TSawyerLV

My bike fitter put an ISM PL 1.1 on my bike for me to test out. I have had it for a while and I am ready to change it to the saddle that was always the end game - SQ Labs 612 Ergo Active. The problem is my fitter only seems to be available before 3:30pm M-F which doesn’t work with my work schedule.

With the two saddles being shaped so differently, does anyone have any suggestions on how to replace it on my own and put it in the right position?

Rdmonster69

I'm just an old rebel that does things by looking. Soooooo ....with that caveat in mind ....if it was me.... I would best guess where my sit bones touch the old saddle and use a tape measure to get the distance from that point to the handlebars. Measure a couple of times to get your best ball park. Translate that number to the seating surface of the other saddle. You will be in the general vicinity and can then adjust as needed till it feels right.

or pay your fitter.

I used a similar method to set up a new build with a slightly different frame size geo and got things very close to the feel of my other bikes. Time and riding will show what changes I need to make.

Iride01 

Can't you just put it on and then see whether it feels good or not?

If it doesn't feel right then move it a little. Fore, aft, nose up, nose down... your choice.

When you can get time with your fitter, then get to them to see what they think of where you set the saddle position.

Make certain your saddle clamp is for the new saddle. You might can damage the rails.

Rdmonster69

This is what I do after I ball park it with a tape measure. Sometime what "feels right" isn't what one would expect on set up.

zandoval 

Don't be afraid, your bike fitter is not ridding your bike. You can always put it back where it was at. Often I have exaggerated and made extreme adjustments to find out where I am at in bicycle fit, and then went back to where I was... And then... There you are... Ha

cyclezen

Pretty much, This ^...
I measure from where my sitzbones to the center of the stem cap, but ultimately the length to the bars is the setting you want - but if you're not changing the stem... either is fine.
use a level to measure your current saddle tilt, and translate that to your old saddle, This may slightly change if there's some difference in saddle front/back profiles.
Measure center bottom bracket to top of saddle along the seattube/post or to bottom of level... that gets your seat extension set handgrenade close...
Then tweak...
Ride On
Yuri

TSawyerLV

I should have been a little clearer. I have already paid him so the money isn’t an issue. My main issue with scheduling time with him is he rarely has availability during a time when I am off work.

Given the rather odd shape of the saddle currently on my bike, I am wondering if there is a way to get it close. I will look into it this week before the weather gets really nice.

Rdmonster69

My post and the other will get you close for sure. Try it ...you may be pleasantly surprised and can save a inconvenient trip until a more convenient time.

genejockey 

This. Get the height and fore/aft in the same neighborhood, within a few mm. Set it dead level, unless you know this saddle is meant to be set otherwise. Ride it and try to feel whether you feel like you're either reaching out for the bars or pushing back off them. Feel whether you're having to reach with your toes at the bottom of the stroke or like you're 'flatfooted'. Adjust accordingly. Then adjust your seat angle so you don't feel like your perineum is being crushed when you're in the drops, but not so far nose down that you feel like you have to keep sliding your butt back.

HookUp

Ditto.

Just fitted a new used bike to my omaph lompah body and it rides nice. Did have to swap out the seat because it had a slit in the middle to cool off lady parts and my man parts kept getting stuck in it.

Rdmonster69

Lol !!! All my seats have the relief down the middle. No man parts getting stuck. Maybe you should quit riding commando !!

zandoval 

Many or us would ride Commando if we could ride Commando... Ha

DaveSSS 

I can usually tell quickly if the reach to the bars feels too close or too far, compared to my previous setup. I've never paid a dime to a fitter. Some believe in KOP. I'm usually further back. Once set, I measure the setback of the saddle nose to the BB center, so I can replicate it on another bike. Last, I record the saddle tip to center of bars dimension. Saddle height above the rails varies too. It's important to check from the BB center to the area where you contact saddle, but there's always some trial and error involved.

Iride01 

Well some do. Even here in the states!

google naked cycling

RNAV

Here's the system I use which enables me to duplicate measurements from one bike to another down to the mm. I stand the bike up vertically and place the rear wheel perpendicular (i.e. right angle) to a wall. All measurements are taken from either the floor or the wall (I can then use the wall to bottom bracket and floor to bottom bracket measurements to compensate for differences in tire size, chain stay length, and bottom bracket drop between different bikes, but that's beyond the scope of what you need).

Since you're using the same bike, all you need to do is mark where on your current saddle your sit bones are located. Measure the distance from the wall to this location (B4 measurement). Measure from the floor to the top of the saddle at your sit bone location (B7 measurement). These are effectively your seat height and setback (X, Y coordinates) measurements.

Then mark approximately where your sit bones are located on your new saddle and install the saddle on your bike. Make whatever setback (fore/aft)/ saddle height adjustments you need to make such the the sit bone location on the new saddle gives you the same B4 and B7 measurements you recorded with your previous saddle.

Because I'm anal retentive, for repeatability I ensure the bike is perfectly vertical by placing a level against the rear wheel (otherwise, your floor to seat top measurement can be off if the bike is tilting one way or the other).