Saddle Help

downhill paul

For a while I have had the feeling that I am sliding forward on my saddle. (specialized riva road) this is the saddle with a slight dip and a cutout in the middle and a raised tail section, also with a cutout. if I sit back on the saddle, I feel like I am tilting forward, even though the whole saddle is level nose to tail. I have never felt like the saddle is rubbing on the back of my legs, so I'm not sitting too far back. it's almost like the raised tail section of the saddle is pushing me forward, but it's not uncomfortable and I still feel like my sit bones are being supported. I just keep having to adjust my position mid ride. I don't mean I am putting pressure on my arms and my wrists to keep me in one spot on the saddle. when I can tell I have slid forward I just move back again.
would buying a flatter saddle be my best option, or is there anything I can do with the saddle I have to improve my position? in the past I have thought that my saddle was too high or low, or my saddle was too far back, or my stem is too long. but now I am thinking that I may be sliding forward due to the shape of my saddle.
can anyone point me in the right direction?

geoffh73

Have you tried raising the saddle nose a little?
I find it helps me if i have mine set like that.

Geoff

cadseen

I always find i slide forward going "downhill" as well

jgsi

Riva again ...? throw it away

downhill paul

Ever since I got the bike I have been trying to find the best way to level the saddle I have.
leveling the saddle across the whole length leaves the nose a little low, leveling just the nose leaves the tail that kicks up a bit low. so no matter what I do the saddle will never actually be level, it will always be high or low somewhere.

gozzy

Your saddle doesn't have to be level.

If you're finding you're slipping forward, tilt the nose up a bit, ride it and see how it goes. Keep the allen key handy so you can adjust it mid ride.

downhill paul

Ive noticed that although the saddle is level from nose to tail, the dip in the center means that the nose of the saddle is slightly high, but not as high as the rear.
it does seem strange that the widest part of the saddle, designed to support your sit bones is so much higher than the rest of the saddle, so much so that if you sit right back on the saddle you feel like you are leaning forward. as I said in my first post, when I slide forward on the saddle, I don't slide so far forward that my sit bones aren't being supported. but I can tell that I am not sat in the position I was when I started.

ai_1

It seems to me there are seems to be 5 possibilities:
1. Your saddle is tilted too far forward for you. Tilt it back further.
2. The reach to the bars is too long. You need to shorten the stem or otherwise correct reach.
3. You're sitting on the wrong part of the saddle. Sit on the correct part of the saddle.
4. The geometry of the saddle is incompatible with your personal geometry. Change saddle or get drastic surgery.
5. A combination of the above.

You seem a little obsessed with the levelness of the saddle. A level saddle is just a recommended start point. For non-flat saddles that will often be best judged by putting a spirit level across the saddle. Curved profiles will normally want the central section more or less level-ish.

downhill paul

The saddle isn't tilted forward at all. it's actually tilted up. the reason I have gotten a little obsessed with my saddle being level is because I have had a similar problem since I first sat on my current saddle.
although the reason I slide forward may be due to a the saddle not being right for me, but until now I thought it was due to the saddle not being in the right position.

ai_1

downhill paul wrote:

The saddle isn't tilted forward at all. it's actually tilted up. the reason I have gotten a little obsessed with my saddle being level is because I have had a similar problem since I first sat on my current saddle.....

Have you tried tilting it further back or do you have discomfort from the high front?

As above, there are a few possible contributors. Try and rule them out starting with the easy and cheap ones. Easiest surely is to tilt the saddle further back unless you've already done so. Then shorten your reach (prefereably by shorteningthe stem, NOT moving the saddle forward). Moving the saddle back may actually be worth a try also as it will mean the pedalling motion pushes you back more on the saddle but again this will also impact reach so a shorter stem may be needed just to maintain reach and shorter again if yuo want to both move the saddle aft and reduce reach.

downhill paul

The nose of the saddle is already tilted up quite a bit even though the saddle is level from front to back (including the kick up at the back) the stem is the correct length as far as I can tell.
I think it's time for a new saddle.

ForumNewbie

downhill paul wrote:

The nose of the saddle is already tilted up quite a bit even though the saddle is level from front to back (including the kick up at the back) the stem is the correct length as far as I can tell.
I think it's time for a new saddle.

You are still saying the saddle is level from front to back. I would try tilting it back a bit further so that the nose is slightly higher than the kick-up bit at the back and/or sliding the saddle forward a bit on the rails so you are a bit nearer the bars.

My good bike's on the turbo at present and I kept slipping forward on the saddle when on the turbo, so I raised the nose so it is slightly higher than the back end, and that solved the problem.

downhill paul

The saddle is level from front to back, including the kick up at the back. but if I put a level on the flatter middle section of the saddle, the nose is raised quite a lot. I don't know by how many degrees the nose is raised, but it is tilted up quite a lot. maybe I just need a flatter saddle.
no matter how much the nose is tilted up, I still don't feel like I am sat all the way back on my saddle.

ForumNewbie

downhill paul wrote:

The saddle is level from front to back, including the kick up at the back. but if I put a level on the flatter middle section of the saddle, the nose is raised quite a lot. I don't know by how many degrees the nose is raised, but it is tilted up quite a lot. maybe I just need a flatter saddle.
no matter how much the nose is tilted up, I still don't feel like I am sat all the way back on my saddle.

Have you tried moving the saddle forward a bit on the rails so you are nearer the bars?

downhill paul

I might try that as it is set back quite a way.
almost to the max line on the rails.

ai_1

downhill paul wrote:

The nose of the saddle is already tilted up quite a bit even though the saddle is level from front to back (including the kick up at the back) the stem is the correct length as far as I can tell.
I think it's time for a new saddle.

I think you're missing the point.
Forget how level or otherwise it appears.
Tilt it back until it FEELS like it's tilted too far back and if there is no sweet spot between sliding forward and too much tilt you need either a new saddle or a new position.
You're still obsessing over how level it is.

gozzy

Put your spirit level away, it's clearly not helping you out. You are allowed to have the saddle as wonky as you like if it makes it comfortable for you.

downhill paul

I've just been out for a short ride after tilting the nose up a little further, I also moved the saddle forward a little. during the ride I still had to keep moving back on the saddle.
maybe I should point out that I don't just keep sliding forward, I slide forward in to one position and stay there until I move myself backwards.

ForumNewbie

downhill paul wrote:

I might try that as it is set back quite a way.
almost to the max line on the rails.

That sounds like it might be the reason rather than it not being level. You could be sliding forward because your body is stretching too much to be on a saddle that is too far back on the rails.

ForumNewbie

downhill paul wrote:

I've just been out for a short ride after tilting the nose up a little further, I also moved the saddle forward a little. during the ride I still had to keep moving back on the saddle.
maybe I should point out that I don't just keep sliding forward, I slide forward in to one position and stay there until I move myself backwards.

Could it be that the saddle is too wide at the back? I see that you can get Riva at 143 and 155mm, and if 155 it may be too wide for you. Other than that you may need to upgrade to a better saddle - you could try a Specialized Avatar. I bought an Avatar 143mm late last year and seems good, although just on the turbo at present.

downhill paul

It is the 143mm version, which came with the bike but I have been measured for a saddle (simply out of curiosity) and found that 143mm is the perfect width for me. maybe it's just because my saddle kicks up so much at the back and this is pushing me forward.

ai_1

downhill paul wrote:

I've just been out for a short ride after tilting the nose up a little further, I also moved the saddle forward a little. during the ride I still had to keep moving back on the saddle.
maybe I should point out that I don't just keep sliding forward, I slide forward in to one position and stay there until I move myself backwards.

In that case I'd tilt it up a little further and try again. Repeat until you don't slide forward or you have comfort or stability problems because it's tilted up too much. If the former doesn't happen first then you move onto the next variable. \probably reach IMO.
Also it's a good idea to make one change at at time while troubleshooting. If you combine changes like moving the saddle forwards and tilting it at the same time you can end up not knowing what's gong on.

sparklehedgehog

i think you need to slide it forward more.

are your knee caps over the pedal spindle when the pedals are horizontal? i bet they're behind the spindle at the moment

downhill paul

My knee is directly over the pedal spindle when the cranks are level.
but the problem is that I then slide forward in to the middle of the saddle while riding. meaning that my knee cap will end up in front of the pedal spindle.

rowlers

I have/had this exact same issue...Best I've got so far is a Rido saddle. When you get it in the right spot, there is zero pressure on the perineum. I still feel as it I'm moving forward slightly but no where near as bad as before.
Good idea about the saddle being too wide

Grahamsjz

downhill paul wrote:

For a while I have had the feeling that I am sliding forward on my saddle. (specialized riva road) this is the saddle with a slight dip and a cutout in the middle and a raised tail section, also with a cutout. if I sit back on the saddle, I feel like I am tilting forward, even though the whole saddle is level nose to tail. I have never felt like the saddle is rubbing on the back of my legs, so I'm not sitting too far back. it's almost like the raised tail section of the saddle is pushing me forward, but it's not uncomfortable and I still feel like my sit bones are being supported. I just keep having to adjust my position mid ride. I don't mean I am putting pressure on my arms and my wrists to keep me in one spot on the saddle. when I can tell I have slid forward I just move back again.
would buying a flatter saddle be my best option, or is there anything I can do with the saddle I have to improve my position? in the past I have thought that my saddle was too high or low, or my saddle was too far back, or my stem is too long. but now I am thinking that I may be sliding forward due to the shape of my saddle.
can anyone point me in the right direction?

I had the same saddle and same symptoms. Kept at it for over 1,000 miles but never managed to get it right.

I have now moved to Specialized Romin (the Evo Gel version) and I no longer slowly move forward. I do find the new one more comfortable but I moved up in width size which could account for that.

Good luck.

ForumNewbie

rowlers wrote:

I have/had this exact same issue...Best I've got so far is a Rido saddle. When you get it in the right spot, there is zero pressure on the perineum. I still feel as it I'm moving forward slightly but no where near as bad as before.
Good idea about the saddle being too wide

It was just a suggestion as I thought slipping down his saddle could be caused if his saddle was too wide, as my hybrid saddle is wide and I tend to slip to the front on it despite it being level!

kajjal

One thing I would mention is make sure you are on level ground when setting your saddle in the right position and tilt. I did mine on a incline and it threw everything out, with the front too low etc. Once I did it on level ground it was much better and just needed a few more minor tweaks later on.

holiver

I too had a similar issue on my Kinesis. I started off with two saddles that weren't flat, including one which I used and still use a lot on my Scandal.

A flat saddle has made a world of difference for me. I went for a Selle Italia SLS which is ~£27 at Ribble. I would recommend it.