Saddle fore and aft

fishdockroad
fishdockroad Posts: 20
edited May 2010 in MTB general
Hi there,

anyone know if theres a correct technique for setting up the fore and aft of your saddle?

I can find plenty of advice regarding setting the height but not about setting how far forward or back the saddle should be.

Found a website that showed me a technique for setting up my road bike and that seems to work fine so is it the same principle with an MTB?

Thanks.

Comments

  • Hercule Q
    Hercule Q Posts: 2,781
    wherever is comfortable
    pinkbike
    Blurring the line between bravery and stupidity since 1986!
  • Alienman
    Alienman Posts: 91
    There is an article some where on this site about setting up your bike. When you have the cranks running parallel to the ground, you should be able to run a line from your knee to the screw of the crank.
    '09 Rocky Mountain Fusion
  • Justinjured
    Justinjured Posts: 142
    from what i have read when the cranks are horizontal, and your feet are on the pedals, if a plum line from were droppped from the the tip of your foremost knee cap, it should line up with the axle of your pedal.
    i think this ensures that you are not putting undue pressure on your knees.
  • anton1r
    anton1r Posts: 272
    Justinjured wrote:
    from what i have read when the cranks are horizontal, and your feet are on the pedals, if a plum line from were droppped from the the tip of your foremost knee cap, it should line up with the axle of your pedal.
    i think this ensures that you are not putting undue pressure on your knees.

    +1 thats the way i understand it too.
    "I have a plan, a plan so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a fox." (from the Blackadder TV series)
  • timpop
    timpop Posts: 394
    Actually quite an important bit to get right, saves your knees from unnecessary pressure. A good bike shop will do a fitting service to make sure you're on your bike properly (and on the right bike). Gets your angles all worked out.
    Many happy trails!
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Most of the "bike fitting" can be discarded for general mountain biking, a compromise has to be made between efficiency and maneuverability on the bike.
    The knee lining up when seated however, is definitely something I'm going to try. I had a really bad year with my knee last year, and I'll try anything to keep it from going bang again!

    As the others have said, front of your forwardmost kneecap is meant to be in line with pedal axle when cranks are level
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    The rules with knee over the bb axle are for road bikes where the ride position is more defined. Try it, but don't rely on it.

    MTBs vary hugely.
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  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    supersonic wrote:
    The rules with knee over the bb axle are for road bikes where the ride position is more defined. Try it, but don't rely on it.

    MTBs vary hugely.

    +1 as you spend a lot of time standing up, moving around etc. Although I seem to spend 99.9% of my time climbing (spinning in granny) so maybe there is some point.
    Make sure the saddle is the right height, judge for and aft by body and arm position - should be comfortable.
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  • frogstomp
    frogstomp Posts: 412
    From a recent tech article..
    As a general rule of thumb, if you drop a plumb line from the centre of the saddle it should cross the chainstays almost exactly half way between the bottom bracket axle and the rear wheel axle.

    Mine is about as far back as it will go to give a stretched out feel.. might try setting up as the above to see how it affects things..
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    frogstomp wrote:
    From a recent tech article..
    As a general rule of thumb, if you drop a plumb line from the centre of the saddle it should cross the chainstays almost exactly half way between the bottom bracket axle and the rear wheel axle.

    Mine is about as far back as it will go to give a stretched out feel.. might try setting up as the above to see how it affects things..
    Waht the hell is that bollocks about? Does this take into acount different frame geometries at all? Nope, thought not.

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