With the increase in popularity of saddle dropper seat posts I am wondering how many people set their saddle at one height for a ride and leave it there? I don't even have a QR on my seat clamp, the post does not get moved during a ride. Am I part of a dying breed?
very rarely move my saddle, certainly not on the XC bike
I find it's VERY rarely necessary on UK trails......
Never move mine
i used to but i dont tend to bother now
Tend to lower mine for thrutchy technical steep stuff. And have you ever tried riding a pump track with your saddle up? 🙂
afraid i move mine fairly often. its alright keeping it at one height for epic xc and easy trail centre stuff, but mid peak district etc. theres some proper steepies. wouldn't wanna go down them at full height....
hard to bunnyhop more than 3 inches or so with full height post if you ask me. unless you have retractable nuts...
Set height years ago and not moved since.
Do people really buy these things for UK trail riding?
No qr here either. I'll set it for a ride. A rocky trail centre ride might see it 1/2 or 3/4 inch lower than SDW, say.
if youve tried some of the trails in calderdale with the saddle up then your a brave chap 😉
Mine's up and down! Must me my short legs and my love of speed! 'Speshally round Calderdale!
never move mine...not even for morzine...
xcstu that is the wrongest thing i have ever read...
wrong wrong wrong.
i bloody hope you are trolling.
if youve tried some of the trails in calderdale with the saddle up then your a brave chap
Do you need to buy a £150 seat post to ride there? 😉
no but you could lower it
If I ride trail centre stuff then normally I am out for a ride and it stays put as I like to keep a good flow.
If I am riding local stuff then I tend to make things more interesting by lowering the saddle and give the bike a good thrash on the downs (DH Styleee).
Depends on what you ride I guess.
Mine's up and down like someone with bipolar.
Which is a pain, as I don't have a qr at the moment
Depends how i'm feeling. If i'm just going out an a steady ride and not giving it full beans then it stays where it is, the ride flows better.
But on alot of rides we tend to stop at the top and if its a decent dh coming up lower the saddle and give it some, more of like riding a series of dh's linked by climbs than a flowing ride if you get what I mean..? Drops and jumps aren't too much fun with your seat up.
All depends on what type of rider you are and the terrain you ride.
DH bike saddle stays put at the same height all the time, just low enough not to get in the way when giving it some but high enough so that it can be used to control the bike with the inner thighs...
😀
used to have a QR, ditched it to save weight ;p
As for not being able to bunny hop? Are you on crack and/or spd's? I can bunny hop pretty much as high with the saddle up as if its down.
If I lower it it just feels wierd on the straight bits, although I once did an entire 20 mile XC ride with the seat dropped (bolt snapped) and I used to do 10mile interval circuits on the BMX, sprint 60seconds, rest 60 seconds untill you pass out or get home, bear in mind you physicaly cant sit on a BMX and you realise how good a training too just riding one is!
With my old bike, I couldn't get my butt past the saddle if it was up in efficient cycling mode, so I used to lower it often.
With the new bike I can get my weight behind the saddle even when it's right up, so I suspect I will be lowering it a lot less.
It seems to have quite a lot to do with the geometry of the bike as to whether you can get your weight far enough back on descents (butt behind the saddle) or not....
It would have to get really really extreme before I even thought about moving it. Getting back behind the saddle is just fine. I think for regular riding around, including little jumps pumps and drops, just having a set saddle height is way better - because it stops you getting all equipment focussed and makes you just ride.
Yo-Yo here. But i'm fully rigid so need the extra room to absorb the bumps.
I've never tried riding with mine lower, ever!
few trails in the uk i lower it, from memory devils staircase and ciaran path (SP?), snowdon and laggan black.
remains just as high for most of the rest of the time. lower it at the top of the climbs in the alps though.
Occasionally I lower it. I hate getting mashed bollocks when getting off the back of a raised saddle though.
I never change my saddle height. If you can get of the back of a saddle then there is no real need to.
I lower mine for hammering down steep rocky stuff. Yea, I could leave it up and mince down I guess? Suppose it depends what floats your boat. Cant see how you soak up a jump or drop if your saddles firmly wedged up your crack. Please, explain just how you do this and keep your weight centered? No really, pics and vids or it dosent happen.
Up and down like a tarts knickers.
Sure I can ride DH with my saddle up, but I can ride one hell of a lot faster with it down... Every inch I drop the saddle is another inch of the best sprung, best damped, rear suspension travel there is.
I did buy a go-go gadget seat post for the mega last year, but it was heavy and crap so took it straight off again afterwards. Seat QR is more than quick enough outside of a race situation.
If you can get of the back of a saddle then there is no real need to.
I find the riding position off the back of the saddle just horrible. Straight arms, straight legs, weight way too far back for proper control. Bleugh.
Mine's up if I need to climb, otherwise dropped as far as it'll go!
Grimy - why would the saddle be "up your crack"? Standing up on level pedals gets you the length of your crank over the saddle, plus you then move back as required.
Right down to almost BMX height when going at it downhill, all the way up to efficient pedalling XC jey height for everything else bar the very occassional slight drop when getting proper slow and technical.
3 heights.......in descending order.
Climby
singletracky
downhilly
I'm not saying I get them all at the right times though!!!
Not in the UK, got long legs though
Never move mine but keep it pretty low all the time which does make climbing harder..but there you go.
In my experience a lot of riders use the "hang-on I've got to adjust my saddle" as an excuse to have a breather at the top of a climb 😀
On the XC bike it stays up for 95% of a ride, drop it out the way if I find some drops/jumps I fancy having a quick go on
On the FS I used to leave the saddle up as much as I could, the sensation of just about to go over the bars got old though trying to ride stuff with more sudden gradient changes (eg multiple sections of stairs). That and wanting to be able to learn to ride/absorb 3' drops. I bought a (5") dropper post as my frame only has about 3" of saddle drop with the seatpost cut as much as possible, and use it quite a bit, a lot of those times may only be dropping it 1-2" though, so I can still pedal reasonably effectively
As above I could mince my way down stuff, but its more fun to drop the saddle a bit and try jumping off stuff, moving weight around a bit (quickly) and going faster
tbh i didnt drop it as much before i bought a dropper but use it alot now . Im trying to get better at tech riding so its good to have. For me anyway but each to their own. Like all things bikey personal preference
If the trail goes down, so does my seatpost.
Yep, put the seat down when going downhill most of the time - it's just easier and more fun, as you have far better control of the bike underneath you.
It frightens me when I see people going off drops and over jumps, etc., with their seats right up as it's an accident waiting to happen (body weight in the wrong place). I've seen a fair few stacks as a result of it.
why add 500grams to my bike?
Trail centers I do lower slightly epics up more and thus save 500grams of weight.
A whole 500g 😆
Never move my seatpost. I used to do dual slalom and dirt jumping back in the day, and had a bike for that with a low seat - so I know the benefits - I just don't need it for riding in the Peaks and Dales...
never move mine, never had felt the need even in steep techy peaks and wales
My bikes a bit of a do-it-all so I have to move it. Right down low is perfect for jumping. Up high for pedalling. Works ok. I don't have a dropper though, just a QR.
My HT xc bike the saddle never moves. On the FS for local riding its full up but for playing and desending places like the peaks and wales then i drop it about an inch or so as you can still pedal on the flat inbertween bits but gives more room to be able to move around. Since doing this i have yet to go over the bars where as before it used to happen a fair bit.
Avoiding going over the bars is all about keeping your head up and your heels down and your hips behind your feet - if having a regular height seat makes you feel like you are going to go over the bars you are most likely not doing some of the basics right, in my experience.
Up and down alot, all depending though.
I've been toying with the idea of a droppy post but on reflection
I've gone 20 years without and I'm rarely over the bars. Steepest stuff I regularly ride doesn't bother me as I'm arse out!
I'm sure you can do much steeper stuff more quickly with the seat down and I drop mine in the mountains and for jumping.
Never move the saddle height on my hardtails or Epic but (very) occasionally on the Enduro.
very occasionally the saddle on my biiiiig bouncer comes [i]up[/i] if i have to pedal somewhere far. singlespeed and xc bike don't have qr's so always at pedally height.
Back in the day of narrow bars & long stems I used to. Now with shorter stems & wide riser bars, it's really not necessary.
In fact on our group ride last week, one guy dropped his saddle for the down hill & was openly mocked for it. It really wasn't that steep.
dropper post is the way forward! this sounds like the suspension buzz from the nineties!
For all you seat up, ride down fans...you simply cant ride as fast down a hill (unless its pretty easy) with your seat up.
Of course it depends on what bike you're riding and the type of ride you're on...my xc h/t never moves, but i like to go as fast as i can on my f/s so its up/down. Anyone riding an agressive/fun bike down large(ish) decents with their saddle up needs their head seen to!
Is there a doctor in the house?
Yep he's right, you can't ride fully committed down fast technical downhills with your seat up at an efficient pedalling height, if you think you can then you obviously aren't going fast enough 😯 😉
Also I find if you have your seat too low on DH's then you lose some control, saddle down as low as it will go should only really be used for jumping and bmx track work. This of course varies slightly with different frame designs and all imo of course.
😀
I rarely move my saddle at all as I find it high enough for climbing and low enough for descending and in enough to fit in the boot of the car.
However, a few days in Morzine saw the saddle getting lower and lower on a daily basis.
generally my legs hold the saddle somewhat and give the me more control / stability.
been trying to keep it static for a year now, and i only lower it for ranmoor singletrack now.
Up and down and then up and down all the time. You can't move your weight around as much with the saddle up, you can't lean the bike as much and you can't get in that position where your weight is low and the bars are weighted. All IMO of course. You can still ride with your saddle up of course and you can pretty much get down anything like that but I find it too much of a compromise.
never move mine.
thisisnotaspoon:
if you rde bmx regularly then i thought you would understand...
with the seat up, there is nowhere to 'tuck' i.e. you cant bend your knees (much)
unless you shift your ass onto your tt or behind ya seat, and then your weight dist will be all over the show....
How many times?????? Saddle down is NOT about allowing you to get your weight back behind the saddle, which is not the place you want to be for the majority of DH riding.
It's about lowering your centre of gravity - see the article in this month's issue of Dirt for an explanation.
Weight evenly distributed 'tween front and rear, allows you to move your COG around to weight/unweight the wheels as needed (especially forward) for better control/grip etc.
You don't 'need' to lower the saddle but you will go a heck of a lot faster DH if you do.
I leave my saddle 'set' so to speak. In fact I recently ditched the QR and replaced with a collar/bolt. I've never really been one to move the saddle around, although a couple of my riding buddies do all the time. (even when putting the car on the roof to go home!)
I have been running with a really high saddle since I started this buisiness intil recently. I am now "training" my legs to a lower saddle so I dont have to move it. It hurts like hell and Ill never be as efficient (probably) but god I feel happier now I can move around the bike without it getting in the way!
What is wrong with me. Despite my previous comments I've just bought a droppy seatpost.
I think the only person who can aswer what's best in this regard is youself so I'm going to try it.
Never mind the fact that I did get myself quite seriously with a saddle in the delicates a couple of weeks back.
My debit card should be hidden from me I'm far too gullable.
agree with geetee.
riding with post up means you are either right over the tt or right over the back wheel, or at least at the height of your seat when stood up...
Never move it...I find it a real faff getting it back to the right height...slightest change and my legs tell me immediately...too low and my thighs hurt, too high and my leg extends too far and I rotate on my saddle (not comfy). I've got long arms and legs so I can move around the bike without much issue with my saddle sticking way up so not a problem for me.
I understand the benefits of dropping the saddle but as I can get my backside on my back tyre without dropping it then I don't see the issue for myself.
I pretty much leave mine fully slammed all the time these days (I'm rarely out for more than a few hours though)
I can't jump/pump/bunny hop/unweight/manual/corner/drift/skid/drop as well with it at full height (wheelies are easier tho).
good point GW. manualling at full post height is just confusing....
tracknicko - what you say makes no sense! With your pedals level you must be at least the length of a crank over the saddle and able to position yourself wherever you like, surely? Even taking off a bit to allow for a bend in the knee you still have a good few inches or more clearance to the saddle.
Glen you're obviously an idiot!
i wouldnt go that far GW!
but glen i do disagree, you may have a bit of clearance above the saddle, but its not really a useable amount for pumping, bunny hopping etc. you really cant bend your knees enough to get enough 'spring' else you;d be sat down again!
That's nice - what do you mean? Does something I said not make sense? Or are you joking?
Normal pedalling height saddle has a nearly straight leg length from saddle to down pedal. Stand up on level cranks your bum is 175mm (seven inches) above the saddle. Bend the knees for a bit of spring, you still got a good four/five inches of clearance to the saddle and no need at all to be either fully in front of or fully behind the saddle.
tracknicko - I don't disagree that you can more around [i]more[/i] with the saddle down, but for most riding most of the time it is not needed. I'd far rather (and do) teach people to get their heels down and keep their head up and keep themselves centred just behind the middle of the bike.
Actually GW. I do resent that. I'm not the idiot riding around with a twelve year old's bike set up! Maybe you are a twelve year old though.
I see your point glen and for someone new to this I'd say that a dropper is a skills compensator to some extent. But what about someone who is good enough to ride most things and wants to start doing really silly stuff but still pedal up? that's why I'm getting mine.
different people ride different bikes in a different way shocker ...christ sake who give a to55 as long as the owner is happy doing what they are doing does it matter
ok. praps your right in regards to teaching new folk to concentrate on riding properly rather than changing the bike.
im happy with that, but its a bit of a side issue.
it IS faster to ride downhill and technical flowing stuff with the seat dropped. and for me faster = more enjoyable hence i drop mine.
the second i need to pedal at all ill whip it back up again.
oh and i dont have a dropper thing, mine lasted about 4 days in the alps before imploding. might as well have thrown my cash into the wind. i wont buy another.
Fair enough joolsburger. I do agree about the skills compensator thing - you can end up with poor detail in your technique, whereas if you ave a really nice rearwards-rotated bike engagement you won't go over the bars even if you get caught out with your saddle unexpectedly up.
Don't most of the WC DH riders ride with their saddles at full reach? I try and keep my saddle up. Can't bunny hop as high but can still hop over fallen trees etc, can pump, can jump (just not steep transitions) can't manual, can climb and corner better, cos it forces your weight forward which is always going to help you climb and descend. Weight over the front wheel is a good thing. Just need to get used to it, I've spent a while getting to the point where I'm comfortable with it though. Used to find it horrible so used to put my saddle down for descents.
thats an interesting point. but if we follow that on... why have a chat forum? we are all different. who gives a toss. end of... right?