Why do the pro riders have their saddles so far forward?

[screenman]

I know why they do it, it is because they know what works for them.

 

[Milzy]

You have small feet Milzy ?, you know what they say about men with small feet !

I'm not much over 5' 7" & my feet are 8.5 I'll have you know.









Small shoes

 

[jack smith]

Ive got size 13's and slam mine forward im 5"11 on a 56cm bike but i much prefer smaller frames and then i tend to centralise it

 

[youngoldbloke]

UCI Rules: ARTICLE 1.3.013
“The peak of the saddle shall be a minimum of 5 cm to the rear of a vertical plane passing through the bottom bracket spindle. This restriction shall not be applied to the bicycle ridden by a rider in a sprint event on track (flying 200 m, flying lap, sprint, team sprint, keirin, 500 metres and 1 kilometre); however, in no circumstances shal the peak of the saddle extend in front of a vertical line passing through the bottom bracket spindle.
The peak of the saddle can be moved forward until the vertical line passing through the bottom bracket spindle where that is necessary for morphological reasons. By
morphological reasons should be understood everything to do with the size and limb length of the rider." etc etc
- so the saddle cannot be positioned too far forward - except for 'morphological reasons'

”

 

[Milzy]

I can get more power down sat further forward not really sure how this works.... But it Does!!!

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I have mine as far back as it'll go, & have even considered filing the seat-clamps

Ribble


Ridley

 

[Cyclopathic]

So they cross the line quicker.

 

[DaveS]

With carbon fibre the material of choice in the pro ranks, the concept of custom made frames is pretty much over. Most pros ride the smallest frame they can for lightness and stiffness. This often means a steeper seat tube that puts the rider's backside a little further back than optimum. Shifting the saddle forward on the rails is the only option.

 

[woohoo]

With carbon fibre the material of choice in the pro ranks, the concept of custom made frames is pretty much over. Most pros ride the smallest frame they can for lightness and stiffness. This often means a steeper seat tube that puts the rider's backside a little further back than optimum. Shifting the saddle forward on the rails is the only option.

I don't think that is the case. A steeper seat tube moves the saddle centre point forward (the steeper seat tub combined with a slacker head tube angle is the way that many manufacturers use to shorten the effective TT length). So with a smaller frame, you have to move the saddle further back on its rails to get the same position as you would on a larger frame (all other things being equal).

Happy to be corrected if I am wrong.

 

[Drago]

And with the minimum weight limit there's no weight benefit to be gained with a small frame, and extending the length of the seat tube and squeezing on a larger/heavier rider largely negates any stiffness benefits of a smaller frame.

 

[Milzy]

And with the minimum weight limit there's no weight benefit to be gained with a small frame, and extending the length of the seat tube and squeezing on a larger/heavier rider largely negates any stiffness benefits of a smaller frame.

I can't agree with this fully. Not with pro riders anyway. Even the large muscle bound stocky sprinters in the pro ranks aren't actually that heavy compared to the average Joe Bloggs mammils.

 

[Rob3rt]

I would generally say, pay little attention to pro riders bikes fits and riding positions for a whole host of reasons. Especially time trial positions...

I can get more power down sat further forward not really sure how this works.... But it Does!!!

It opens your hip angle.

 

[DaveS]

I like the idea of opening my hip angle. Yoga?

 

[fossyant]

Rob has come along at last. I gave up at trying to think about it.

 

[Foghat]

I don't think that is the case. A steeper seat tube moves the saddle centre point forward (the steeper seat tub combined with a slacker head tube angle is the way that many manufacturers use to shorten the effective TT length). So with a smaller frame, you have to move the saddle further back on its rails to get the same position as you would on a larger frame (all other things being equal).

Happy to be corrected if I am wrong.

You are right, and DaveS has got it wrong.