Newbie - Saddle Setback
 

Hello,

According to the Competitive Cyclist fit calculator I should have my Saddle Setback: 1.6 - 2.0.
My question is how do I achieve this? My saddle has numbers on them, but where do I align the numbers too? To the front, middle or end of the of the rail?

Thanks in advance

Calculators are just calculators, estimations, which aren't always true.

Your saddle should be set in the location to maximize your joint angles. If you don't understand this for yourself, you should probably get in person help from a friend or a professional.

Are you having pain... why are you trying to weak it?

Thanks for the reply. I have gone through two fittings everything is fine except for my hands which has a tendency to get numb. So it was suggested I try and play around with the saddle, move forward or backward. I am trying to understand what the numbers on the saddle mean and where they need to align.

Set-Back is measured from the nose of the saddle to the center of the bottom bracket. Drop a plumb bob from the nose of the saddle and measure to the center of the bottom bracket. I doubt that's your problem though.

Hand numbness can be several things. You ride with your elbows locked out? Keep your hands in one position for long periods? Gripping the bars too tight?

You can try sliding the saddle back a couple millimeters at a time to see if that helps. Having the saddle too far forward can sometimes cause excess pressure on the hands. The numbers or lines on the saddle rails are mostly for point of reference.

Who did the fit for you? I you paid someone for a fit...I would not accept them telling me to "play" with the setback. Thats what your paying them for.

This leads to my next stupid question, I only see one screw on the saddle what controls the tip up or down angle?

Loosening that same screw will let you change the angle as well I'm assuming. Just tighten to the correct torque specs so that it doesn't move.

What result would moving the seat 1 mm front or back have?
Would it be knee issue? Power issues?

IMO it depends, some people dont feel a single thing, other ones u move them 1 mm and start with a bunch of problems. You have a numbess problem, as somebody said, maybe is a problem of too much weight in the front of the bike, or is a thing of how you grab the handlebar. Or even the stem too low.

Wonder if you have the nose of the saddle too low, then the weight will go to the front of the bike then the hands might get numb. Who knows, hard to tell w/o seeing the bike my friend (pictures).

The easiest thing to do is move the saddle back a couple of mms,... to use gloves or even could be that the handlebar doesnt likes you, have seen that to happen aswell.

I have a carbon handlebar that gets my hands kind'a numb for some reason, what i do is to change position over the handlebars and problem solved but i dont even use gloves so probably thats the issue. Have a bike with a cheap @ss FSA handlebar and those ones are just perfect, never a single problem. Not all the equipment works for every rider.

For reference here is a picture of the bike.
I don't have a picture of me on the bike though.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=254883

The saddle is not level, start fixing that.

Hey how does the bike rides?

Yeah your saddle is pointing down. It needs to be level or slightly nose up. That is going to really help your hands.

Thanks I will try that. The bike ride is awesome. It is comfortable, aside from my hands, shifting is quick and bike handles well. Of course this is all relative as I am coming from a Trek 1.1 so the difference for me is huge.
Thanks I will try that. Had trouble fixing the angle because it has only one allen screw on the bottom of the seat. I tried to Google but no luck. I hate going to the LBS for stuff like this.

Lose the screw so the sadle is lose in there... karate chop in the back of the saddle and it will move up at the other side. Try to use a level if you can. Tight the screw and ready to go. It is time for you to learn to fix the bike yourself IMO.

My own thoughts exactly.Ricanfred also mentioned that that one screw controls angle and setback. I will have a try tonight.

I am not saying this approach is wrong, but there are different philosophies to getting the proper fit. What UCIMBZ is referring to is setting the saddle so that your knee is over the pedal spindle (KOPS). The problem with KOPS is that everyone's legs are different, and there is no scientific evidence proving that it does any good or causes any harm when you don't use it. On the other hand, tilting the seat angle can cause significant discomfort around your bum and groin area with little to no improvement with your hands. IMO, saddle angle should only be adjusted to get the proper comfort and it should have nothing to do with your hands. Some people are especially sensitive to seat angle because there are a lot of nerves located in that area, and improper seat angle can put a lot of additional pressure on those nerves making for a very uncomfortable ride.

Seat set back has everything to do with your core strength. You should start with your seat forward, and keep sliding it back until you have little to no back strain. This will differ from rider to rider depending on your weight and core strength. Less strain on your back also means less pressure on your hands and wrists.

Your numbness can also be attributed to other factors not entirely related to bike fit. If your two outside fingers are numb, it usually means you are pinching a nerve which is then causing those fingers to go numb. I have this problem due to a spine alignment issue, and my cycling position puts additional pressure on that nerve. I could ride in a more upright position, but instead I deal with it or make a trip to the chiropractor. If your inside fingers are numb or even your entire hand, that can be related to carpal tunnel. My wife has it so bad that her hand will go numb within the first couple miles of a ride. Surgery is her only solution, but there are other treatment options depending on how bad the carpal tunnel is. It could also be related to poor blood flow. I know of someone that has this problem. He has a hybrid bike with a very upright riding position, and he still gets numb hands. The only bike fit thing you can do in this case is try to keep the wrists as straight as possible and not squeeze the handlebars so you maximize blood flow to the hands.

If you have an iPhone, you can use a free level app that will show the angle in degrees. Make sure to zero out the level based the ground. If the ground isn't level, you won't end up getting an accurate reading. Make adjustments in 1 degree increments until you get a comfortable fit. Typically you will need to lower the nose the lower you drop the handlebars, so you don't put too avoid putting too much pressure on the front portion of your pelvis. Make sure you ride in all the different hand positions to make sure it is comfortable.

My hands go numb in between my thumb and index fingers.
MY LBS also suggested trying to keep my wrists straight for blood flow, but it feels very strange, maybe just a mental thing.

I am worried now that since I moved my seat back I messed up for the original bike fit; should I be concerned? Should I go back to get refit?
I was just thinking, could the padding on my gloves be causing my hands to go numb?

You could try going gloveless for a ride to see if it makes a difference. I think it is unlikely but conceivable that a poorly placed pad could restrict blood flow in your hands. How long has this been happening? Sometimes changes are coincidental, so don't immediately jump to the conclusion that a change to your setup caused this. Sliding your seat back would normally improve your situation rather than hinder it. You can try changing things back one at a time to see if any of them improve the numbness. It could also be a medical issue that no amount of adjustments to your bike will solve.

One more thing to hopefully help you better visualize what is going on with seat position. Imagine standing on a flat surface and bending your torso at a 90 degree angle to your legs and keeping your legs at a perfect 90 degree angle to the ground (forming a perfect upside down L). If you didn't have anything to support your body you would end up falling on your face. Now imagine moving your butt back to the point that your butt is behind your heals. Eventually you will slide your butt far enough back that you will be able to balance without falling on your face. That is effectively what you are doing by sliding your seat back. You are changing your balance point to putt less pressure on your hands. Being too far back can have a negative impact in other areas, so you want to find that perfect spot that allows you to be far enough forward without smacking your face against the bike. Some people suggest putting your hands in the drops, then take your hands away to see if you can hold the position without bobbing or falling forward. The furthest forward position that allows you to do that should be very close to the ideal position for your saddle. Keep in mind that this can change from saddle to saddle, so don't expect it to be the same if you change your saddle in the future.

thank you NachoLibre for the suggestions I will give it a try.

Update...

Went out for a 100km ride today.
before the ride I tilted the nose slightly upwards and moved saddle back, not easy to keep the nose titled with the screw concept.
I started to feel numb going into 40 km, but this time only to my right hand.
I removed the gloves and noticed that the area under my thumb on my palm was red and very sensitive to the touch. It was a struggle to get home, but like I said only to my right hand. So now I am wondering could it be a medical condition? I will have to go see.

Is one of your arms longer than the other just slightly? My left arm is a bit longer, so I adjusted the lever positioning on that side to be a few mms lower than the right side. In your case, it may be that you need to move the "brifter" just a tad lower.

Numb hands are a classic symptom of having your seat too far forward. Measuring with a plumb bob hanging from the nose of your saddle down, how far behind the center of your bottom bracket is it? It's important to have the two wheels on a level surface for an accurate measurement. Cement garage floors and driveways are often slanted to shed water. Depending on your height you might need several inches of setback. The idea is to balance on the bike by moving the saddle backwards so that your spine and legs carry your weight instead of your hands. The more aggressively aero your riding position is the further back your saddle will need to be. You can pretty much figure out it out by how it feels. Your ass tells you the best place.

If the bike is the right size and set up correctly and if you have the correct riding posture it should be possible to ride for hours without any significant discomfort of any kind. If you've ever broken one of your arms there might be length discrepancy between them. My guess is your saddle is still too far forward but another possibility is that your reach is too short and your bars are too high so that the bars are jack-hammering with some force against your hand. If so it might also cause your shoulders to hurt. If the reach is long and low enough there shouldn't be much weight on your hands and road vibrations won't be transferred up into your shoulders.

That is what I did when I got home, I lower the brighters slightly, we shaw see on the next ride.