is that a split nose saddle you're riding? i have some observations, but i'd like to know about the saddle first.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Yup. Adamo Road, the only saddle that's ever worked for me. I did notice that I ride a little further back on it when I'm on a road bike versus my tri bike, though.

i find, in the field, that ISM saddles are an imperative for many people in tri, less an imperative for that same person when on a road bike. i'm not trying to talk you out of your ISM, i'm just making sure your saddle isn't conspiring to place you in a bad posture on your road bike.

australian bike fitter steve hogg does not always see things the same way i do, but he has an interesting test that i would like you to try. it's explained in this article of his, if you scroll down to the "Point of Balance" heading.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

The only argument I have in favor of the Road is that it is the only saddle that solved the numbness issue for me when I was road racing, and I just stuck with it ever since. I've tried a world of saddles on the tri bike since and always came back to the Road as my preferred saddle, but left my road bike as-is in order to preserve the bike the way I liked it when I was actively riding it.

Then again, I'm 25 lbs heavier than I was in college, so maybe other stuff has changed and gone unnoticed. Further suggestions?

do the hogg balance test. report back.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

What if you can't get enough set back to find the point of balance? Is that a frame size issue?

"What if you can't get enough set back to find the point of balance? Is that a frame size issue?"

impossible, i would say. mind, this is for road. this is not applicable to tri. no, not frame size, because the seat post is declined at 73° or thereabouts and while this is not entirely scalable (tall riders require more setback, short riders less, than a single angle of declination would suggest), it's not far off.

that said, one reason why i like round seat posts in road bikes is that you can replace these with posts with various set-backs. but i can't imagine a road bike that doesn't allow you to sit back far enough. that would be a badly designed road bike, assuming your set back is inside a reasonable range.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

In addition to what Slowman said, another common culprit is the saddle or - more specifically - how your body interacts with it. For example, a lot of folks will tilt their saddle down in an effort to overcome discomforts in the genital region or numbness, but that will throw off the balance. How and where you sit on the saddle, the shape of the saddle, your torso length, how much weight you're carrying, your core strength, etc. all come into play.

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Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador

I need to look for a saddle with longer rails. I'm on a 2010 Cervelo S1 with the fixed carbon post so I'm stuck as far as changing the post.

I do like the feeling of sitting back on the wings of a saddle. Just a bit nose up to ease pressure on the hands and I'm generally all set.

So in my current config, with the saddle slammed forward, I can't hold myself for more than a second, tops two. If I scooch back a bunch on the prongs, I can make it 5 sec. I think the big takeaway is that I have a weak core, and my position on the *hoods makes me feel really stretched out with a lot of weight on my palms, so I'm wondering if maybe I need both more setback AND a shorter stem?

The thing I can't figure is that my arms are fairly relaxed, with a bend at the elbow just like they're supposed to have. It seems paradoxical to me that I can feel both stretched out AND relaxed in the same position.

Who would you say that ISM saddles are imperative for? I'm thinking about switching myself.

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Coach at TriForce Triathlon Team: https://www.triforceteam.com

"I think the big takeaway is that I have a weak core"

in my opinion you shouldn't have to expend a lot of core energy to hold the position. if i fit you, i wouldn't let you out of the studio until you were very comfortable in the position.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Coming to Charlotte anytime soon? Ha.

Well, it might be time for a refit, then, and see where I end up. Short of that, suggestions? Moving the saddle further back would end up with me in a superman position, so it might be time to swap to a short stem.

Moved my seat back about 5mm, tried the test again. Here's the results.

With the seat back, here is how my position looks now.

Thoughts?

to answer both your posts: it looks better to me. i'd like to see how you feel about that out on the road. i think you'll like it better.

and, no, i'm not coming to charlotte soon. but i'm coming to raleigh soon, for the slowtwitch road show, in about 6 weeks.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman