Back in the day (1970s), we talked of being "on the rivet". It meant getting far forward, often resting forearms on the handlebar tops (in the days before aero-bars), toes down, perched on the nose of the saddle (saddles were leather and riveted to the rails with one rivet on the nose of the saddle). Almost certainly not healthy for blood flow for men and it would have been impossibly uncomfortable for women. But that was when the basic bike set-up was handlebar tops not much below the saddle and a deep curve to drops well below the bar tops. So standard riding was relatively upright with flat back aero only for solo or through & off breakaway from a group (no separate time trial bikes then). Today, basic set-up is often with bars lower so your sit bones are almost pushing backwards against the back of the saddle rather than sitting down on the saddle. The saddle is a perch, along with hands and feet, it is not a chair. The move to shorter cranks and fatter tyres all help achieve more comfortable, longer, and faster rides than in old days. Age 69 and a pensioner, I wish I could afford a new bike with two sets of wheels for different purposes as modern bikes and positions are definitely superior to my days, it's not just a fashion thing. The downside: neck ache and a tendency to look down rather than forwards to read road and traffic conditions. Neck and shoulder ache are fixed by doing press-ups - about ten an hour during the day when convenient - something I only discovered 4 years ago, what a revelation!
I'm a great fan of UK Bike Fit having used their services approx 1 yr ago. I've used my bike for years and thousands of miles, but it was never *quite* right and I have plans for a meandering tour through Europe ... the tweaks they made - including saddle adjustments - have been fantastic and worth every penny!
I'm having trouble with the idea that moving the saddle forward would then cause a person to also shift their pelvis-on-saddle position even further forward and therefore end up on the nose of the saddle. Why wouldn't a person sit on more or less wherever the saddle is comfortable for them to sit on, assuming the reach isn't too long? Moving a saddle forward would decrease the reach so I don't see why a person would then shift even further forward on the saddle..
I don't think it happens necessarily, but it could and be caused by a) the need to make room for the back of your thighs, which go further back relative to the saddle once you "open up" the hips by pushing the saddle forward, making the rear of the saddle feel wider than before and/or b) less anterior rotation in the pelvis, which could again mean that now your saddle feels more comfortable in a different spot, I would say from my experience that without changing the saddle tilt for instance this different spot often ends up further forward, as you get less support from the front of the saddle effectively. All this seems sound to me, but I imagine it depends a lot on the saddle that you are using and of course your physiology
I must have an exceptionally accommodating bottom because I've only ever ridden stock saddles and never had problems. Makes me think I'm doing something wrong.
Both lucky and an example of average as mean getting it right - maybe you have sit bones, reach, legs, and feet that are spot on the top centre of the bell curve of position on a bike. How far and for how long do you ride? The old statistic of shirt collars: 100 people, average size 16, 49 people size 17 and 50 size 15, the size 16 collar fits just 1 person. I've also been pretty fortunate with just a couple saddles in 50 years being utterly unsuitable - I still have one - it was a high level saddle when I bought it maybe twelve years ago. It seemed to be perfect with just the right width for my sit bones. Trouble is, the sit bone width was worked out when sitting on a pad on a bench in the shop, not when reaching forward on a bike. The saddle itself is probably the correct width but the wings stick out a bit so they rub the inside of my thighs, wear out my shorts, and bruise my legs, so I don't use it and never got around to selling it. Meanwhile, the cheap saddle that came with my bash about town Orbea urban bike is perfect for several hours riding with casual cyclist friends, especially since I seem to have got everything right: saddle height, reach to bars, flat pedals that let my feet settle in their perfect positions, and trimmed 30mm of each bar end. Once we get past about 40% of people finding stock saddles are right for them, we hit 60% for whom it's all wrong, they ride a few times, then give up. I've seen a few friends and acquaintances over the decades transform from grimacing about getting on their bike to grinning from ear to ear with delight... just because I adjusted their saddle height, angle and set back. Occasionally, I try them on one of my old saddles so they end up buying the right one for them. Bike fit must be a huge factor in people sticking with their bike once they haul it out of the shed
Back in the day (1970s), we talked of being "on the rivet". It meant getting far forward, often resting forearms on the handlebar tops (in the days before aero-bars), toes down, perched on the nose of the saddle (saddles were leather and riveted to the rails with one rivet on the nose of the saddle). Almost certainly not healthy for blood flow for men and it would have been impossibly uncomfortable for women. But that was when the basic bike set-up was handlebar tops not much below the saddle and a deep curve to drops well below the bar tops. So standard riding was relatively upright with flat back aero only for solo or through & off breakaway from a group (no separate time trial bikes then).
Today, basic set-up is often with bars lower so your sit bones are almost pushing backwards against the back of the saddle rather than sitting down on the saddle. The saddle is a perch, along with hands and feet, it is not a chair. The move to shorter cranks and fatter tyres all help achieve more comfortable, longer, and faster rides than in old days. Age 69 and a pensioner, I wish I could afford a new bike with two sets of wheels for different purposes as modern bikes and positions are definitely superior to my days, it's not just a fashion thing. The downside: neck ache and a tendency to look down rather than forwards to read road and traffic conditions. Neck and shoulder ache are fixed by doing press-ups - about ten an hour during the day when convenient - something I only discovered 4 years ago, what a revelation!
I'm a great fan of UK Bike Fit having used their services approx 1 yr ago. I've used my bike for years and thousands of miles, but it was never *quite* right and I have plans for a meandering tour through Europe ... the tweaks they made - including saddle adjustments - have been fantastic and worth every penny!
@@Neilhuny thanks very much! Happy to help 😁
That's for that FYI 😊
Don't forget to wear quantity cycling shorts with some padding inbuilt.
@@ecopennylife finding the best shirts for you definitely helps 👍
I'm having trouble with the idea that moving the saddle forward would then cause a person to also shift their pelvis-on-saddle position even further forward and therefore end up on the nose of the saddle. Why wouldn't a person sit on more or less wherever the saddle is comfortable for them to sit on, assuming the reach isn't too long? Moving a saddle forward would decrease the reach so I don't see why a person would then shift even further forward on the saddle..
@@ucdcrush all to do with the balance of your body weight distribution in relation to the bike
I don't think it happens necessarily, but it could and be caused by a) the need to make room for the back of your thighs, which go further back relative to the saddle once you "open up" the hips by pushing the saddle forward, making the rear of the saddle feel wider than before and/or b) less anterior rotation in the pelvis, which could again mean that now your saddle feels more comfortable in a different spot, I would say from my experience that without changing the saddle tilt for instance this different spot often ends up further forward, as you get less support from the front of the saddle effectively. All this seems sound to me, but I imagine it depends a lot on the saddle that you are using and of course your physiology
There a few counter-intuitive aspects of setting up a bike. See the two comments before mine
I must have an exceptionally accommodating bottom because I've only ever ridden stock saddles and never had problems. Makes me think I'm doing something wrong.
@@chuckhunter77 a lot of people watching this will envy you greatly! 😅
Both lucky and an example of average as mean getting it right - maybe you have sit bones, reach, legs, and feet that are spot on the top centre of the bell curve of position on a bike. How far and for how long do you ride? The old statistic of shirt collars: 100 people, average size 16, 49 people size 17 and 50 size 15, the size 16 collar fits just 1 person.
I've also been pretty fortunate with just a couple saddles in 50 years being utterly unsuitable - I still have one - it was a high level saddle when I bought it maybe twelve years ago. It seemed to be perfect with just the right width for my sit bones. Trouble is, the sit bone width was worked out when sitting on a pad on a bench in the shop, not when reaching forward on a bike. The saddle itself is probably the correct width but the wings stick out a bit so they rub the inside of my thighs, wear out my shorts, and bruise my legs, so I don't use it and never got around to selling it. Meanwhile, the cheap saddle that came with my bash about town Orbea urban bike is perfect for several hours riding with casual cyclist friends, especially since I seem to have got everything right: saddle height, reach to bars, flat pedals that let my feet settle in their perfect positions, and trimmed 30mm of each bar end.
Once we get past about 40% of people finding stock saddles are right for them, we hit 60% for whom it's all wrong, they ride a few times, then give up. I've seen a few friends and acquaintances over the decades transform from grimacing about getting on their bike to grinning from ear to ear with delight... just because I adjusted their saddle height, angle and set back. Occasionally, I try them on one of my old saddles so they end up buying the right one for them. Bike fit must be a huge factor in people sticking with their bike once they haul it out of the shed