Super steep seat tube angles, where to try?

There’s a bike I’m interested in which, probably unfortunately, has an 80 degree effective seat tube angle. It’s not available for demo, and I’ve read enough about the topic that I wouldn’t risk it without trying something similar.

My current bike is 77 and at my saddle height each degree is about 10mm, so I can only do about 1 degree with the rail range I have.

I’ve missed on Privateer at Tweedlove (141 is 79, 161 is 80), is there anything else and where?

Assuming it’s the seat-up pedalling position you want to try – you could stick a 15mm or 20mm offset post on your current bike and reverse it for approx +1.5 to 2 degrees, then slide the saddle fwd 10mm?

Great idea. I believe most setback posts can’t be reversed due to the angle of the clamp, but I happen to have a Thomson kinked one which can. It’s a 16mm offset and has a shorter clamp than my dropper so should be able to shift forward 20mm.

Have you tried slamming you saddle all the way forward on it’s rails to simulate a steeper seat angle?

Assuming your current post has the right clamp (or just buy a cheap fixed seat post with one to demo) you can get one of these. Not sure I’d trust it for loads of abuse, but to get a feeling for how it pedals you’d be reet.

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/saddles/vk-saddle-adjuster/

Put a bit more air in your shock until you’ve steepened the angle at sag.

But bear in mind that most super steep seat angles aren’t what they claim. I’d overlooked the Pipedream Moxie because the super steep seat angle (77.5 static so even higher at sag) was too much for me. But I found out that at my (fairly high) saddle height it’s over two degrees slacker than that – which works perfectly.

@Chiefgrooveguru – I follow the Andrew Major -2 rule when it comes to hardtails, I feel they work best with a seat angle and head angle about 2 degrees slacker than my full sus bikes to take into account the geo changes of a hardtail (on a 130-160 hardtail)

I’m sure I saw a thing the other day where someone was offering shim kits to change the angle of a dropper post inside the seat tube. I think the idea was that you’d stick a 27.9 dropper into a larger diameter seat tube with a wedge shaped shim thing to steepen the angle.

No idea where I saw it or what I was even looking for at the time.

I might have dreamt it.

Have you tried slamming you saddle all the way forward on it’s rails to simulate a steeper seat angle?

No, because prior to jameso’s tip that would only get me to 78.

Put a bit more air in your shock until you’ve steepened the angle at sag.

Interesting, if this gets close enough then would save me getting the dropper out to fit my offset post.

But bear in mind that most super steep seat angles aren’t what they claim. I’d overlooked the Pipedream Moxie because the super steep seat angle (77.5 static so even higher at sag) was too much for me. But I found out that at my (fairly high) saddle height it’s over two degrees slacker than that – which works perfectly.

Yep, planning to do some calculations using actual seat tube angle.

“Yep, planning to do some calculations using actual seat tube angle.”

I was inspired to email Pipedream about the Moxie having seen a group test with side on shots of each bike and noting that the saddle position longitudinally vs rear axle and BB was not as far forwards vs the other hardtails as the geometry chart claimed.

So have a look for photos. You can only calculate it if you need the height the ESA is measured at, or the forward offset of the base of the projected actual seat tube.

Tried the offset post in forward mode, and saddle slammed forward. Only gave it five minutes on flat terrain, but I hate it already.

Very cramped. I would not be comfortable descending anything sat down while so close to the handlebar. If I extend and relax my arms then I’m leaning backwards. Pedaling feels weird. Rear wide bit of the saddle is between my legs when standing up.