As bars go lower, does the seat go back?

[Bodhbh]

Just messing about with the position on my newly built flat-barred roadrat. I normally ride fairly upright with the bars close to level with the seat, but I'm having a fiddle at dropping them a bit - which feels more natural on this bike anyhow.

Anyhow, I notice since dropping the bars a couple of inches, and my torso lunges forward, my arse wants to go further back on the saddle - so I'll have a play moving the saddle back. I guess my question is it it usual to move the seat back as the bars go lower?

All the noobie reading I've done on bike setup suggests you tune the saddle postion indepentdently of the bars. The other thing is with a setback post already, the saddle postion is starting to look very far back.

Well just wondering - after a few long rides, not far off a comfortable postion now - no doubt get there with iteration soon enough.

 

[Rob3rt]

No. The saddle should be set up with reference to the cranks only, handlebar position as an absolute has no bearing on it. You then alter your handlebars. You do NOT alter saddle with reference to handlebar position. However, if you have changed something at the front and it has changed how you are sitting on the saddle, you will need to alter the saddle, taking reference the crankset only as a reference, while in the new riding position to suit the way you now sit on the bike.

Generally though (coming from a TT background when getting low at the front is the norm) as the bars go down, saddle goes forward and up to preserve the hip angle.

 

[Bodhbh]

Cheers - I had a look and the saddle is already right back on the rails already. It's a Charge Spoon and wider at the back than the saddle I use on the commuter, which maybe I'm not used to. I may just put a few more miles on the bike before tinkering with anything more.

 

[e-rider]

No. The saddle should be set up with reference to the cranks only, handlebar position as an absolute has no bearing on it. You then alter your handlebars. You do NOT alter saddle with reference to handlebar position. However, if you have changed something at the front and it has changed how you are sitting on the saddle, you will need to alter the saddle, taking reference the crankset only as a reference, while in the new riding position to suit the way you now sit on the bike.

Generally though (coming from a TT background when getting low at the front is the norm) as the bars go down, saddle goes forward and up to preserve the hip angle.

this post is a bit contradictory
as you say, if you fit tri bars to a bike, you will need to alter the saddle position by bringing it forward, therefore handle position and saddle position are linked!
anyway, to the OP, lower handlebars will mean more weight is carried through the upper body rather than the saddle, it's simple physics

 

[Graham]

Rob3ert, I am no expert and defer to your expertise but if you drop the bars, your torso drops and closes your hip angle? To preserve it, you would drop the saddle and/or push it forward. However if you move the saddle up or down do you then risk problems with knee angles? Or is this solved with different crank lengths? I baffle myself with this stuff ......

 

[fossyant]

For a road bike or other you leave the saddle alone.

TT bikes are set up differently, as you are far more stretched out than a road bike, and the angles are the same.

Rob3rt is correct about the road bikes, and the same from the more extreme TT positions if you have a time trial bike.

General riding and racing, not time trials, don't mess with the saddle position if its correct.