6 Things You NEED to Know About Saddle Setup - BikeFitTuesdays

0:17 Saddle Height
3:13 Saddle Setback
7:34 Saddle Tilt
12:00 Saddle Width
14:29 Pressure Relief Channels
16:04 Types of Saddle

The following companies (that you'll see in my content) support me either financially or with free stuff, so huge thanks to these guys for helping the channel thrive:
Attacus Cycling,
Wilier Triestina,
MET Helmets,
Shimano,
fidlock,
Hutchinson Tyres
Sungod
Tailfin
GT85
Garmin

#cycling #bikes #bicycle

[cattalkbmx]

Thanks for the help. Even after the video I couldn't find proper alignment, so I just ended up taking the seat off. Now I just squat right over the shaft. It took a little getting used to at first, but it's breaking in nice.

[MasterGriff]

Fellas, I made a 10mm adjustment on my seat post. Didn't feel like I was toeing down previously but my hands were getting fatigued. And I leveled the seat to zero horizontal. Unbelievable change! I've been cycling for 30+ years. Next time I'm in the UK, I'm making an appt. Seriously, thank you.

[TommyW]

These BikeFitTuesdays videos are so informative and well presented - thank you for all the info you share!

[charliewhelan]

Mary Spender! Weird how two separate circles come together. She's a fantastic guitarist for those who haven't heard of her

[stefanozurich]

I juat wanna say back in August on the basis of these these bike-fit videos, I bought a Selle Italia Boost SLR Superflow and have found it to be wonderful. I'm thankful for these videos.

[kevinlyon]

More useful stuff from James, saddle is the only area I still need to perfect. A revisit to James will be on the cards for next year. 👍

[PauloSerra]

I have to give credits to James and Francis here ! Great content on the bike fit Tuesdays. I love cycling, but always had some issues due to physiology, had some bike fits, but they were basically all crap. Unfortunately I can't afford to travel to the UK just for a fit, and (understandibly) James does not do "zoom" bike fits.
Still, following the tips here, I was able to experiment with my position (and more important shoes) and am now almost pain free and having the most fun on the bike ever !
I can't thank you guys enough for this !

[antares]

I was born and raised in New Jersey (USA) and I talk fast. I am not in the same league as Francis and James. Love the subject matter and expertise in all the videos even if I have to pause and go back a couple of times. Keep up the good work and Happy New Year to all.

[ClamsAnonymous]

So many bike fit videos talk down to the viewer...repeating, ad nauseum, "it's beyond the scope of this video." This is so clear and helpful. Cheers

[KJohn]

Another great video from Francis and James. James is such a knowledgeable and enthusiastic presenter I am happy to watch even if I don’t have any issues with the current episodes subject matter. I do actually get a sore butt after about 1.5/2.0 hours of riding and find that if I just stand up for 20-30 seconds it relieves it-probably just blood flow-unless James knows different?

[kalenderquantentunnel]

What I really like about the SMP Dynamic is the fact that it does not allow for any kind of wrong positioning on the saddle. It is like a vise that gives you a more or less gives fixed position to craddle yourself into and I guess that is why it needs to be setup with more care than other saddles. All other issues that usually cause saddle-problems can then be sorted out as you will feel them instantly because you can't compensate any longer for them by slipping and twisting on the saddle. In the end, with bike, shoes and everything else adjusted properly, you can then even go back to something more conventional and less cringeworthy looking if you feel so inclined.

[Whitehawkvisionfilms]

Such great info! Not certain I know how to apply it, but it educates me more than I was 30 min ago. I am a Bike Pro in Texas. I was racing in MT on a new bike and saddle and at mile 24 I stopped my bike on side of highway in the middle of the race and ripped my bike shorts down and gave myself an inspection to see what the heck was goin on down there (spectators were thrilled)... decided to pullout of race get to phone and called a DR! Saddle had excessive padding. Get fitted later and told I need a Power Comp 168mm, , , too wide! It did however cure my soft tissue issues, but made riding obviously sub-optimal. My sitbone width has now been measured over 50 times using everything from cardboard and tinfoil to a Ratul machine and every contraption inbetween and I measure 111-118mm depending on which Vudu contraption you believe . So that is according to Ratul a 143 saddle or almost a 155 saddle. The 143 saddles make me feel like I am going to fall off the side so I am on a 155 as of this week. Because just like James said I cannot get my saddle tilt correct I find myself sitting off to one side because my "boys" can't find a happy place in the middle. I stuck with Specialized and decided that when I road the 155 Power Comp (in parkiing lot) that my hamstrings still rubbed wings of saddle, so I had been told the Power Comp was laterally flat, but a Power Arc was rounded and so one was a "plank" and one was a "log" feel... I went with the log feel thinking it would help with the hamstrings not hitting the wings. I am now on the 155 Power Arc Expert and it has a flared up rear which makes me tend to slide forward... ugh... anyhoo like James said (notice a "like James said" pattern here!) my sit position is more of a constant compromise to avoid this or that... I am going to level the "middle third" of the saddle tomorrow and see if that cures things and see if my saddle it too high as I run it a little high because likeJamessaid some of us went a bought a bike that is too big for us and if my knees are too bent I get knee pain... the journey with the Marquis de Sade continues... thanks James for all your help!

[dennismiller]

I am a 138 pound male at 5'5" and found the SMP evolution (2* nose down) to be the most comfortable saddle for me, despite their attitude towards the SMP's.

[andrewlucero]

I have learned more about setting up my bike from these videos than anyone I've found. Because of this I'm enjoying my road bike more than ever.

[mattsysko]

I have had several bike fits over the years and watch a lot of videos. Your videos are very descriptive and just make sense.

[Jarrych]

I love this info. I'm a casual rider, done a fair bit of bike commuting, off and on roads and light dirt and gravel, and I've been using the surprisingly solid included saddle that came with my 2012 cannondale quick 4. That being said, getting a slightly longer handlebar, mainly to better fit my shoulder width, with the same rise and sweep made a world of difference with general fit and then updating to slightly shorter cranks, 170 from 185, also helped a lot. It let me get the saddle in a good position, but also let me identify what I wanted to change about it. The transition from the seat to the nose looked a lot like the fabric scoop and always felt a bit in the way and the side to side rounder shape wasn't comfortable for me. Though technically a short nose saddle, I'm liking some of the wtb options as their wide is great fit and that nose transition cuts in a bit sharper and just seems to get out of the way, which means I feel like I can get into a solid position with it for regular pedaling. Your explanations have helped kinda put the pieces together with understanding the what and why of the various pieces and saddle shape issues coming together.

[benjaminhunt]

Best bike fitting channel by a mile.
Always really informative and very well explained.

[tomreingold]

In a world with so many idiotic bike fitters, it’s wonderful to hear from James who is truly helpful. Thank you so much.

[giodc]

Well, apparently the Selle Italia Boost SLR is good and James mentioned it twice. So, i had to go and get one and, how do i say this, it is indeed pretty nice! Saddle is sorted :D

[oumarh.gassama]

It's crazy how all your videos are jam-packed with top quality info. Simply invaluable. Thanks for sharing!