Mountain Bike Component (Saddle, Bars, Seatpost) Questions

Triathlon Forum
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I bought a Trek Top Fuel 8 a few months ago and am really loving mountain biking. Did my first XTERRA race last weekend and absolutely loved it. I was thinking of upgrading a few parts on my bike for both comfort and weight reasons and the coming holiday season might provide a good chance to do so.

The saddle the bike came with is a Bontrager Race. I ride a Fizik Arione Tri and like that saddle, so was considering the Fizik Tundra as I prefer a flat saddle without all the “curviness” of the Bontrager. Anyone have any opinions on this saddle? I had a Specialized Toupe on my road bike and liked that saddle, would that be a saddle to consider for my mtn bike?

The seatpost is a standard Bontrage 31.6 post, was thinking of going with the Thompson Masterpiece Elite, seems to be the consesus choice, any opinions?

Handlebars, this is where I am a bit confused, what is the benefit of riser bars vs. flat bars? I currently have flat bars (entry level, Bontrage Race Flat) with close to 1" of spacers underneath. If I went to a riser bar could I drop the spacers? How will the ergonomics be different? Any recommendations on either a riser or flat bar? (I don’t want to go carbon).

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Bump, can any of you moutain bikers help me out?

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Surly has a good treatment of flat versus riser bars here. For quality alu bars (road or mtb), I don’t think you do much better than Ritchey. I’ve got a WCS lo-rise and like it just fine. As for seatpost, you answered your own question - Thomson. No reason to give it another thought.

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If you like the Toupe then you might want to give the Phenom a try. Similar shape, slightly less flex and without any of the plastic end pieces that can snag on clothing.

I’m of the opinion that a Thomson seatpost is one of the best products you can possibly put on a bike, including a mtn bike.

I’ve almost always used flat bars but mainly to get the grip height at the right spot, meaning no spacers. For less experienced riders, risers bars tend to offer more control (confidence) going downhill. There are a number of measurements on riser bars - rise, sweep (bend back) and up sweep (bend up). I would suggest low riser bars (Easton Monkeylite XC and SLs are popular choices…light, strong and reasonably priced), which will also be wider than your flat bars. Don’t trim them until you experiment with hand placement. Take notice where your hands end up when going downhill because you’ll gravitate to where you’re most comfortable. And yes, you should probably drop some of the spacers to keep your hands in about the same plane.

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So it seems like Riser Bars have something offer in terms of fit adjust, by simply rotating the bars. That makes sense. And to be honest, I would mind trading out some spacers for a riser bar, as long as there are no drawbacks I am missing. It’s purely asthetics, I just don’t like the look of the spacers.

Thomson Masterpiece seatpost should be the choice as you said, just need to find the correct length.

How about saddles, I prefer a flat, narrow saddle, it seem like the Tundra could be a good choice considering I like my Arione Tri. Or a Toupe in the narrower width?

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Thanks for the info, hopefully you don’t mind me picking your brain. The Phenom looks interesting, didn’t even check out Specialized mtn saddles, I’ll have to swing by a dealer and check it out. I did like my Toupe and the Phenom also comes in the 130mm width, so it could work well.

Thomson Masterpiece sounds like the gold standard. I hope it will shave a bit of weight from the stock Bontrager? My Bontrager is a 5mm offset, but that’s nothing that couldn’t be made up by adjusting the saddle fore/aft correct?

So you use flat bars and no spacers, so I guess you ride low and therefore riser bars would put you too high. I do like the idea of being able to do small position adjustments as well as a little more control going downhill. Or, bars bring me up, so spacers can come out, again, that is partially for looks, would rather have risers bars put be in the right position than spacers (like I’d rather have an upturned stem on my road bike than a stack of spacers). Is it worth (or can it be done) have the steerer tube trimmed? Is that a big deal on a suspension fork?

Thanks for your time, I’m just getting into mountain biking and totally hooked.

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I ride the same saddle road & mountain, Selle Italia SLR. the Arione is questionable for a mountain bike because it’s so long, but i’d go with a similar saddle if you can. It doesnt have to be a “mountain” saddle, thats mostly marketing mumbo jumbo. I ride Easton carbon bars & seatpost, never broken anything and i’ve raced Xterras all over the country and mtb 100-mile races. Thomson’s are nice posts & stiff stiff stiff. Would be harsh on a hardtail but for a full-sussy bike its fine.

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Thanks, think I’ve narrowed my saddle choice down to either the Tundra, the Toupe or the Phenom, need to check them all out.

The bike is FS, so the Thomson post should be fine, and hopefully drop some weight.

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Just realized the bars you recommended are carbon, I’d like to avoid that. Any recommendations for a good, lightweight, aluminum riser bar?

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if you get a thomson post you have to get a thomson stem for continuity, and i’d agree you should get a riser bar. Mountain biking is about handling, you dont want a huge saddle to bar drop…

i run an easton EC90 monkeylite riser bar (carbon…) but they also make good aluminum bars that you can get dirt cheap… $30 here http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/HB294A00-Easton+Ea70+Monkeybar+Riser+Handlebar.aspx?sc=FRGL

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tires/wheels are going to make a huge and relatively cheap( at least for tires) weight and performance difference. You really only want the minimum lugs to maintain traction for racing. tire choice is also somewhat condition dependent
Saddle is a good comfort choice but bars, seatpost etc should be low on the list.
I much prefer riser bars to flats mostly because they come in wider widths. wider bars give you more control on downhills.

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I bought a Trek Top Fuel 8 a few months ago and am really loving mountain biking. Did my first XTERRA race last weekend and absolutely loved it. I was thinking of upgrading a few parts on my bike for both comfort and weight reasons and the coming holiday season might provide a good chance to do so. Based on this, the saddel post and bars wont make that big a dent in the weight. You’ll usually save more with the crank set, chain and cassette.

The saddle the bike came with is a Bontrager Race. I ride a Fizik Arione Tri and like that saddle, so was considering the Fizik Tundra as I prefer a flat saddle without all the “curviness” of the Bontrager. Anyone have any opinions on this saddle? I had a Specialized Toupe on my road bike and liked that saddle, would that be a saddle to consider for my mtn bike? Any will do, but I find that the airone is great because of the length. I’m able to really slide forward on steep seated climbs and keep both wheels planted nicely. The shape also makes for easy sliding off the back and getting back seated again. I’m a big fan of the airone for MTB.

The seatpost is a standard Bontrage 31.6 post, was thinking of going with the Thompson Masterpiece Elite, seems to be the consesus choice, any opinions? Thompson is the gold standard for MTB, but make sure you’re getting it for the right reasons. I have a huge ass and tend to have problems with keeping the front wheel on the ground, so using a straight post makes for a better saddle position for me. I would hold off until you really have a good idea of your riding style and position. I like a more slack bike like the Santa Cruz with a straight post. I had a steeper race bike with a setback post and I hated it. MTB is different than road in that the function of the bike is based on the sum of its parts and fit centered around the riders style and terrain. Function, function, function. I can ride just as fast on a cheap road bike as a super high end road bike, but I will be WAY faster on a high end MTB over an entry bike. Before you start changing parts just to save weight, make sure you like what the part may or may not do for you.

Handlebars, this is where I am a bit confused, what is the benefit of riser bars vs. flat bars? I currently have flat bars (entry level, Bontrage Race Flat) with close to 1" of spacers underneath. If I went to a riser bar could I drop the spacers? How will the ergonomics be different? Any recommendations on either a riser or flat bar? (I don’t want to go carbon). Riser bars tend to have way more options, including width. This is where most MTBers will benifit the most. Wider bars and the ability to position the steering where it fits you best will give you way more control over the bike. PLUS, hand position and comfot will vary from rider to rider so you can really dial in the bike. It’s all about control. Again, this is something that comes with more time on the bike, Before buying some 200 dollar carbon bar, make sure you like the sweep and rise. There are widish flat bars as well , but usually a good riser bar will make your MTB experience much more fun and you’re usually faster.

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Re: Thompson seatpost, there is only one other thing I would consider apart from a thompson for a mountain bike, and that would be this:
http://www.crankbrothers.com/seatposts_joplinr.php

Being able to switch your seatpost height on the fly for ascents and descends is really useful. You might be able to get a good deal for it on ebay… that’s what I did. Otherwise, go with a thompson.

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You’ll usually save more with the crank set, chain and cassette.

I’ll definitely plan to replace the chain and cassette when they begin showing wear, the current cassette is a SRAM PG970. Can you recommend a chain and cassette that are relatively light yet still durable enough for everyday use?

Any will do, but I find that the airone is great because of the length. I’m able to really slide forward on steep seated climbs and keep both wheels planted nicely. The shape also makes for easy sliding off the back and getting back seated again. I’m a big fan of the airone for MTB.

When I ride the Arione in the tri position I find it to be great as you have more “horiztonal” contact with the saddle when laying in the aerobars, when seated upright on the bullhorns, it feels a bit long, like there is too much nose. For that reason, I am considering the Tundra as it is a little shorter, and a touch narrower. I like the Arione, just feel it is a little long for me in the front portion when seated more upright, so think the similar shape of the Tundra might work.

Thompson is the gold standard for MTB, but make sure you’re getting it for the right reasons.

Well, to be honest, part of it is for weight and strength, and part is for the bling reason :slight_smile: I am comfortable now with my saddle position after doing a lot of trial and error and dialing it in over the past few months. The fact that my current post is a 5mm offset isn’t anything that can’t be made up by sliding the saddle rearward correct?

Riser bars tend to have way more options, including width. This is where most MTBers will benifit the most. Wider bars and the ability to position the steering where it fits you best will give you way more control over the bike. PLUS, hand position and comfot will vary from rider to rider so you can really dial in the bike.

I am definitely leaning towards risers bars. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind a little higher hand position, so with a bar with ~25mm of rise, I could drop a half inch of spacers and still end up a half inch higher. My flat bars right now are 620mm wide, I see risers ranging from 650mm-720mm. Going up to 720mm seems like a ton, those bars would be almost 4 inches wider. Also, I don’t want carbon bars, could you recommend a high quality, lightweight, aluminum riser bar somewhere in the 650-700mm width?

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Drivetrain: Great part about drivetrain parts is that the better the equipment, the longer it lasts. Wear out the stuff you have, then upgrade. SRAM, Shimano, whatever, just get the good stuff. I’m a fan of wipperman chains or links, but they’re all good. And KEEP IT CLEAN for god’s sake.

Saddle choice to me is totally personal. I had the exact opposite problem with saddle than you. I had the arione on the road/tri bike and didn’t really like it much. Once I put it on the MTB that was way more upright, I lived it. If you head to coloradocyclist you can pick up a saddle demo program that allows you to try different things before you decide on one.

You sure can move that saddle back. I like to have my saddle towards the front of the rails because I like the flex in the back, at least on my road and MTB. I rock and Adamo on the tri bike.

For bars, I always go with the best Alu I can get. Three bars come to mind. I currently use a TruVativ that has been great. I think the site only has one bar on it, but it’s a good bar. Can’t go wrong with Ritchey. Easton has been at the top if the game for years. Between those three, you cant go wrong. You’ll like the wider bars, trust me. You can always cut them down if you really like it narrower. You’ll aslo like being more upright. There is exactly ZERO correlation between road position and MTB position. MTB positioning is all about control, and not when you flying or riding some singletrack, but when you hit a rock field or have a technical climb or switchbacks with roots… you’ll want those wide bars.

FWIW, I have a Medium 02 Santa Cruz Blur with Old Octilink XTR, cheap sram chain (it was free) XT cassette, Crossmax Wheels, Heavy Conti tires, Truvaitv ALU Stem and bars, Thompson Post, Arione saddle, ODI lock on grips and Heavy ATAC pedals. She weighs just over 25 lbs and I LOVE HER! I could spend a bunch of $ and get it to 23 LBS, but I just dont want to. To give you an idea, this summer before one of the big Xterra races, my roommate transported a bunch of bikes from Boulder to the race. Seth Wheeling and Ryan Ignatz had the lightest bikes at around 22 LBS, then a few others in the 24-26 range and the heaviest was a Niner FS at 27 lbs. These were all bikes that were custom built, all carbon, top of the line stuff that would cost THOUSANDS and my 1000 dollar Blur when race ready sat right in the middle at 25 flat. SO I guess I’m saying, pick your equipment fight wisely.

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Thanks for the info. With regards to the drivetrain, that’s the plan, wear out what I have, then replace/upgrade.

Going to check out the Fizik Tundra and the Specialized Phenom.

The Easton EA70 Monkey Bar looks nice and comes in low (20mm), medium (30mm) and high (40mm) rises. I hear what you are saying about being more upright and wider. At a width of 685, they will be close to 2.5 inches wider than my current bars.

I was thinking about going with the mid-rise at (30mm). With those, I could drop an inch of spacers and still end up a tad higher than my current position (which I like) or just eliminate a half inch of spacers and end up over a half inch higher than I am currently (I’ll admit that part of my aversion to spacers is just that I hate the looks of them). Is there any reason you think that I should consider the 40mm rise bars?

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Just go to the mid, that will be fine. I have a pair of higher rize salsa bars that I ended putting on my GF’s bike because she’s never going to be on rough trails. I didn’t like them much on the MTB. Steep climbing got tricky.

If the bike fits properly, the general feeling is that the less stack you can have, the better. Your steering will be better. The whole issue is having your stem be nice and straight so the steering sweep is more precise. If you angle the stem, you add arc to the steering and that can create problems. Then you raise the bars and widen the grip to gain more control over the steering.

You’re on the right track. Lower the stack height, raise the bars, widen the grip. Thats the general feeling for a good MTB setup. The only drawback is the asthetic look if you want to add bar ends. I’m on the fence, but I’ll try it this winter. Bar ends on riser bars is a total fred move, but it is functional.

And dont look to the world cup riders for setup. Those races are NOTHING like the MTBing that an Xterra will show you or a general MTB ride will have. World Cup is like a crit on dirt. Look at Conrad stoltz or Ryan Ignatz (Ignatz is one of the best MTB riders I’ve ever seen) and take notes. Brian Smith too. He raced world cups for a while.

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good bike, I’ve got one too.

The only thing to worry about with bars is where your hands are…period. Then it’s asthetics. I like the look of a bike with flat bars so that’s what I use on all my bikes now. And the added bonus is you will save over 100grams in weight. In fact, on one of my bikes I think my aluminum bar weighs in at 100grams total.
It’s in the eye of the beholder, but I like the look of flat bar and spacers more than the other way.

Seat…the good news is you can get what you want because in mtn biking you spend FAR less time sitting so comfort is rarely a concern. I went with a 125gram SLR.
You can get a new seatpost for weight savings, but unless you need a seat position you can’t obtain why else would you change?

I have bikes with both aluminum and cf bars and they are fine. Have you believed the lie that CF bars are dangerous? Anyway, aluminum is both lighter and less expensive.

Glad you are mtn biking! How was the Xterra?

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adding my $0.02…

Seatpost is easy: one more vote for Thomson - light, bombproof, easy to micro-adjust, and secure (and made in the USA, even).

Bars - I got the Easton Monkeylite lo-rise and really like 'em. Not sure why you are averse to carbon, but those things are light, dampen vibration well, durable (really), and not that expensive. The higher position and wider grip allow more comfort and control, especially on the downhills.

Saddle - the Specialized series with the pointy plastic nose look evil to me. I ended up swapping out my SLR T1 ‘Tri’ saddle and love it for off-road. The fore-aft length is great for adjusting your weight balance as needed to maintain steering control up front and traction in back (Arione would be as well), the soft gel in front is especially good on an extended steep climb when you need to sit way forward to keep the front end down, the tail is narrow enough for sliding off the back on a steep descent, and the blunt nose won’t hang on your shorts when sliding back onto the saddle from standing.

Drivetrain - above all, maintenance is your friend. Tri-geeks are notorious for being mechanically inept/neglectful, which can be troublesome when it comes to a poorly-maintained road/tri bike, but can be absolutely debilitating on a MTB. For instance, what may often appear to be a derailleur that crapped the bed can be solved by some new shifter cables/housing and/or overhauling the pulleys.

And, someone else said it, but what I’ve found to potentially make the most difference of all (good or bad) is your rubber. The first time I ever got new tires for my MTB after I’d incrementally gotten used to my old ones having worn down way past the point where they should have been replaced, I was shocked - SHOCKED! - at the conditions under which I could stay hooked up instead of washing out. But, it’s not as simple as just saying I like this particular brand/model, because it totally depends on what kind of trails you normally ride, and even that can/will change over the seasons.

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Just go to the mid, that will be fine.

So a question about bars, height, etc. I have about an inch of spacers on my mtn. bike right now (30mm, 3x10mm spacers). If I go with the Easton EA70 Monkey Bar (aluminum), the width is 685 and the mid-rise is 30mmI could put those bars on and remove all three of my small spacers and be right back at my current height, or leave 1 small spacer putting me a little higher than I currently am and leaving some room for future adjustments if I desire.

However, in carbon, the MonkeyLite XC bar is also 685mm wide, but only comes in low (20mm, about 1/2inch) and high (40mm, about 1.5inches). So if I went with the high rise bars, even with all my spacers removed I would be higher than my current setup (plus, the 40mm rise bar looks kind of wonky), or I could go with the low rise bar and then remove 2 of my current spacers, putting me back where I was and leaving some room for future adjustments. The only thing is, Competitive Cyclist says that the rises on the Easton carbon bars aren’t as dramatic as those on their aluminum bars. So while 40mm seems like a lot, if the rises aren’t that dramatic, would the 20mm rise be insignificant?

Lastly, once I get the spacers out and all, can the steerer tube on my RebaSL fork but trimmed?

Thanks for all your help.