Billy1111

do you have to readjust the set back when you change the saddle tilt? or once the setback is set you just leave there and mess with the tilt as much as u want?

Camilo

I try to mess with one thing at a time, so I do my setback and tweak the tilt. But I'm much more sensitive to tilt than setback. I can live with a cm slop in setback, but a tiny bit too little tilt really messes with my balance on the handlebars and saddle.

Voodoo76

Same, I don't normally re-adjust setback if I'm experimenting with tilt.

A tip, if you get a small board to set on the seat front to back ( I made an AL plate) there area several nice smartphone apps that can give you an accurate angle reading. Once you come up with a tilt you like on a particular seat it's easy to duplicate the setup. For example I set SMP Dynamic at -3.5 deg.

rpenmanparker 

Why would you mess with tilt? Horizontal saddle is one of the few cycling rules that is correct for everyone.

Please discuss.

Shimagnolo

Incorrect.
Even Selle SMP talks about varying tilt in their instructions: https://www.sellesmp.com/smp4bike/ima...ibretto_GB.pdf

rpenmanparker 

Show me a single picture of a pro tour rider's saddle tilted significantly away from the horizontal.

Shimagnolo

Pro tour riders are subject to the idiotic rules of the UCI. These are the same fools who mandate a front<->center rule that Lennard Zinn will tell you makes it impossible to design a frame for a very tall rider with stable geometry. That doesn't mean the rest of us must deal with the nonsense.

And FYI: UCI?s ball-breaking saddle rules updated | VeloNews.com

rpenmanparker 

But are they suffering? And I never specified their tour bikes. Show me a slanted saddle on their personal, recreation bikes.

Shimagnolo

https://www.bicycling.com/sites/bicyc...h-bike-996.jpg

rpenmanparker 

Cute!

Shimagnolo

You do realize that saddle is nose-down, right?
Same photo rotated to put axles level:

rpenmanparker 

Who is that?

Shimagnolo

His name is on the downtube.

rpenmanparker 

Oh yeah, the onion. Saddles which have curved center sections where you sit are difficult to judge re: angle, but I'll give that one to you. Good one.

TimothyH

Some two bolt seatposts make it near impossible to mess with tilt and setback separately.

Anyone who rides like or has hair like Cipollini gets to make his own rules.

rpenmanparker 

If the setback were to change inadvertantly while you are adjusting tilt, you can still slide the saddle for or aft to where you want it. You aren't forced into a specific tilt and setback combination.

GeneO 

Show me all of the pictures of their personal recreation bikes

GeneO 

lol

Carbonfiberboy 

IIRC way back when Specialized was doing the research for what became Body Geometry saddles, they found the sweet spot for perineal blood flow at 2°-3° of forward tilt, though they didn't advertise or officially recommend that. Back then I did tilt my noses down like that, but now I run with the nose about 1/8" below level. Either the saddles have changed or I have. I put my setback and my tilt where I like them. They may interact in that if one closes one's hip angle, one may want a little down tilt, depending on the saddle. Certainly the UCI rules change argues that is the case.

Dave Cutter

Wrong. I correct the image... placing the bottom of the wheel at level... the saddle is level.

GeneO 

Sorry, looks nose down to me.

Fiery

It depends on what you would consider a significant tilt, but there are examples on race bikes too.

Nose up:


Nose down: