Originally Posted by
brawlo
Going off my own fitting experience and the dialogue I had with my fitter, The rearward saddle works for the power, and you will naturally slide forward on the saddle for higher RPM. He demonstrated this with me as I increased the RPM and watched my body changing the angles (Retul fit so real time monitoring of data). So you can always slide forward for RPM but you won't hang your backside over the rear of a saddle that is set forward.
For anyone considering fit changes, this is very true for track. If one is coming from a road background, typically the saddle is chosen for individual fit and comfort over the long haul, because this is a necessity for longer road races. For track, the saddle is a little bit more viewed as a tool to perch on as the races are shorter. This gives one a lot more leeway in choosing a saddle to accommodate multiple or changing positions. Granted, us trackies still need good support on account of the G forces that can certainly add up over the course of a 20km points race or a 40km Madison. Still, if your races are shorter, you should think of a saddle that supports you well in the rearward "diesel" position, but is long enough to allow you to slide forward and perch on the nose when the RPMs go up. Typically this will mean a saddle that can end up different from one's road saddle. If multiple saddles/seatposts are being used (mass start vs TT), then you can go with a shorter saddle that still has the same sit bone support in the rear for TTs, but will allow you to slide it up further forward and still stay legal when it comes to bike checks. The thing to remember is not to try and replicate your equipment for different set-ups, but to accomodate your contact points while remaining legal in within the confines of the comissaire's jig.