Whats the view on the right angle for a saddle?

I’ve recently had a few months off due to a disc problem in the L5/S1 joint and wondering what impact saddle angle will have on riding generally.

If I put it down will it take the pressure off my back or add it? Ive ridden for the past year with it angled downward.

Absolutely 100% horizontal.

Absolutely 100% horizontal

Lol.

Whatever angle suits yer erse.

Too many variables, experiment and see what works for you, try going from one extreme to the other and go from there.

Wot no beer said. I run mine nose up

I’ve had some back problems and I found ever so slightly nose down did help. You might find it adds more pressure on your arms though.

I read in MBUK of some pro XC rider (can’t remember who) who ran his saddle really nose down. Said it worked for him, it did look really extreme though.

I’d start with it absolutely flat and if that doesn’t work then slowly alter the angle a small amount every ride until it feels comfortable.

It’s possible a different saddle may help as well but changing the angle first is a lot cheaper 🙂

Hmmmm it’s about 10deg nose down at the moment. I’ll experiment.

My test is to lift your hands off the bars a small amount – slide forward tip the nose up. slide backward tip it down

I usually start from ~0 degrees flare-forward using the Saddle Adjust app and go from there, depending on if/where I feel discomfort.

4 deg nose down for me.

Flat for everything except TT, where a tiny nose down is ok as weight is taken on forearms. The fore and aft position is just as important though.

If saddle is dead flat nose down, if saddle has an S shape then usually middle portion horizontal.

Guess I just like something to push back on.

I start flat then adjust as necessary, usually isn’t much past a degree or two.

I used to say flat, but nowadays some saddles seemed to be designed differently – they are flat with a rise at the back so they appear to be nosed down. Basically, put the weight on your sit bones not your perineum, when the rest of your riding position is sorted. Most of my bikes are a few degrees nose down now.

Spirit level on floor to check then bang on level 🙂

My test is to lift your hands off the bars a small amount – slide forward tip the nose up. slide backward tip it down

Yes because you spend 99% of your ride riding no handed don’t you.
Just play around with it until it feels comfy to YOU.
My personal preference is nose down a touch. Then again I only sit on the seat during long fireroad climbs. Most of the rest of the time the seat is dropped and i’m stood up.
That’s totally useless advice to anyone else though as they’re not me.
Whatever works for you is right.

I like mine somewhere in the middle of where Chris Porter has his on his Geometron and where used used to have the nose way up for slalom and BSX in the early 2000’s. Erring on slightly nose down.

On the night of the full moon, align it with Uranus.

“My test is to lift your hands off the bars a small amount – slide forward tip the nose up. slide backward tip it down”

That’ll be horizontal then…….

Put it horizontal and tried it out – feels loads different and noticeably better. Also noticed the saddle had slipped all the way back some how.

Thanks for your input

I used to say flat, but nowadays some saddles seemed to be designed differently – they are flat with a rise at the back so they appear to be nosed down.

This is certainly the case with some saddles. I mostly use Specializeds. The road saddles are almost completely flat, the MTB ones have a pronounced flip up at the rear. Either way, I have mine set up as flat.

I start flat but generally end up a degree or 2 nose down.

Depends on the bike, mostly slightly tilted down, on my Geometron with a Burghtec Cloud further tilted down than this for the extra length of the top tube for comfort

The cool MTB kids shove them all the way forward on the rails and angle them down.

Mine are a bit forward (apart from on the bike with the trendy steep seat angle) and maybe just a tiny bit downward.