Saddle position and lower back question..

jj said:

Just wondering, how does the fore/aft position of the saddle affect the amount that the lower back
muscles are used/abused???

I'm not sure about used/abused, but sliding the saddle back seems to utilize the hamstrings and
buttocks more, as well as stretch the lower back. However, your ability to slide the saddle back may
be limited by your flexibility. If you're stiff, you can start forward, and move back as you gain
flexibility.

Matt O.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Just wondering, how does the fore/aft position of the saddle affect the amount that the lower back
muscles are used/abused??? Thx

If you mean how much work do they do, I don't know. I DO know that moving the seat back gives you a
sharper bend at the hip (smaller angle between your thighs and your torso), which can be
uncomfortable if you aren't very flexible.

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jj said:

Just wondering, how does the fore/aft position of the saddle affect the amount that the lower back
muscles are used/abused??? Thx

I feel more balanced when I slide the saddle back. Ie I don't have the feeling I'm going to tilt
forward onto my handlebars. This takes a load off my wrists and also lower back. However when I'm
stomping hard on my roadbike I can have the seat further forward without getting the feeling of
toppling over forward. Hence I'd say you'd want to figure out if you are going to ride soft or hard
before you decide on how your saddle position is going to affect you.

--
Perre

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In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

jj said:

Just wondering, how does the fore/aft position of the saddle affect the amount that the lower
back muscles are used/abused??? Thx

I feel more balanced when I slide the saddle back. Ie I don't have the feeling I'm going to tilt
forward onto my handlebars. This takes a load off my wrists and also lower back. However when I'm
stomping hard on my roadbike I can have the seat further forward without getting the feeling of
toppling over forward.

Me, too; in fact I find myself sliding a bit forward onto the horn when I'm pushing hard.

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Per Elmsäter said:

jj said:

Just wondering, how does the fore/aft position of the saddle affect the amount that the lower
back muscles are used/abused??? Thx

I feel more balanced when I slide the saddle back. Ie I don't have the feeling I'm going to tilt
forward onto my handlebars. This takes a load off my wrists and also lower back. However when I'm
stomping hard on my roadbike I can have the seat further forward without getting the feeling of
toppling over forward. Hence I'd say you'd want to figure out if you are going to ride soft or
hard before you decide on how your saddle position is going to affect you.

I thought saddel position was more about adjusting the position of the knee over the pedal for
maximum efficiency and comfort.

pk

PK said:

Per Elmsäter said:

jj said:

Just wondering, how does the fore/aft position of the saddle affect the amount that the lower
back muscles are used/abused??? Thx

I feel more balanced when I slide the saddle back. Ie I don't have the feeling I'm going to tilt
forward onto my handlebars. This takes a load off my wrists and also lower back. However when I'm
stomping hard on my roadbike I can have the seat further forward without getting the feeling of
toppling over forward. Hence I'd say you'd want to figure out if you are going to ride soft or
hard before you decide on how your saddle position is going to affect you.

I thought saddel position was more about adjusting the position of the knee over the pedal for
maximum efficiency and comfort.

pk

You're probaly talking about KOPS ( Knee Over Pedal Spindle), I don't think anybody acknowledges
this to be anything other than a gross estimate of where to start out. You also have to consider
the triangle that your pedals, saddle and handlebars form. Too far back and you fall backwards or
at least have too much weight on your butt and vice versa. I have this triangle set further back
on my MTB for balancing purposes at low speed and further forward on my roadbike for high power
output over long periods. My commuter bike is somewhere inbetween. Mind you I'm talking
differences of +-10 mm. The distance between saddle and bars is fairly similar with another extra
couple of inches to reach the hoods on my roadbike. Then of course you have triathletes that slide
their saddle even further forward. This has to do with trying to utilize the same muscle groups as
they use for running.

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Perre

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In article <[email hidden]>,=20 [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Per Elms=E4ter said:

jj said:

Just wondering, how does the fore/aft position of the saddle affect the amount that the lower
back muscles are used/abused??? Thx

I feel more balanced when I slide the saddle back. Ie I don't have the feeling I'm going to tilt
forward onto my handlebars. This takes a load off my wrists and also lower back. However when
I'm stomping hard on my roadbike I can have the seat further forward without getting the feeling
of toppling over forward. Hence I'd say you'd want to figure out if you are going to ride soft
or hard before you decide on how your saddle position is going to affect you.

=20
I thought saddel position was more about adjusting the position of the kn=

ee

Quoted message said:

over the pedal for maximum efficiency and comfort.

You're correct, "comfort" is the key. For some people, that means=20 moving the saddle away from the
"KOPS" starting point.

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"Per Elmsäter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Then of course you have triathletes that slide their saddle even further forward. This has to do
with trying to utilize the same muscle groups as they use for running.

This is probably a dumb question, but why wouldn't they want to favor OTHER muscle groups in the
bicycling parts of a triathalon as much as possible, so the running muscles would be fresher?

Mike Kruger said:

"Per Elmsäter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Then of course you have triathletes that slide their saddle even further forward. This has to do
with trying to utilize the same muscle groups as they use for running.

This is probably a dumb question, but why wouldn't they want to favor OTHER muscle groups in the
bicycling parts of a triathalon as much as possible, so the running muscles would be fresher?

I'm not absolutely certain here but I think it has to do with how they train. *Real* cyclists don't
like to run because it builds the wrong kind of muscles and vice versa. So I suppose that
triathletes just don't have the right kinda muscles for cycling and have to use the ones they have.
If they build muscles they don't need they are just ballast and still need oxygen that could be used
better elsewhere.

--
Perre

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In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"Per Elmsäter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Then of course you have triathletes that slide their saddle even further forward. This has to do
with trying to utilize the same muscle groups as they use for running.

This is probably a dumb question, but why wouldn't they want to favor OTHER muscle groups in the
bicycling parts of a triathalon as much as possible, so the running muscles would be fresher?

Because those "other" muscles aren't developed enough to give them enough speed.

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