_ForceD_

I’m just beginning to wonder/notice that rider-saddle interface discomfort on a properly adjusted saddle might be affected by the fit of my spandex/lycra cycling shorts. Of my several pairs, there are a couple that are several seasons old. The spandex has become less snug over time. And, I have a couple newer pairs that still have their close-fit snugness. It seems that when I wear the newer ones which offer more support and hold everything together in a nice snug package that I don’t experience that saddle interface discomfort nearly as much. I’ve got a few pairs of new shorts on order and will investigate further.

Dan

Road Fan

Iride, you're a pretty savvy and experienced rider. A 1 inch saddle lift is a large amount, for me - why did you do that? I presume you raised it on a bike you have used "a lot," so what made you do that? I generally raise the saddle when I have been off the bike for a while and my then-wimpy legs feel it in my knee. When I raise in this case I do more firm sitting on the saddle, increasing pressure on my underside parts. I think the lifting also tend to rotate my pelvis forward, which also moves the pressure from my sit bones to points in front of the sit bones. This can make me skootch the nose down bit by bit to maintain comfort. As I ride more I tend to lower the saddle incrementally, Then the nose tends to come back up to where it was.

I also notice any good saddle setting is only good for the rides I've been doing. If I increase distance, say from a regular 10 mile distance to 15 miles, I may have to make additional refinements to position. I think half the reason for long-distance training is to develop a comfortable and sustainable position.

Iride01 

Because it was 1 inch too low. <grin>

For what ever reason, when the weather gets cold I don't ride as energetically or hard as I do in the summer. In November, December and January I'm only riding a day per week and at what I can say is a leisurely pace. So lowering my saddle makes for a tad more comfort for those leisurely rides. I'd probably benefit with a cruiser style bike for the winter days, but my garage has no room. I'm quite the pack rat!

I have found that on a road bike, my ideal saddle height for high effort rides is 109% of my 34.5" inseam. For less energetic rides 106% seems more comfortable. That works out to roughly 1 inch. Don't quote me as advocating that formula for everyone. I don't like it when people use formulas and ignore what their body is telling them. However I have seen the 109% inseam stated by some as a good starting point for a road bike.

I measure my saddle height from the top of the saddle about where my sit bones normally are to the top of the pedal when furthest away from the saddle. That lets me get my saddle height close enough when I try out bikes with various length cranks. Not that I actually do that very much.