Saddle height when descending

Had a T130 in Large for a while now. Love it in most respects, but have always had nagging feeling about the saddle height when descending.

I’m 5’10” with a 32″ leg. The seat tube is 19″ plus the reverb 125mm. I have it all the way in the collar and at full extension it’s offers a great climbing height.

But when fully dropped, I still get hit in the balls by my saddle sometimes when going down rocky descents, forearms low and body low over the bike. Unless I’m over the back of the saddle, I’m always aware and wary of its presence. Even when boosting over undulations and ledges often causes me to make contact with the saddle as I compress on landing.

To put it into context, when I’m stood pedals level, legs bolt straight, the saddle comes to about 2″ above the top of my kneecap.

Does that all sound like the saddle is too high for me when fully dropped, or is it simply a matter of techniche, I.e. keeping my legs LESS bent and my lower torso further over the back of the saddle? If it’s the former I think I’m going to sell it!

There will always be occasions when you hit the limits of your setup. I’ve been hit in the sternum by my saddle (non-dropper but fully down at the time) when I’ve been a long way off the back.

I’m the same size as yourself, maybe a little taller but not much, and ride a large Solaris which has a 19″ seat tube and I’ve also the 125mm travel Reverb but run it with about 50mm of the lower tube showing as this gives me the right pedalling height. I’ll get hit by the saddle now and again but not enough that it’s a problem. It’s usually after a drop when I’m absorbing the hit and the back wheel goes over something that pushes the bike up – my body’s dropping and the bike’s coming up = contact.

Does that all sound like the saddle is too high for me when fully dropped, or is it simply a matter of techniche

Given this…

at full extension it’s offers a great climbing height.

…it sounds like its set to the right height.

I have it all the way in the collar

…doesn’t sound like you could drop it any lower anyway or switch to a 150, so 125 is the max you’re going to get in the way of drop so I’d say improve your technique/accept the odd hit.

Having said that, given your height, I’d have thought you’d be a medium for the T130 particularly as Whytes are fairly roomy

I get by with a 125mm drop Reverb. I’ve maybe hit my chest on the seat once or twice but I’ve never noticed it was a problem.

If you can’t run your Reverb at full extension because the seat tube is too long… that’s a problem. But since that’s not the case, GOI?

You say with pedals level, the seat height is 2″ above the knee. If sounds like you are dropping one pedal on techy sections, rather than descending with pedals level, which will give much more clearance.

from full pedalling extension height 5″ drop is hardly anything.
especially if you ride flat pedals.
I slam my saddle by between 9-11″ if I’m jumping, messing around or riding super steep stuff. even just manualing 5″ drop isn’t really enough to give you room to move around.
But when I’m clipped in I rarely drop it at all.

Why does it make a difference whether you’re using SPDs or flats? Just curious.

from full pedalling extension height 5″ drop is hardly anything.

I’m pretty sure its about 5″

which is more than enough to get it out the way

sorry to break this to you bud. 5″ is most definitely small

SPDs allow you to descend in confidence without dropping your heels or rotating your rear pedal back and also allow you to pick up the bike without first pre-loading the pedals. you simply need less room to squat down and move around a bike when clipped in therefore the saddle doesn’t need to be as far out the way.
a 2ft bunnyhop clipped in is fairly easy with the saddle at full extension but on flats you’d struggle to get that high without dropping the saddle. try it?

Full sus bikes do not require as much saddle drop as hardtails either but I’ll let you work out why for yourselves on that one.

If you think your saddle is too high, look at some photos of the pros’ downhill bikes. Much higher than you’d expect. Does that make you feel better?

mtbel, you are GW aren’t you? You say all the exact same things!

Modern geometry means you don’t need to be off the back So much any more. Try getting more central and weighting the front for grip and getting hit in the balls will go away. As chief says, check the DH pro bikes and how high their saddles are.

If you think your saddle is too high, look at some photos of the pros’ downhill bikes. 99% are clipped in and all are riding 8″+ suspension

exactly as Much higher than you I‘d expect.

Hill is a massive exception to this rule. a small guy who runs a pretty high saddle with flat pedals but if you watch him ride, he actually uses the saddle to aid grip and weight the bike through corners like no other rider clipped or flat. it’s insanely good to watch how he does this.

I think the Sam Hill argument is a good one. If you’re riding street/jumps (and of course trials) then perhaps you want your seat out of the way. But for DH / Enduro / trail riding then you can make the dropped seat useful for leaning / applying pressure etc – but only if it’s not too low.

a 2ft bunnyhop clipped in is fairly easy with the saddle at full extension

If you can do a 2 foot bunny hop with a saddle at full extension (SPDs or no SPDS), I’ll eat my cleats. 😆 This is in the realm of “impossible” let alone “fairly easy”. Obviously you are a trail riding God but I still want some proof.

I slam my saddle by between 9-11″

Your frame must be tiny!

And I find 5″ plenty on my HT, with flats.

get eating then son.

I can hop 2′ on my roadbike, nevermind mtb

😆

I can hop 2′ on my roadbike, nevermind mtb

Really? I mean, like actually 2 feet AKA 24″ AKA 61cm which is near-as-dammit the height of a normal 26″ MTB wheel? On a road bike? Without dropping your seat? Actually don’t bother answering that. Because I won’t believe you.

Perhaps you could send your CV to Mr M Ashton, I think he needs your skills for RBP4 🙄

I certainly wouldn’t sell it. I’d suggest technique and getting used to it.

People ride with their saddles up all the time, dropper posts are a pretty new invention.

I used to be a saddle dropper but I can’t remember the last time I put it down these days as I just practised riding with it up all the time when I started doing more XC and marathon racing.

WTF?

yes.

To put it into context, when I’m stood pedals level, legs bolt straight, the saddle comes to about 2″ above the top of my kneecap.
Does that all sound like the saddle is too high for me when fully dropped, or is it simply a matter of techniche, I.e. keeping my legs LESS bent and my lower torso further over the back of the saddle? If it’s the former I think I’m going to sell it!

I compared my bike (which has a 5″ dropper) when I was out this evening. I’m 5’10.5″ with a 33″ leg on a medium Spitfire (technically a 16.9″ seat tube). My saddle comes to definitely more than 2″ above the top of my kneecaps in the same position and it’s plenty low enough for descending. The saddle is 1″ higher when dropped on my hardtail (4″ dropper) and that’s ok but not as ideal, partly because it’s higher but also because the back of the bike bucks about more.

I’d say you have a technique issue and that it’s not that you’re bending your legs too much but that your hip hinge is restricted – you need good flexibility and core strength to get into a proper balanced position for descending.

I don’t believe you need a particularly low saddle when on flats because once it’s dropped about 5″ it is not only lower but further forwards so you have room to move around it. The only thing you can’t do is keep your hips low and move them forwards at the same time but I can think why you’d want to do that? I think the most common mistake with body position when descending is to be too upright and too far forwards at the hips.

Fit a standard seatpost. You will be able to get it lower.

Can we have a video demonstration mtbel? I too would love to see a 2ft bunny hop with full height saddle, road or MTB.

There is so much WIN in this thread.

🙂

no probs. you and superficial must video yourselves eating a set of cleats (each) though smatkins.

bolts, washer plates an’ all.

[Quote]mtbel – Member
I can hop 2′ on my roadbike, nevermind mtb [/quote]

*swoons*

take off a hat.. the heat is obviously making you unwell

“sorry to break this to you bud. 5″ is most definitely small”

Lol! Extensive research found that the average was 5.1″, so yes 5″ is technically small. Not sure how the research was done but apparently it was completely scientific.

I hope we’re talking big roadie cleats, not those crank brothers ones that are made out of cheese.

roadie cleats are mainly plastic.. far too easy to digest.

I want real commitment here!

My tuppence:

On my Blue Pig with flats I tend to:

– Set seat to Roadie/Max efficiency height for long flat slogs or long smooth climbs

– Drop seat 1-3″ for really rough climbs and rooty/packhorse tracks [and alternate sitting standing a lot]

– Drop seat 3-4″ for rough/flowy/fast downhills [dropoffs <60cm ish] and hover over the seat with knees taking the hits and still pedaling

– Slam seat 12″ ish for things so steep I have to have my arse behind the rear axle and then pray a bit.

I have a QR Seatclamp, and I’m always fiddling with it. Sorry guys 🙂

YMMV YSHMV 🙂