How do you measure flat on a Fizik Arione

[DRZRM]

So I'm trying out a Arione for the first time, and when I start with a new seat I generally start with it level and work from there as I feel it out. So I adjusted height from center of BB, adjusted fore/aft, slapped a level on the seat and went out for a ride. I'd say it felt fair; now it may just not be the seat for me, but it feels like the nose was slightly pointed up and I was sliding back. When I looked more carefully at the seat I realized it has a pretty flat nose to center and then the tail of the Arione curves up some. To get the center of the seat flat it seems like I may want to adjust the nose to center part flat, and let the tail sweep slightly higher.

So when you guys start with a "neutral" or flat Arione, do you run the level across the nose just to the center of the seat, or do you place it on top from the nose to the tail?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'll give it a couple hundred miles so see if I can tweek it no my needs, but if you can offer any advice on initial setup you may save me some uncomfortable experimentation.

[konstantkarma]

My unscientific method is to stand the bike up level and eyeball it. Smaller adjustments made on the go after riding for a few minutes. Just set up my arione on a new seat post today using this method. I initially measured from the seat post collar to the middle of the saddle rails, and fore-aft from steerer center for the other measurements.

[Peter B]

I do it pretty much the way you describe. Lay a torpedo level on top, aligned w/ tip of saddle. My position then has the tip down ~1/8 relative to where the other end of the level sits near the tail of the saddle.

[pdmtong]

I just eyeball the flat fromnt section to level. when done right, the saddle literally disappears for me. if the nose is down too much I feel it in the sit bones with no support in front. if the nose is up too much, well, the boys start yelping.

[rustychisel]

flat for fore-section, slight curve up at the rear. I found my first Arione to be exceedingly sensitive to this adjustment and was about to get rid of it when I tried the literal one-last-time.

[dogdriver]

Initially eyeball, then take a hex wrench with you on the next ride and play around according to what your bottom tells you. Agreed with all of the above posters, but it does take a little fiddling to get right.

[Dave]

If you had a post with a 2-bolt rocker style clamp, you wouldn't need any method, other that to eyeball level, get on the bike and ride it. If if feels nose up or nose down, get off the bike, loosen one bolt and tighten the other about 1/4 turn each until you get the right feel.

If a saddle needs a significantly lower nose (like the Fizik Gobi that I use), I place the end of the level on the tail, hold the level in a true level position and measure a specific distance down to the nose. What that angle is doesn't matter since it's repeatable.

Some people forget that a level is only accurate is the bike is sitting on a level floor. Most garage floors are sloped, so don't fall for that mistake.

[tv_vt]

Forget eyeballing it or even measuring it. Just ride it and bring along whatever tool you need to adjust your seat angle and seat height. Adjust until it feels right. For me, that seems to be slightly nose-up. It feels level to me, but when I get off the bike, I see that it's tilted up in front.

Thom

[Uncle Jam's Army]

All good advice above about adjusting it to feel. I adjust the saddle so that the middle part (where I sit most of the time) is level. I have one of those small, circular Black & Decker laser levels that works great for this.

[DRZRM]

Thanks guys,

I flattened out the mid-section of the seat, and it felt much better today. Still may need a bit of tweeking, but I'm pretty close. I would have gotten there eventually with small changes between (or during) rides, but your responses made it a much quicker transition with less discomfort. I think I like this seat.

Cheers!

[konstantkarma]

My Arione has served me well. Although its rails did not play well with a Thomson post. Too much squeaking. Replaced the Thomson with a WCS carbon....glorious silence!

[Ralph]

I put a flat board or clip board on seat, front to back, and then place the level on that, as a starting place. And always have the bike exact same spot in my garage. Not saying that is a better or correct measurement of where flat is, I just think it's easier to adjust from there, since where you put the level not so important then. Easier to make small changes from there I think. But where I live, it's easy to ride in and out of my garage until it's like I want it.