Do you change your post height with New Saddle?

[Hawker]

I'm still trying to find the right saddle and have just exchanged my Arione for a Terry Fly. The cutout got rid of ALL my numbness up front but now my sit bones are hurting where with the Arione they didn't. But I'm getting off track...

Real question is...the Terry has quite a bit more padding than the Arione so I'm wondering if the actual length of my pedal stroke is affected? Or, does the padding compress enough that the actual height from the shell of both saddles to the pedal is the same? I'd rather not have to fool with the seat post height every time I change saddles.

What are your thoughts?

[nahtnoj]

I think the short answer to your question is that not all saddles are the same height from where they mount in the post to the area that you sit on, regardless of compression.

I run a saddle height of 80cm. If I switch saddles, I sometimes have to adjust the post up or down slightly to accommodate.

Perhaps the bigger issue is that it sounds like you are contacting this new saddle in different places than the old one, so the spot you use to measure saddle height might not be the same with each.

[mister]

i would measure the height with each saddle change. might need to move. might not.

[Lifelover]

Either

Your saddle should not deflect soo much that you need to consider it when considering post height

Or

Get another saddle that doesn't deflect soo much.

[Volant]

Any time I change a saddle, or build a new bike, I pull out my trusty yardstick that I rounded one end off for the crank and that has a glued-on paint stick from the Home Depot at the other end (perpindicular to the yardstick) and set my saddle height exaclty. The saddles I've tried don't vary in thickness, so, that hasn't been an issue for me.

[rwsaunders]

Any time I change a saddle, or build a new bike, I pull out my trusty yardstick that I rounded one end off for the crank and that has a glued-on paint stick from the Home Depot at the other end (perpendicular to the yardstick) and set my saddle height exactly. The saddles I've tried don't vary in thickness, so, that hasn't been an issue for me.

V....treat us to a photo...that sounds interesting.

[EddieBirdsell]

Any time I change a saddle, or build a new bike, I pull out my trusty yardstick that I rounded one end off for the crank and that has a glued-on paint stick from the Home Depot at the other end (perpindicular to the yardstick) and set my saddle height exaclty. The saddles I've tried don't vary in thickness, so, that hasn't been an issue for me.

Yes, I'd like to see this as well. A sort of a home-made Fit Stick, which I've contemplated attempting to create having only ever seen photos of them on this forum, never in person.

How do you account for fore-aft placement of the saddle with your method?

[dekindy]

Any time I change a saddle, or build a new bike, I pull out my trusty yardstick that I rounded one end off for the crank and that has a glued-on paint stick from the Home Depot at the other end (perpindicular to the yardstick) and set my saddle height exaclty. The saddles I've tried don't vary in thickness, so, that hasn't been an issue for me.

What is the matter with the old tried and true method of writing down the dimensions and filing for future reference?

[Dave]

Considering that every saddle is a bit different with regard to where the sitbones contact, the fact that saddles can vary by at least 1cm in rail height and all measuring methods are subject to a few millimeters of eyeballing error, you should never expect to change saddles and not have to change the height.

If you're an experienced cyclist and dialed in, you'll know within a minute or two if your saddle is too high or too low, just by feel.

I experimented with the Fizik Gobi XM, two SLRs and a Caymano this year. They were all slightly different in height and setback. They were all rejects too. I managed to find a few original Gobis on E-bay to fulfill my needs for another few years.

Once I have selected a saddle model for all of my bikes. I either measure to the saddle rails or the sharp lower edge of the saddle at a specific distance from the nose, so all of my saddle are set very close to the same.

[Hawker]

Thanks for the info guys. Let me switch gears a tad.

When trying several saddles against the one you've been riding....do you measure the saddle set-back from the center of the stem to the nose or to the back of the saddle?

Since a lot of saddles are different lengths, I've been positing them all based on the measurement to the back edge of saddle; figuring that I want my sit bones to essentially be in the same place with every saddle which I assume will keep my knee positioned in approximately the same place over the pedal.

Make sense?

[John M]

Thanks for the info guys. Let me switch gears a tad.
.... figuring that I want my sit bones to essentially be in the same place with every saddle which I assume will keep my knee positioned in approximately the same place over the pedal.

Make sense?

This is they key point. You want your butt to be in the same relation to the pedals from saddle to saddle. I have different saddles on my bikes and that sweet spot is not quite the same place in relation to either the tip or the rear of the saddle on each one. It is pretty close, but varies a bit from saddle to saddle. When setting up a new saddle, I measure my 75 cm BB to saddle top height to the middle or so of the saddle rails, start with the tip about 7 cm behind the BB, and then fine tune by feel. I know within a few minutes if the saddle needs to go a bit forward or back, tilt up or down, or if the seat post needs to go up or down a few millimeters.

[martinrjensen]

Definately saddle height in relation to the rails, is different on different brand saddles. It can be different on different models within the same brand also. This means that yes, you "may" have to adjust saddle height when replacing a saddle with a different model Either

Your saddle should not deflect soo much that you need to consider it when considering post height

Or

Get another saddle that doesn't deflect soo much.

[Dave]

Measuring the setback from the nose or the back of the saddle will only get you in the ballpark. If you want more exact placement, you have to do the plumb bob off the knee procedure and you really should be riding the bike with it leveled on a trainer.

I never go to that much trouble. Once again, when you're setup and in tune with the bike, you can feel when the setback or reach to the bars is close to correct, just by riding the bike. It doesn't take for me long to feel stretched out or cramped.

[Volant]

V....treat us to a photo...that sounds interesting.

I'll try to take one and post it tonight.

[Volant]

More of a cut-out, than round-off (it's been a while)...any way, here's a couple picks. One end rests in the cap of the crank, the other end has a center-line to align with the center-line of the saddle. I tend to run my saddle centered on their rails. This method allows the yardstick to align with the center of the seat tube. It works great with a straight seat post. Install your saddle on your post, level it, then slide it up until it contacts the stick and tighten it down. You may need to play with the fore-aft for your liking. It's obviously a cheap way to do it (free yardstick and free paintstick), but it's quick and it works.