Modern Mtb Seat Angles and Fore-Aft???

[HowardCosellsPR]

So... just curious about this... and it might be a total 'noob' question... but:

For folks who split time between road and mtbs, how are you dealing with/setting up your mountain bike fore-aft given the new geometry (eg... ~76d seat tube angles)?

Thanks, HCPR

[ah87]

On my Esker Japhy (hardtail) I keep my saddle pretty much level, but I also don't ride in an aggressive position on my road/gravel bike.

[darkmother]

Changing from road bike to MTB feels a bit strange if you have been riding one or the other for a longer period of time. For me, I find I adapt to the change fairly quickly, but it takes a few rides to feel at home after a switch.

One thing I find: My hamstrings, which are usually pretty tight, get *super* tight riding upright with steep seat tube angles. If I don't pay attention to that, bad things happen to my lower back muscles, piriformis etc.

[darkmother]

Also, don't set your MTB up like your road bike. Took me a while to figure this one out.

Lots of stem length and decent drop is a good recipe for me on tarmac.

The same offroad just does not work for me.

[John H.]

My short answer is "not ride one".
I know many folks like them, but I am not in that majority. I hit my limit at about 1 hour where I can't pedal them any longer. This is less true if the ride is more up and down than on the pedals. But on the pedals for an hour and my body shuts down.

That said, there are a few bikes that are not as steep. Epic Evo comes to mind.
You can also get (I have this on all of my mountain bikes) a 9point8 dropper with 25mm of saddle setback.

The other thing I have noticed about these steep seat angle long reach bikes is that they don't work well for folks that are "reach challenged". Take a really long bike with low stack, short reach and an already short stem and you have nowhere to go if you if you need to shorten up reach.

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by John H.

The other thing I have noticed about these steep seat angle long reach bikes is that they don't work well for folks that are "reach challenged". Take a really long bike with low stack, short reach and an already short stem and you have nowhere to go if you if you need to shorten up reach.

Welcome to my hell. 5'7", >32" inseam, and arms like a t-rex. I'm lucky to get a road bike that fits, let alone a progressive mountain bike.