# Introduction and seating question



## sprtbiker (May 29, 2008)

Hello all. New to the forum. A little about me: Started riding a few years ago mainly to stay in shape. I really enjoy it. I ride mostly road bike but have done some mountain biking. Tend to hurt myself more often when I mountain bike. 

Here is my question. When I sit on the saddle, I tend to move forward to the edge of the saddle instead of having my butt on the saddle. Usually when I am pushing a little harder than normal, i tend to move forward. How can I prevent this? Do I loose power when I am sitting like this?


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

Not necessarily- if you take a look at a good TT rider, you'll see that they don't touch the wide part of the saddle. Moving around is a good thing. As long as you have a good fit and a comfortable saddle, then move wherever you feel most comfortable/powerful... depending on the situation.


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## velogirl (Oct 14, 2005)

Sprtbiker, is this a process of slide (forward) & scoot (back)? If so, it could indicate one of four bike fit issues (or possibly a combination of them).

First, is your saddle nose down? This would "push" you forward and also cause undue stress on your hands, elbows, shoulders, neck, etc. If that's the case, I would recommend levelling it for a more neutral position.

Second, is your saddle too wide for you? If so, that could be one reason why you're not seated on the crown of the saddle. 

Third, is your saddle to far back? Ideally, your patella is 1-3cm behind the pedal spindle. If you're fit further back you might be subconsciously moving forward to correct this.

Lastly, is your cockpit length too long? If it's hard for you to reach the bar you might be moving forward to shorten that reach.

Is riding forward on the nose bad for you? It's not the way the bike was designed to be ridden, especially for long distances. The nose of the saddle could be taking too much stress and it could degrade too quickly.

Hey Andrea! Just an FYI, but TTers ride on the nose of the saddle because strict UCI regulations dictate the fore/aft position of the saddle in relationship to the bottom bracket. If someone's not racing USI events, it's much more efficient just to move the saddle forward and sit in the proper position.


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## sprtbiker (May 29, 2008)

velogirl:
I do belive my saddle is level. Actually used a level to make sure. Don't think the saddle is too wide either. I do know, because of the way I sit, I tend to me a little sore after my rides. Lately I have been trying consciously to stay on the saddle. Someone told me that I get more power that way. 

As far as the other factor: too far back, cockpit too long, etc. I will check those tonight. 

Thanks for the feedback so far.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

velogirl said:


> Hey Andrea! Just an FYI, but TTers ride on the nose of the saddle because strict UCI regulations dictate the fore/aft position of the saddle in relationship to the bottom bracket. If someone's not racing USI events, it's much more efficient just to move the saddle forward and sit in the proper position.


Hmm... I was always under the impression that you just didn't need anything but the nose when you're rolled forward towards the pubic bone in a TT position


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## velogirl (Oct 14, 2005)

while it might not feel like you're placed on the entire saddle, you are, even in the TT position. you're not seated upright on your sit bones, but there is still contact there.


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## sprtbiker (May 29, 2008)

velogirl said:


> Third, is your saddle to far back? Ideally, your patella is 1-3cm behind the pedal spindle. If you're fit further back you might be subconsciously moving forward to correct this.


Can you explain this a little more. Where is my petal when I check this?


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

sprtbiker said:


> Can you explain this a little more. Where is my petal when I check this?



Pedals level (have someone help you, it's difficult to do accurately yourself). Sit in the normal position on the saddle, wearing cycling gear. Hold a string with a weight against the forward kneecap. For traditional "Knee over Pedal Spindle" position the string should intersect the pedal axle (hint: put the string on the inside of the foot).

Many road riders prefer to have the saddle back a bit from that, giving the quoted 1-3cm measurement.

Saddle back involved the glutes more and is better for seated climbing; saddle forward involves the quads more and is better for sprinting.

One possible cause of your scooting forward on the saddle is having a saddle that is too far back. That'd cause you to have to slide forward to get a better position.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Grab onto both sides of the kneecap when your leg is extended. Now, bend your leg to 90 degrees while still pinching each side of your knee. Place the weighted string right where your fingers were. The pedal axle should be 0-1cm behind that point.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Also, tilt your saddle up 1-2 degrees.


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## sprtbiker (May 29, 2008)

iliveonnitro said:


> Also, tilt your saddle up 1-2 degrees.


I am going to try that. 

I measured my knee to the pedal thing and I am target. This is what I think may be wrong: My top bar might be a little too long for me. 

I am going to a local bike shop next week to have them measure me and my seating position to determine the root cause. Will let you know what they tell me.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Knee over pedal is old fitting advice. Usually the knee falls ~2cm behind the pedal's axle.


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## edhchoe (Jun 3, 2007)

When I stand from sitting on a chair, I naturally move my feet under my butt to get more support for the weight. Wouldn't it be more efficient to use the whole bodyweight by having the pedal behind the knees?


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