Leveling Saddles

[Miranda]

Have any of you had the experience that some saddles are not designed to be level? :confused:

I have been on the saddle search for a while. The upside is that I've become quite skilled with my multi-tool, and DH's level tool out of the garage for installing:rolleyes:. But, some of them I just can not get level:(.

I wonder if I need a shim in the clamp to make it work? Sorta like a micro-adjustment.

Example: The saddle I rode tonight was a mens Specialized Avatar. I knew it was nose down slightly by the level, and could feel it in the ride as I was sliding forward onto my hands. When I tried to tilt it up to the next groove, it was nose up. Which means a wee bit too much pressure on the lady bits. I can hold it with my hand in the clamp, with the tool on it level... But, when I go to tighten the clamp, it does not stay that way.

This is not the first saddle I've had do this (mens and ladies models). I wonder if it's my seat post clamp grooves? (btw, regular road bike, wsd Giant OCR1). Some do level out nicely. So, is it just the saddle then, and not my bike?

Thanks for any thoughts! :)

[indysteel]

I have the same problem and my seat post is to blame. My fitter can get my saddle level more or less but it's difficult. He's recommended a Salsa seatpost (I'm sorry but I don't know which one) as being particularly easy to level.

[Miranda]

I have the same problem and my seat post is to blame. My fitter can get my saddle level more or less but it's difficult. He's recommended a Salsa seatpost (I'm sorry but I don't know which one) as being particularly easy to level.


Thx for chiming in. I thought I was going to have a big girl pity party one day right in the middle of my formal dining room where my bike lives and pms cry my eyes out.... all about leveling... "boo hoo, I just can't get it, bwaaa".

It's too much to drag to the shop as many things as I've tried, but I took their mechanical tips on use the tool, not the eye, etc. If your own bike monkey has trouble, I feel less like crying now:o.

I think the seat post your lbs guy is talking about is this one in the link below. I just googled Salsa seatpost, and went to their web site. It looks like it it has two screw adjustments in the clamp. My current seat post just has one vertical screw that threads through the two piece clamp.

Here's the link...(called the "SHAFT" seatpost)
http://www.salsacycles.com/seatposts.html

[emily_in_nc]

I had the Salsa Shaft seatpost on the Aegis Swift bike I recently sold. It is indeed a GREAT seatpost for leveling the saddle. It also has a nice amount of setback (23mm), which is good for those of us with longer femurs for our height. That's the primary reason I got it. I do remember that the only drawback was that it wasn't particularly light. My bike builder commented on that. Still, I was happy with it.

[aicabsolut]

Yeah, that sounds like your seatpost. Some are infinitely adjustable. Some have little notches. It seems like you need to be in between 2 notches on yours to get the right fit with that saddle. There are a lot of seatposts that are smooth at the top clamp so you can put it wherever you want.

[Tokie]

The seatpost on my Trek is the easiest to adjust ever! It really makes a huge difference! tokie

[Miranda]

Yeah, that sounds like your seatpost. Some are infinitely adjustable. Some have little notches. It seems like you need to be in between 2 notches on yours to get the right fit with that saddle. There are a lot of seatposts that are smooth at the top clamp so you can put it wherever you want.

YES... that is exactly what my seatpost clamp looks like. It has grippy grooves/notches in the clamps that resemble that of a plastic zip tie. I think when I go to torq down the tension, the nothes (if lined up on top of each other wrong, aka male to male pieces, vs female to male) slip... unleveling the saddle from where I had it originally.

My OCR1 is an aluminum frame, with carbon being only in the forks and seat post. When I got the bike as a new rider, it was plenty for my skills. Now, I want to upgrade to all carbon to smooth out the ride from the aluminum frame chatter. The carbon in the forks and seat post are suppose to be something in the current design that helps to smooth that out.

Hmm, obviously there are other seat post that might do it, but I wonder if some modification to what I have would do it...

OK, in reality, I'm assuming in this would not be "secure" on a ride, but I'm thinking about filling up the grooves in the clamp with tape, maybe a smooth rubber shim, *something* for a test. All I have on hand now is tape. Things like seat post rack clamps, handle bar light clamps, etc. come with rubber shims. That's sorta what my brain was thinking. Sure a shop could find me a carbon post without the groove issue (for a price, dunno what though).

[Miranda]

The seatpost on my Trek is the easiest to adjust ever! It really makes a huge difference! tokie

Thx Tokie...

As you know I have been saddle searching for a while. Part of this I just thought was the saddles. The SI slr lady is one of the few that's a pretty level saddle to start in design, and probably one reason why it has felt better to me than some of the rest... cuz I could actually get it in the correct position to ride it! Hmm, it makes me wonder now how many other saddles might have worked better for me if the leveling challenge didn't exists:confused::(.

[indysteel]

Thx Tokie...

As you know I have been saddle searching for a while. Part of this I just thought was the saddles. The SI slr lady is one of the few that's a pretty level saddle to start in design, and probably one reason why it has felt better to me than some of the rest... cuz I could actually get it in the correct position to ride it! Hmm, it makes me wonder now how many other saddles might have worked better for me if the leveling challenge didn't exists:confused::(.

Good point. When I first got my bike, I had a professional fitting and my fitter mounted my Terry Butterfly Tri Gel at the time, using a level. Sometime later, I replaced the saddle with a new Butterfly and installed it myself. I naively thought I could get it level pretty easily.

Wrong. Even with a level, I repeatedly tried and failed to get it level. All the while, my girly bits were very sore. I finally took it back to him and he was better able to mount it, but explained that my frustration was caused by the "knurls" or notches in my seatpost. I'm getting a new bike soon and will give a lot of thought to which seatpost to get. I definitely want one that's easier to adjust.

Good luck!

[aicabsolut]

You don't really need a carbon seatpost to help the ride. A carbon rear triangle on your bike would help more than the seatpost. Plenty of people run Al posts on carbon bikes for one reason or another. Carbon posts will be more expensive.

[OakLeaf]

My saddle does pretty well "as is," but when I had my fitting, my LBS mentioned the possibility of using a shim cut from a pop can to micro-adjust the level without replacing the seatpost. It would definitely take a lot of trial and error, but it's a cheap way to go. It would compress a lot less than tape or rubber.

Thomson seatposts are popular, and American Classic also has infinite adjustment.

[Miranda]

... I'm getting a new bike soon and will give a lot of thought to which seatpost to get. I definitely want one that's easier to adjust.


OK, you just read my of earlier today:). When I got my bike, I never really thought too much about my individual components design. It looked ok in "the bike package". While I still don't have it all nailed now, there are definately some things I know I want different. After this experience, I'm with ya... a post without this type adjustment factor for sure.

[Miranda]

You don't really need a carbon seatpost to help the ride. A carbon rear triangle on your bike would help more than the seatpost. Plenty of people run Al posts on carbon bikes for one reason or another. Carbon posts will be more expensive.

OK, that's good to know. Sometimes I've had the experience in the lbs that the part ends up being the most expensive whatever it is. I wonder, do I really need that for more $ ? But, I do know certain things you get what you pay for. I'll have to geek it out a bit.

[Miranda]

My saddle does pretty well "as is," but when I had my fitting, my LBS mentioned the possibility of using a shim cut from a pop can to micro-adjust the level without replacing the seatpost. It would definitely take a lot of trial and error, but it's a cheap way to go. It would compress a lot less than tape or rubber.

Thomson seatposts are popular, and American Classic also has infinite adjustment.

Thx OL:)... the Thompson looks nice. I would have never thought of the pop can shim.

I did try out my rubber shim today. I used a jar gripper piece out of my kitchen junk drawer:rolleyes:. I only went around the neighborhood at a slow speed with no traffic. So, I felt ok about testing it.

At first, I was so happy. Without the groove issue, I got it to work! It leveled out beautifully. Instantly when I mounted to ride... Much better. But, it didn't stay that way. Lady bits started to get some pressure. When I got home, I thought I'm going to re-check the levelness. It shifted of course. Nose up (body weight on the back of the saddle).

Part of it I wonder if I didn't have it torqed tight enough? :confused: I didn't really want to on the short test ride to mark it up. But, I wonder with the single screw design, and one washer, in the oval slot... does that make it more prone to shift? :confused:

It would make sense I guess after looking at the other seat post, like the Thompson with a set of screws, vs my one.

[aicabsolut]

But, I wonder with the single screw design, and one washer, in the oval slot... does that make it more prone to shift? :confused:


could be... maybe that's why that kind has the notches. i've also seen that with a few 2 bolt designs, like some FSA posts.

[Miranda]

could be... maybe that's why that kind has the notches. i've also seen that with a few 2 bolt designs, like some FSA posts.


Thx... That would make sense then. I think without the grooves, it's just slick metal to metal at an angle to hold into place at the washer. I rode most of the mini-test in the drops. I'm sure that put more weight on the washer. I'm glad you mentioned the FSA brand. When I did some limiting searching for a carbon post with a different design, I saw one you were talking about. But didn't know the brand. And couldn't see if it had the grooves in the clamp by the pic. I did do some reading on the triangles as well. That's an alternative I didn't know existed. None of our lbs seemed to have anything like that on the floor. Or ever even mentioned it as an option. Sometimes I think it's just dependent on the help at the time.

[aicabsolut]

Thx... That would make sense then. I think without the grooves, it's just slick metal to metal at an angle to hold into place at the washer. I rode most of the mini-test in the drops. I'm sure that put more weight on the washer. I'm glad you mentioned the FSA brand. When I did some limiting searching for a carbon post with a different design, I saw one you were talking about. But didn't know the brand. And couldn't see if it had the grooves in the clamp by the pic. I did do some reading on the triangles as well. That's an alternative I didn't know existed. None of our lbs seemed to have anything like that on the floor. Or ever even mentioned it as an option. Sometimes I think it's just dependent on the help at the time.

I don't have a lot of experience with different posts, but my BF's FSA has the grooves and was a 2 bolt design (maybe it had the triangular "data" head?). He has since changed it out to a Ritchey that I think is smooth. He'd love a Thompson post. They are probably the best aluminum posts out there.

I've used Specialized carbon posts only, and while my older one was a p.i.t.a. if you didn't have a cutout in your saddle b/c of where one of the bolts was, that was really the only problem. The newer clamp mechanism they have with the bolts on the sides (not underneath or on top) is much easier to use, and much easier to make fine adjustments.

Oh yeah, that brings me to another reason why some 2 bolt designs are a pain. With my older seatpost, there were 2 bolts, one that you accessed through the cutout of the saddle and one from underneath. You could in theory get the first one with a wrench underneath if you had to. Anyway, tightening one bolt had the tendency to tilt the nose up and the other had a tendency to tilt it down. You had to find the right balance of pressure between the two to get the saddle at the level you wanted. I also found that tightening one of them seemed to make more difference (like the nose was almost always pointed down no matter what), so I wound up having to undertorque that one a little bit to keep it more level. The newer style ones are so much easier.

Here's the look of my newer one. Note that I wouldn't necessarily spend $150 on a carbon seatpost. It came with my frameset. However, I would look for that kind of design if I need to buy a post in the future.
http://www.specialized.com/media/equip/2816-3015_-3020_d.jpg