Bike Seat Tilt Tip

Bike seat tilt is a simple enough dimension of bike fit.  When the topic comes up in classes and seminars, I usually recommend that the saddle be placed level -- if it's not level then this may be a sign that there's something wrong with their bike fit.  A level saddle provides a stable base for the pelvis to rest.https://youtu.be/YVXnnAfwRfQBut as with most bike fit ideas, the true answer isn't quite that clean or simpleNot enough attention is paid to the relationship between how a saddle is positioned and how it acts.What does this mean?While most cyclists set their saddle height based on what feels most efficient, the saddle tilt and fore/aft are many times based purely on comfort.  The most common situation are the riders who find the reach to their handlebars too long and they opt to slide the saddle all the way forward or perhaps nose it down slightly.So how does this affect the saddle action?We need to think of the saddle as leaf spring.  The shell of the saddle (the part we sit on) is stretched between the two metal rails (yes, there are saddles out there that have a single, usually carbon, rail, but that's a different discussion) and these rails are a leaf spring.  Both ends are meant to move with the seatpost clamp providing the pivot.Not all rails move the same amount, and the rigidity of the shell of the saddle does play a role, but if your saddle isn't clamped to the center of the rails it may not move under you the same.  When the saddle is all the way forward, so the seatpost clamp is all the way at the back of the saddle rails, the rear spring is locked out and the saddle will preferentiallyflex on the front end and with body weight on it will nose the saddle down.  On the other end of the spectrum if the saddle is slid back all the way, the rearward section of rails will flex more and the saddle will effectively nose up with body weight.Takeaway:  When setting your saddle tilt you need to account for what the saddle does when it's weighted...depending on where you're clamped on it in the fore/aft position you may need to start with the saddle nose up or down slightly instead of level so that it's level when you sit on it.I wouldn't jump right in with this determination.  I would set the saddle level first and then if you still felt like either you were slipping forward on it or the nose was pressing up into you then think about applying this information.