondonico Futura Leggera ELOS, 1967 PX10E, 1971 Peugeot UO-8
If i could use a straight post and keep saddle in the middle should i switch? My saddle isnt slammed all the way foward but getting close. My friend gave me a tompson masterpiece and wouldnt mind using it, it looks like I would be able to adjust the saddle tilt much easier
12-05-15 | 07:05 PM
#30
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Nope, it has two bolts side-by-side (not fore and aft). The saddle-tip is infinite depending on where the clamp is located on the curve at the top of the post. If a rail is marked you can adjust the saddle fore and aft to the millimeter.
12-05-15 | 07:44 PM
#31
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From: Ann Arbor, MI
Bikes: 1980 Masi, 1984 Mondonico, 1984 Trek 610, 1980 Woodrup Giro, 2005 Mondonico Futura Leggera ELOS, 1967 PX10E, 1971 Peugeot UO-8
Every 1 degree more of STA is worth about 1 cm less of saddle setback at average saddle heights. Even over a fairly broad range of saddle heights, the plus 1 degree to minus 1 cm relationship holds up pretty well. When there were no zero setback posts, you had to have a 75 degree seat tube angle to get forward enough for time trialing and triathlon type riding. Now you just ride a normal STA and use the zero setback post. I guess some folks would need both, though.
12-06-15 | 06:33 AM
#32
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From: Houston, TX
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12-06-15 | 07:20 AM
#33
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for those that asked, I have had a pro bike fit and it was my first real bike, I have come to think I was NOT properly planted on the the saddle when they did the kops, I think was up a bit on the saddle. So I dont think my sit bones were ever properly supported and as i improved and started getting out on longer rides I was getting a lot of sit bone discomfort........I feel my position is correct but the saddle needs to be moved a bit foward to give me proper support. I could have been sitting wrong the whole time as I dont what it feel like to be sitting correctly! So that is what has lead me to this. I have been trying all sorts of saddle with original bike fit as a guide and all the saddles giving me the same issue. so once I tried moving my butt to the back of the saddles there was an improvement in support but was to far back.......so today i have my original setback post in with the saddle pretty much slammed forward and will see it that helps things out(I only had about a 1 cm of rail left) ....if my theory is correct at all lol
12-06-15 | 07:47 AM
#34
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From: Houston, TX
Bikes: 1990 Romic Reynolds 531 custom build, Merlin Works CR Ti custom build, super light Workswell 066 custom build
for those that asked, I have had a pro bike fit and it was my first real bike, I have come to think I was NOT properly planted on the the saddle when they did the kops, I think was up a bit on the saddle. So I dont think my sit bones were ever properly supported and as i improved and started getting out on longer rides I was getting a lot of sit bone discomfort........I feel my position is correct but the saddle needs to be moved a bit foward to give me proper support. I could have been sitting wrong the whole time as I dont what it feel like to be sitting correctly! So that is what has lead me to this. I have been trying all sorts of saddle with original bike fit as a guide and all the saddles giving me the same issue. so once I tried moving my butt to the back of the saddles there was an improvement in support but was to far back.......so today i have my original setback post in with the saddle pretty much slammed forward and will see it that helps things out(I only had about a 1 cm of rail left) ....if my theory is correct at all lol
One other thing you should remember: the saddle position is a completely independent adjustment. It has nothing to do with getting the right reach to the handlebars only with butt comfort and pedaling efficiency. It would be helpful for you to clarify what you mean by "there was an improvement in support but was to far back". Do you mean your pedaling was adversely affected, or do you mean you were having trouble reaching the bars. My point is that you get the saddle right for comfort and pedaling efficiency without regard to reach to the bars. When the saddle is just right, if you need to adjust reach, you don't move the saddle, you move the handlebars with a different stem length, angle or flip (up or down).
12-06-15 | 08:23 AM
#35
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Actually 1 cm change is quite a lot on a saddle.
One other thing you should remember: the saddle position is a completely independent adjustment. It has nothing to do with getting the right reach to the handlebars only with butt comfort and pedaling efficiency. It would be helpful for you to clarify what you mean by "there was an improvement in support but was to far back". Do you mean your pedaling was adversely affected, or do you mean you were having trouble reaching the bars. My point is that you get the saddle right for comfort and pedaling efficiency without regard to reach to the bars. When the saddle is just right, if you need to adjust reach, you don't move the saddle, you move the handlebars with a different stem length, angle or flip (up or down).
One other thing you should remember: the saddle position is a completely independent adjustment. It has nothing to do with getting the right reach to the handlebars only with butt comfort and pedaling efficiency. It would be helpful for you to clarify what you mean by "there was an improvement in support but was to far back". Do you mean your pedaling was adversely affected, or do you mean you were having trouble reaching the bars. My point is that you get the saddle right for comfort and pedaling efficiency without regard to reach to the bars. When the saddle is just right, if you need to adjust reach, you don't move the saddle, you move the handlebars with a different stem length, angle or flip (up or down).
Having them to far out could have been pulling me forward as well right while I am riding on the hoods?
12-06-15 | 08:49 AM
#36
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Don't forget you want to be able to bend your elbows quite a bit, preferably at 90 degrees when you reach for the hoods. You don't want your arms out straight. And of course you want, as well as you are able, to have your back flat.
Not to open up another can of worms, but could the frame be too large for you?
12-06-15 | 08:59 AM
#37
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Yes, that's right. Perhaps it would be good to get your saddle right just keeping your hands on the bar tops, which should be within reach. Forget about the hoods and the drops for now. Then when that is done, start playing around with how short a stem you need to comfortably reach the hoods and drops. The pro fit really should have taken care of all this for you.
Not to open up another can of worms, but could the frame be too large for you?
Not to open up another can of worms, but could the frame be too large for you?
I've had the bike for about a year, after a month or so I did feel like I was to far away from the bars. I had a 120 mm stem on there and put a 100 mm and rode like that for a while all was good. As i started to feel a bit more flexible and get a bit lower i was starting to feel like a wanted to stretch out more so I put the 120 back and come to think of it shortly after this was were the problems were coming up.......I dont think the frame is to large, but really dont know.... They did seem to do a good fit but it was my second fit i got....its was definitely more than the first fit. I will follow your advice and get the saddle/pedal position set then mess with the stem, buts its appearing a 110 mm stem might set me straight, I still have the 100 mm that i will try putting back on today for now.
12-06-15 | 04:26 PM
#38
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Actually 1 cm change is quite a lot on a saddle.
One other thing you should remember: the saddle position is a completely independent adjustment. It has nothing to do with getting the right reach to the handlebars only with butt comfort and pedaling efficiency. It would be helpful for you to clarify what you mean by "there was an improvement in support but was to far back". Do you mean your pedaling was adversely affected, or do you mean you were having trouble reaching the bars. My point is that you get the saddle right for comfort and pedaling efficiency without regard to reach to the bars. When the saddle is just right, if you need to adjust reach, you don't move the saddle, you move the handlebars with a different stem length, angle or flip (up or down).
One other thing you should remember: the saddle position is a completely independent adjustment. It has nothing to do with getting the right reach to the handlebars only with butt comfort and pedaling efficiency. It would be helpful for you to clarify what you mean by "there was an improvement in support but was to far back". Do you mean your pedaling was adversely affected, or do you mean you were having trouble reaching the bars. My point is that you get the saddle right for comfort and pedaling efficiency without regard to reach to the bars. When the saddle is just right, if you need to adjust reach, you don't move the saddle, you move the handlebars with a different stem length, angle or flip (up or down).
12-06-15 | 07:06 PM
#39
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From: SF Bay Area
Bikes: Bianchi Infinito (Celeste, of course)
I've got an FSA post like that. Absolutely terrible design, utterly worthless for adjustment. Loosen the bolts the tiniest bits and it goes to hell instantly. Tompson fore/aft posts are sooooo much better.
12-06-15 | 08:41 PM
#40
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They're not alike at all.. a scale allows for micro adjustment and a reversible clamp allows for the 15 mm of offset to be extended for an additional 10 mm of fore-aft saddle adjustment.
Last edited by McBTC; 12-06-15 at 08:46 PM.
12-06-15 | 09:38 PM
#41
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From: Houston, TX
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@rpenmanparker you hit nailed it! I put the saddle back and put the 100 mm stem and everything fell into place! Was on the saddle correctly and stayed there and reach seemed perfect. so was stem issues all along, I ordered a 110 mm just to see how it is on there but the 100 seems a perfect fit...LOL I gave my friend back his straight thomson and ordered a thomson set back, I know everybody hates the look but I actually like the "laid back" look from my old BMX days Thanx again for all your help and everyone on the thread~
