# Saddle Position - Sliding Forward - Help please



## iridepinarello

Can someone please help?

I am having a weird issue and can't figure out what's going on. In the last month or so, I have been getting the feeling that I am always sliding forward on my road bike saddle. This is resulting in my constantly having to reposition myself back on my saddle and added pressure on my wrists and back. I am not sure why this has been happening lately.

To relieve this feeling, I've titled the nose of my Fizik saddle up almost 7.5 degrees. While this is more comfortable, I've never had to ride with my saddle pointed up. For over 20 years, I was able to ride with its level or .5 degrees up at most. 

Any idea what has caused this feeling of sliding forward? Do I need to lower/raise my saddle? Slide it forward or backward? Any thoughts on some basic steps to take to test things?

FWIW, I ride a road bike that has been fit for me several times and have had 2 "repositioning" clinics done to make sure I'm "technically" in the right position. 

Thanks for the help.


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## Ventruck

Fore/aft positioning isn't solely dictated by your body's geometry but also by personal preference regarding where you want to be over the pedals. I could be dead wrong, but it may turn out that your habitual sliding forward is due to your actual preferences. 

I ride a pretty forward saddle setup. Every time it was rearward, I always wanted to slide forward and remain until those sit bones were really hurtin' on the "rivet". But, in a biomechanical sense, I am perfectly capable of riding with some setbacks for hours on end without any significant change in performance. I simply don't like it as much.


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## bicicletă

Why did you have several different fits?


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## Dinosaur

*You might try*

(1). If you feel yourself moving forward, move your saddle forward a tad. Ride and see.

(2). Make sure that your saddle is level. 

I have my saddles set so I can use the entire width. Sometimes I move forward, sometimes aft, most of the time dead center.

Pack a hex wrench with you a fine tune on a ride. Most of bike fit is by feel.

BTW- I have a Fizik Arione and it's about 1 cm forward of my other saddles...


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## bicicletă

Tilting your saddle up that much is not good. Along with the obvious increased pressure from the nose, it also prevents your pelvis from rotating forward - putting strain on your lower back.

Your symptoms are synonymous with not being correctly balanced over your bottom bracket. A likely cause is that your saddle is too far forward on its rails - causing your weight to be biased forward onto your hands, as well as your sit bones to be sliding forward on the saddle. Did these problems start after one of your fit sessions?


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## SystemShock

For me, the couple of times I've experienced constant sliding forward on the saddle, it's been because I've had the saddle set too far _forward_, not too far back.

I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I think it has to do with not being able to brace yourself properly against your own pedaling force. Seated too far forward = pulling back through the bottom of the stroke sends you forward.

I move my saddle further back, and the problem goes away. But that's me.
.


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## Creakyknees

+1, 7.5 tilt is not the answer

describe the situations where you slide forward?

for me, it's when I'm riding very hard / "under pressure" I end to tense up a bit and forget about proper form, open chest etc. The result being, my abs tense up, my back arches and I slide forward.

and, that's actually fine, in the given situation - a short intense effort. but when that's over, can you slide back, open up the chest, relax the abs a bit, and breathe?


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## Dinosaur

*I might not be the saddle position*

It could be your stem length. Sometimes when riders experience problems with saddle position they forget about their stems. Maybe you stem is too short and you are pulling forward. You might need a longer stem. Just a thought.


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## ncvwnut

If you go to your fitter, does he/she have you ride on a trainer? That would be something to consider. I know my LBS has lifetime fittings as long as you own the bike. They put you on a computrainer. You fitter can see you gradually move forward.


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## danl1

SystemShock said:


> For me, the couple of times I've experienced constant sliding forward on the saddle, it's been because I've had the saddle set too far _forward_, not too far back.
> 
> I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I think it has to do with not being able to brace yourself properly against your own pedaling force. Seated too far forward = pulling back through the bottom of the stroke sends you forward.
> 
> I move my saddle further back, and the problem goes away. But that's me.
> .


It's not universally true, but this is my personal experience as well.


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## jorgy

SystemShock said:


> For me, the couple of times I've experienced constant sliding forward on the saddle, it's been because I've had the saddle set too far _forward_, not too far back.
> 
> I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I think it has to do with not being able to brace yourself properly against your own pedaling force. Seated too far forward = pulling back through the bottom of the stroke sends you forward.
> 
> I move my saddle further back, and the problem goes away. But that's me.
> .


This was my first thought, too. Lower the saddle a tad and move it back.


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## cmg

at the current position can you let go of the bars and not fall forward? move the seat back until you can, level it first. if you place the saddle where you can let go and not fall forward but the bars are too far away go to a shorter stem. experiment while your in your favorite gear. Write down the measurements first before you start adjusting.


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## roadfix

One way I determine saddle tilt is to ride no hands. Either sit up straight or bend a little forward to simulate riding on the hoods. You can immediately tell if your saddle tilt needs adjusting.


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## Peter P.

Either:

Your seat's too high, and you compensate by scooting forward until your legs have a comfortable reach to the pedals.

Your saddle shape is such that it slopes down toward the front.

Your saddle is tilted down too much. But if you're tilting it 7.5 degrees UP to stop the slide, then this is not a likely cause.

Even though you may have had all these technical "fits" and maybe your knee is over the pedal spindle already, you still need to slide your seat forward so your thighs/knees can naturally align over the pedals.

Your reach to the bars is too long, and you try to compensate by sliding forward on the saddle. Could be you need a shorter top tube/stem combination.


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## curtism

I had the same issue last year. It turned out to be a combination of two factors. First, the top wear surface of my saddle had become "polished" over time and was allowing me to slide easily. Second, the shape of the saddle was such that when I put pressure striaght down, the slope of the area under my "sit bones" forced me to slide forward.

The answer for me was choosing a saddle that had a more textured surface and had the proper shape for my "sit bones" (i.e. didne't force me forward when sitting in a normal position).

Good luck!


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