The X, Y and Z of a new Saddle

At some point, every cyclist has been on a bad saddle. Well I shouldn't say "bad saddle" but rather a saddle that isn't right for him or her. Saddle choice, more than any other cycling component, is truly individual; this is especially true when riding a triathlon bike. Most people can rule out a saddle pretty quickly; however, choosing the right one is a bit trickier.

Over the past few years, a number of new triathlon-specific saddles have hit the market, thus providing triathletes with a much wider array of saddle choices. The Adamo, the fleet of Cobb saddles, and the old stand-bys including Fizik Arione Tri2 and Profile Design TriStryke give the triathlete many good saddles to choose from.

Like I mentioned previously, it's easy to rule out which saddles don't work, but selecting the best saddle may require some trial and error. Most people either know how to, or can fumble through, changing a saddle, but this is just the beginning. It's important to note that the characteristics of most saddles differ in thickness, length, and how they are ridden (eg, nose vs middle). Below are a few steps I like to follow whenever I change a saddle for an athlete:

1. Read up on the saddle. Is the saddle typically ridden level, nose-up, or nose-down? Is the saddle designed to be ridden on the nose, middle, or rear? A good saddle often has literature explaining its design and the best use. Along with product literature, an experienced fitter can provide you with some basic advice to match your preference to certain saddles.
2. Measure the thickness of each saddle, starting from the rails to the top of the pad. Adjust the saddle height accordingly.
3. Adjust the fore/aft position of the saddle. If the old and new saddles are similarly long, I start by keeping the cockpit distance the same. After observing the athlete, noting where he rides on the new saddle, and receiving his feedback, I'll make some for/aft adjustments. My goal here is to have the seat adjusted so the key body angles (ie, knee, hip, shoulder) are maintained.
4. Adjust the tilt of the saddle if necessary. I typically start at a level position, unless otherwise noted by the specific saddle. I'll adjust the saddle up to 4 degrees nose down (measured accurately with a digital level). After that, most athletes will start sliding and the discomfort will increase.
5. Repeats steps 3 and 4 as needed.

Lastly, for most people, the feel on the trainer is slightly different from that on the road. I recommend taking an allen key along for the first couple outdoor rides so you can make some micro-adjustments if needed.

All the best and Merry Christmas,
-Tim

20+ in that position? Wow.

Following up on last week's post, we've updated our website with some images of Laura's fitting. If you remember she is a competitive age-group triathlete that would is looking for ~30min to qualify for Kona. Here is a before and after picture of her position.



More pictures, and Laura's complete fit report can be found in our Image Gallery.

The goal of a FIST fit is to get the athlete into a comfortable and powerful position. The FIST protocol is based on a number of axioms, one of which is a fit and trim amateur athlete can ride the position of the majority of professionals. The others can be found here. Once in this position you will have:

(1) addressed 90% of the aerodynamic drag issues with regards to fit, and
(2) minimized wasted energy by resting her body "skeletally" on the bike.

The two gains should help Laura improve her IM bike splits and hopefully even her run split (due to the energy conservation of #2.

I'll do my best to post some updated on Laura, and the other athletes I fitted, as the 2010 season gets under way.

-Tim