Adjusting reach
 

Is it ok to slide a saddle back on the rails to compensate for a shorter stem? Thanks,

Dave

No, because it will throw the positioning of your legs out of whack

Yeah, kinda figured. I might try and put the stem on so that it is flat, then put my hands on the hoods of the handlebars to see if that gives me enough reach.


Dave

No.

Yes.

When you set saddle set back on a bike with drop handlebars, you're usually setting the maximum forward set back position that isn't too far forward where you weight isn't too far forward over the pedals. That position allows you to balance on the saddle but still bend from the waist for a lower handlebar position.

For touring bikes, it is common to use more set back (re-check saddle height - you'll need to lower it a little), and then use a shorter stem raised a little bit. The net effect is to rotate your legs, pelvis, back and hands up and back. This puts more weight on the saddle and rear wheel.


I did this recently with a road bike because I wanted to use a 90cm Cinelli stem I'd been saving. Moving the saddle back 15mm made the reach to the bar normal for me and didn't affect pedaling. I just run my stem a little higher than I othewise would have.

Do what you gotta do. Slide the saddle back and give it a try. If your legs complain about the new position, get a longer stem. Otherwise, enjoy the ride.

If a rider's vertical position over the pedals mattered for pedaling, there would be no recumbents.

Saddle position has nothing to do with reach.

Reach is the horizontal distance from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the head tube where it intersects the top tube.

Moving the saddle does not change reach. The only way to change reach is to buy a different frame.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...17784517b8.jpg


The proper way to set up a diamond-frame bike is to set the following in order:
1) Saddle height relative to the bottom of the pedal stroke
2) Saddle fore/aft relative to the bottom bracket
3) Height of the bar relative to the saddle (saddle to bar drop) and distance from the saddle to the bar tops.

Step 3 is done with steerer height, stem length and angle, and to a lesser extent, the handlebar itself. A properly sized frame, one with correct reach, is assumed.

A saddle can be moved back to compensate for a shorter stem but it will always be less optimal than a properly fit bike as it moves the riders hips and knees relative to the cranks. This can impinge hip angles, compress the abdomen and impact breathing, and cause other problems. A worst case is extremely poor fit leading to injury over time. Reduced power and comfort are more likely. How much anyone can get away with is a personal decision.

Recumbents have nothing to do with proper setup of a diamond frame bike.


-Tim-

I don't know where you get this stuff, but I'm willing to bet you've been into cycling for a short time.

Stack and Reach are relatively new metics, but "reach" (lower case) is not. The OP is talking about the kind of reach that has always existed on bicycles.

Saddle set back uses all sorts of reference measures and tools that are horizontal and vertical for convenience, not because there is anything about pedaling that requires reference to graviity. You can pedal with equal efficiency right over the pedals, 6 inches back or two feet back. The main thing that changes is the angle of your butt and where your arms can reach.

There's that word again - reach. If the bars are too close you make the reach to them longer by adding some set back and adjusting seat height and angle, as well as bar height. You might end up sitting more vertical and less aero, but your legs won't know any different. Certainly all those random rando riders with their saddles further to the rear aren't having much trouble riding hundreds of miles that way.

Slide away. KOPS (knee over pedal) is only a guideline. It's ok to vary from it a bit if it works for you. Just like every other "fit" adjustment.

When did these new metrics come about? This is the second time I've seen Stack and Reach brought up here in SSFG and I had no idea wtf people were talking about the first time. I guess I'm getting out of touch.

They're a little more than 10 years old, but they started in the Tri bike world where STA and HTA aren't close to parallel and weight distribution isn't as much of a fit concern.