Saddle up riders

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 up 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 more 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.

@mick.

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?