so when i ride i constantly find myself slipping forward on the saddle. the saddle itself is placed as far back as possible and though i'm just eyeballing it, it seems to be level.

should i start looking into a thomson setback post or should i start looking into a new stem (right now i'm using a 100mm in a positive rise)?

i've been reading about fit for a while and have tried all that i know to help but i think it's time to change parts as opposed to position.

any ideas? pros/cons as to switching one as opposed to another?

If you're slipping forward, maybe you should leave the saddle forward? Seems to me that moving it back will just make you more forward on the saddle.

You also might want to try angling the nose up a touch. I actually prefer the saddle to be at what looks like a painful, nut-crushing angle; for whatever reason that's comfortable and stops me from putting too much pressure on my hands to keep from slipping forward. I am not, however, a bike fitter.

KJ

I had the same problem then I moved my saddle forward, so much better and no slippage or moving around. My body was actually telling me what was correct.

cool, will give it a try tonight. will start with small increments and add a little rise in the front of the saddle.

now, here's the thing, i've also read that when moving the saddle forward you have to adjust saddle height as well (which i assume would be: move saddle forward, move seat post down/ move saddle back, move seat post up). is this correct?

there's so much information on fit and yet not one seems to correlate to the next. everyone has there own seperate 'biker's inseam' starting point (stand with feet 6" apart, 10"apart....) and it gets wilder from there!

in terms of saddle height, sometimes a few millimeters can make a big difference with fit.

much like cleats, you need to run a half hour session of tighten, experiment, loosen,
tighten, think, change.....


once it is right, it will be plainly obvious and perfect

Is your reach too far to the bars? Is your saddle angled down? Is your seat too high?

Possible stuff to keep you from sliding forward on the seat:
Try tilting the saddle nose up a bit. Some peoples' hip bones sit differently.
Lessen the saddle-to-bar drop by adding spacers. Unless you're on the track, 6cm is more than enough drop for most. This is measured from the bar tops not drops.
Shorten your stem. Your arms may have too much extension. Do you often ride with your elbows locked? 100mm is pretty reasonable though...
Slide your saddle back. Can you sit on the saddle, leaning forward a bit with your hands off the bar without sliding forward? If not then you might have too much weight on your hands. If you are riding a track bike it is likely that you will need a setback seatpost to achieve a good position.
Slide your seat forward. It will increase the weight on your hands but it's cheaper than buying new parts.
You mention that you slide forward when you ride "constantly". Do you mean that this problem comes when you go for longer rides instead of zipping around town? If so, then your current position is setup best for harder efforts where pedaling forces are larger and not less efforts where more weight is on the saddle and bars. Do you really want to change this?
When shifting the saddle back and forth, raise the seatpost when you slide the saddle forward and lower the seatpost when sliding the saddle aft. A good guess is to have the height change be 1/3 the horizontal change.

If you want better advice post a picture of your position on the bike.

opposite, and not always crucial. think about the distance from your crotch to the cranks.

do i feel stretched out? no.

as far as i can see, without taking a level to the seat, it looks level.

the seat is set high enough to where my legs are not quite fully extended while pedaling on a down stroke.

From www.peterwhitecycles.com

yep, that's where i read it. just responded before i re-read the info! thanks.

my back, elbows are all loose. it's my stomach that seems to hold me up. i can be in a riding position and let go and ride just fine, no moving forward.

i'm really looking for a fit that's more conducive to medium distance (anywhere between 10-30 mile rides). i'm riding an iro lc (mark v) by the way.

after riding tonight i found a position that was comfortable (i.e. no slipping) but now feel as if i'm pushing forward against the bars a bit more than i'd like, i also felt a little neck pain. the seat is not quite as forward as it could go but there's not much more room.

really, i feel like i want to stretch out just a bit more, like if my handlebars were a bit more forward or my seat was further back (mostly my seat though) it would be perfect!

i returned some stuff at rei today and picked up zinn's cycling primer which has quite a bit of cycle fit information. gonna read some more, then i'll post a picture.

thanks for the help guys!

spray some spray adhesive on the back of some sandpaper and stick it to your saddle.

I have my saddle tilted up to avoid slipping around (happens more so in fleece pants) on my Brooks, it looks fairly nuts angle-wise but I don't find I have any discomfort and it works nicely for me.

remove saddle=no more slipping

So you moved the seat forward and found a more comfortable position? Good to hear. Your neck pain may go away once your body gets used to the added strain in your upper body from the added weight you've shifted to your arms. If you wish, you can alleviate this by raising your bars. Or you can pedal harder so your legs take more weight! It's pretty easy to be scrunched up on a track bike due to the steep seat tube so I'd advise marking your position now but experimenting with moving the seat back and tilting it nose up a bit to see if you can get both your lower body and upper body feeling good.

I haven't read Zinn's book but I'm sure it's quite good. If you are interested, also check out the writings of Keith Bontrager, Peter White, Sheldon Brown, Grant Peterson, or Greg Lemond. Lemond and Bontrager are better for an aggressive position.

unfortunately my fork came pre-cut with only one 12mm spacer. i've been considering investing in a new fork so i could experiment with height.

to me it seems to be more about rider position and getting used to a proper posture. most of this i got through reading sheldon's site. the peter white article is really good as well, just wish most of these had pictures (i'm way more of a visual learner..) to go with the information.

i ride with my gf for the most part and i've tried explaining posture/positioning to her but it's a bit difficult trying to tell someone to hold their body up with their abdomen, take the weight off the arms by distributing it to their butt/seat and legs/pedals. i can feel it as i ride but will find myself getting lazy and using my arms to hold my body up after a while. then i have to consciously adjust it. can't wait until i don't have to think about it any more!

I would definitely tilt up before moving forward. If it doesnt make your dick go numb, itll do. For mellow riding I like to have my knee a couple cms behind the pedal spindle; otherwise too much weight gets dumped on my wrists.

I'm going against internet common knowledge here, but you don't need to shell out for a Thomson post to get setback. There are lots of perfectly functional and much cheaper options.

What kind of saddle do you have? Is it a Brooks? Im asking because they are notorious for not being able to set back far enough on a straight post.

nope, i ride the the stock iro saddle (actually, it's a cr9 or something). i believe it's time to get a new one because my ass isn't getting any more used to it!

err..sorry, gf was still signed in!