Does seatpost need setback?

Touring, city, and recreational riders tend to need more setback then a racer does. The more upright position requires more setback to put your legs in a more efficient bio-mechanical place. The other factor is the rail length of the saddle. Different saddle makers have different rail lengths.

How do you measure a setback on a bike?

SADDLE SETBACK: From the nose of the saddle, drop a plumb line and measure how far the line is behind the bottom bracket. The saddle setback affects your balance point on the bike and its handling.

What is offset on a bicycle seat post?

Offset or “layback” can range from 0 mm to 45 mm. A seatpost with offset is necessary when the seat tube angle of the frame is too steep to give the desired saddle setback (the horizontal distance between a plumb line hung from the nose of the saddle and the bottom bracket spindle).

How much is a saddle setback?

Bike saddle offset can range from 0 mm to 45 mm and is often used when riders with longer femur’s need to get further behind the bottom bracket. Using a saddle with more offset will allow greater adjustment behind the bottom bracket. However, for most riders under 180cm, no special saddle offset is needed.

What is setback on a bike?

Saddle setback in cycling refers to the horizontal distance between the centre of the bottom bracket and the front tip of the saddle. Using COG, the optimal saddle setback is said to occur when the rider is well balanced and does not have to expend excessive muscular energy to support their weight (Bontrager 1998).

How do you measure a bicycle seatpost setback?

It’s measured from the seatpost centerline to the center of the clamp….Most manufacturers do this:

1. trace an imaginary line (or tie a string) along the center of the seatpost entry into the bike a few inches down the seat tube.
2. extend that straight line past height of the seat rail clamps on the post.

How far back should your bike seat be?

Generally speaking, at full extension (which is not 6 o’clock – more like 5 o’clock) 30 to 40 degrees of knee bend is the generally accepted range. If you’re feeling tension at the front of the knee or a large amount of work only from your quads, the seat height is a bit low.

How do you measure a tube seat?

Seat tube length is measured from either the centre of the bottom bracket to where the top tube and seat tube meet (Centre-Centre or C-C) or to the top of the seat tube (Centre-Top or C-T).

How do you measure seatpost clamp diameter?

The best way to make sure you’re getting the right size is to grab a set of calipers. Just ask your closest engineer- she’s bound to have a set. Stick the calipers on the outside of the seat tube, and measure away! You can also measure the inside of the seat clamp that is currently on your bike.

Are seatposts a standard size?

While there are any number of post diameters out there, most modern road and MTB bike frames accept a seatpost of either 27.2mm in diameter (‘standard’), 30.9 or 31.6mm (‘oversize’). Seatpost length is a further consideration.

How do you measure a seatpost diameter without a caliper?

In the absence of a vernier caliper or a mike an accurate way might be to measure the circumference with a tape measure and then divide that figure by pi which will give the diameter.

What is seatpost setback on a bike?

When we talk about “seatpost setback,” we are referring to how far behind the saddle of your bike is positioned. In everyday English, that would be the backward inclination of your seat post, which makes your saddle fall behind the crank, if measured in a straight vertical line.

How do I know if my seat is too far back?

A correct setback would put our knees in line with the end of the crank arm. On the other hand, if the vertical line goes through the crank arm, it would indicate that the seat is too far back. This video has a very detailed explanation about adjusting your seatpost’s height and setback (credits to Art’s Cyclery):

How to find out what setback is ideal?

As leg length is one of the keys to finding out what setback is ideal, it will not be the same for each person. Having these two things in mind, we need to place ourselves in a natural biking position, with crank arms in line with the ground (horizontal position). It is best to get a friend or family member to help you out with the measurements.

What are the advantages of aluminum seatposts?

Firstly, aluminum seatposts take the weight off your equipment, as compared to carbon and alloy. If you are a weight-geek, you should stick to this material when choosing your seatpost. Secondly, reliability. You can be sure that an aluminum seatpost won’t snap under your body weight while cycling.