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In the past, because I am long backed, I have run a lay back post so that I could could strike a balance on stem length and stand-over. I was wondering if, with the push to longer and lower bikes plus OEM dropper posts that tend to be inline, whether it is a simple matter of 'sizing up' as long as I can get away with standover?
Embrace the new school geometry.
For general riding (trail, XC), reach should be dictated by stem length, not seatpost layback. I think with the advent of long, low and slack geometry, the fad for "sizing down" (i.e. 6ft+ lads on medium frames with long stems and loads of layback, cuz its chuckable innit!) is a thing of the past. If you are into more aggressive riding and feel more comfortable with extra standover, I'd be looking at frames with a sloping top tube rather than sizing down and running loads of layback on your seatpost.
However, I know Specialized full sus bikes are based around a layback post (its either 2cm or 2.5cm). Use an inline post and the effective seat angle becomes less slack. Hence the fact that their own dropper post comes in layback only. I ride a Specialized Camber and if I use an inline post then I get bad knee pain as my pedalling position is all wrong. Something to bear in mind.
I don't get the reasoning with Specialized. Surely it makes more sense from a leverage forces perspective for droppers to be inline, so why design a whole range of bikes around an layback dropper.
I'd also like to know. I thought it might be something to do with keeping the chainstay length short but there are plenty of bikes based around inline posts with short chainstays.
Thanks for the replies.
Devash, the knee thing is kind of where I was coming from. Years ago I experimented with saddle position and found that about 30mm layback was the best for me. However that was when 90/100mm stems were not unusual. Now that bikes are getting longer, I am running a shorter stem, but that is why I was getting curious about layback, when inline is more the norm.
Ah, if its knee position rather than reach that's an issue then there's no problem switching out a stock inline post to a layback if it gets you in the right position, regardless of stem length.
I to suffer with inline posts especially on newer frames with a steeper seat angle.
I like to adopt the kops as it's always worked for me.
If I try a bike with an inline post me knees start screaming at me now !