Cheap forward seatpost(s)?

declan1

Hi everyone!

I've been trying to get a set-forward seatpost for a while now, as my road bike is too big for me. My saddle (as you can see in the pics) is all the way forward, yet when pedals are level and using the plumb-bob technique my knees are still an inch or two behind the pedal. I have to sit right on the nose of the saddle to get in the right position, and this is (obviously) extremely uncomfortable.

I've looked at the Profile Fast-Forward post, but it's rather expensive and isn't long enough.

I also ordered a Thompson set-back from Ribble, but they phoned me up and said they didn't have any in stock, and now it's too expensive.

So, does anyone know of a cheap forward seatpost with a fair amount of forward adjustment with a size of 27.2x350mm?

Thanks!

rpd_steve

Just spin your current one through 180 deg so the 'lay back' becomes a 'lay forward'. Cheap way of doing a funtionsl fix.

declan1

RPD Steve wrote:

Just spin your current one through 180 deg so the 'lay back' becomes a 'lay forward'. Cheap way of doing a funtionsl fix.

Tried that. Saddle points way up in the air

andrewjoseph

declan1 wrote:

RPD Steve wrote:

Just spin your current one through 180 deg so the 'lay back' becomes a 'lay forward'. Cheap way of doing a funtionsl fix.

Tried that. Saddle points way up in the air

is it not adjustable?

Best thing is to get a frame that fits. But you already know that. ;-)

declan1

andrewjoseph wrote:

declan1 wrote:

RPD Steve wrote:

Just spin your current one through 180 deg so the 'lay back' becomes a 'lay forward'. Cheap way of doing a funtionsl fix.

Tried that. Saddle points way up in the air

is it not adjustable?

Best thing is to get a frame that fits. But you already know that. ;-)

It's adjustable, but it just doesn't have enough downward adjustment when it's reversed.

I got the bike online (big mistake) and assumed that since I'm 6'1" and every sizing guide said get a 58cm (which is what my bike is) it would fit, however it doesn't.

declan1

I think I've found a solution (finally!).

I ordered these two:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Replacement-B ... 228wt_1163

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Straight-Allo ... 055wt_1163

So hopefully that'll bring the saddle forward enough!

andrewjoseph

Hope that sorts it for you.

However, have you tried riding with the original setup? i know you said your knee is way behind the pedal, but is it comfortable?

the knee over pedal theory is a guide only. you adjust fit to be comfortable. I'm too far forward when my knee is exactly over the pedal axle, so I shift back to be comfortable, probably about a 1cm.

So, if it's comfortable way behind, then there is no problem.

andrewjoseph

Just looked at the viking post in your links.

You state there that the saddle position feels great. Has something changed?

declan1

andrewjoseph wrote:

Just looked at the viking post in your links.

You state there that the saddle position feels great. Has something changed?

I thought it was perfect until I tried my dad's Peugeot (which fits me perfectly). Its really uncomfortable.

MichaelW

You probably have odd rattio of upper leg/lower leg. I have long shins and use an inline post to achieve a forward saddle position.
The alt to a custom frame would be a triathlon style frame; they have very steep seat tubes but you could set one up for normal riding rather than the triathlon aero position.

declan1

MichaelW wrote:

You probably have odd rattio of upper leg/lower leg. I have long shins and use an inline post to achieve a forward saddle position.
The alt to a custom frame would be a triathlon style frame; they have very steep seat tubes but you could set one up for normal riding rather than the triathlon aero position.

Yeah I've got weird body proportions - long legs, short body.

NewTTer

declan1 wrote:

MichaelW wrote:

You probably have odd rattio of upper leg/lower leg. I have long shins and use an inline post to achieve a forward saddle position.
The alt to a custom frame would be a triathlon style frame; they have very steep seat tubes but you could set one up for normal riding rather than the triathlon aero position.

Yeah I've got weird body proportions - long legs, short body.

If that were true you wouldnt be suffering with the problem you describe! more like a cant reach the bars problem thus looking at a shorter stem.
Dont take this the wrong way but I think you need to get someone to look at the bike for you as you seem quite confused with this issue, and at 6' 1" a 58 should be well in the ball park for you, not so far wrong that you are considering heath robinson fixes with seat posts

declan1

NewTTer wrote:

declan1 wrote:

MichaelW wrote:

You probably have odd rattio of upper leg/lower leg. I have long shins and use an inline post to achieve a forward saddle position.
The alt to a custom frame would be a triathlon style frame; they have very steep seat tubes but you could set one up for normal riding rather than the triathlon aero position.

Yeah I've got weird body proportions - long legs, short body.

If that were true you wouldnt be suffering with the problem you describe! more like a cant reach the bars problem thus looking at a shorter stem.
Dont take this the wrong way but I think you need to get someone to look at the bike for you as you seem quite confused with this issue, and at 6' 1" a 58 should be well in the ball park for you, not so far wrong that you are considering heath robinson fixes with seat posts

I've already got a shorter stem, which feels better. I just thought that I'd need a large frame considering the length of my legs. I didn't think about knee position or reach.

MichaelW

NewTTer wrote:

declan1 wrote:

MichaelW wrote:

You probably have odd rattio of upper leg/lower leg. I have long shins and use an inline post to achieve a forward saddle position.

Yeah I've got weird body proportions - long legs, short body.

If that were true you wouldnt be suffering with the problem you describe! more like a cant reach the bars problem thus looking at a shorter stem.

These are 2 different types of oddity, you may have both. If you just sketch out the pedalling geometry using a stick man, you will see how the ratio of upper leg to lower leg affects your saddle fore-aft requirement. The pedal at 3:00 is probably most revealing.

richardmathie

Are you riding on a Viking frame? It is my experience that the bikes from that manufacturer have very long top tubes for their size. This could result in your hips being to far back.

declan1

richardmathie wrote:

Are you riding on a Viking frame? It is my experience that the bikes from that manufacturer have very long top tubes for their size. This could result in your hips being to far back.

This was a long time ago I'm on a 56cm bike now which is much better!

Raffles

declan

I was looking at the 2 items you have bought to push your @rse forward, how does that work as I cant visualise what is going on.

declan1

Raffles wrote:

declan

I was looking at the 2 items you have bought to push your @rse forward, how does that work as I cant visualise what is going on.

You basically attach the clamp to the top of the seatpost as normal, but you insert it with the clamp facing towards the front of the bike. The clamp has a huge adjustment range so you can keep the saddle level. Maybe this will help (please excuse my absolutely rubbish paint skills...):

Salsa

Got one of these posts in 27.2, if that idea of yours doesn't work and you think this post might then PM me.

richardls

Thanks for listing those two parts on ebay. I love your original straightforward question that was utterly over-analysed by the others on here. I too need to move a seat further forward on a bike for as cheap a price as possible, and have used a similar extremely cheap ebay solution of old fashioned seatpost and saddle clamp reversed.

FYI it is for a turbo trainer on which I am mounting an old aluminium bike frame that I had lying around and I need to replicate a TT position without buying another TT bike or using my nice TT bike on the turbo.