Have always varied stem length to get a good fit but what about seatpost and saddle fore/aft position?

Knee over crank (well, pedal axle)

Knee over crank is meaningless, it’s at best a guide borrowed from road riding.

I don’t think there’s any right or wrong, just what works for you (in the context of the bike of course inc stem length etc)…and fashion…

most bikes designed with layback in mind.

moving the seat back/ forward is to get the knee in a comfortable position relative to the pedal axle; back of the kneecap over the axle is a good starting point.

I always ran inline cos I preferred the way they looked, and didn’t want too slack a position when seated on the bike.

Now I run a layback, I found that I bent a couple of saddle rails by having the saddle quite far back on the inline post, so running a layback post but keeping the saddle in the same position relative to the frame, means the clamp is now in the middle of the saddle rails and therefore far less likely to bend.

My Mega is on the short side I found, so rather than get a longer stem(and end up with a narrowboat feel) I’ve got an SDG layback.

Same reason as above ^^^
Feels good.

I’ve never used a layback post, but it strikes me as a bad idea to move yourself over the back wheel for climbing. Struggle to see the benefit of them.

I’ve never used a layback post, but it strikes me as a bad idea to move yourself over the back wheel for climbing. Struggle to see the benefit of them.

In the same way as having your weight too far forward when descending, with a longer stem isn’t ideal. I know which compromise I’d prefer… 🙂

Only use a lay back if you reduce stem length for handling reasons or you have bought an ill fitting frame (too short in top tube) and you need to increase your seated reach distance.