Quick question for all you tri geeks(JOKE)? When setting up your seat, should you put it slightly to one side or the other, like left or right, or should you have it straight down the centre? The reason for the question is because I have been recently informed that John Cobb, hope mentioning his name here don’t get me kicked off, talks about how you should have it slightly left or right of centre, and especially for guys and I have never heard of anything of it before.
I’m a big fan of offsetting the seat, it’s way more comfortable. If you must know, for me the seat goes right. It all comes down the what your little friend does. If he goes one way, then I suggest that your saddle goes the other.
The general rule is that you offset the saddle away from the side you dress on (the side you “hang” in your pants.) This works great for me.
Having done MANY bike fits, I have seen a sizeable # of riders who are more comfortable offset in the opposite direction. Go figure.
Nearly 100% of the people I have set up with offset saddles have wound up deciding they like it that way (offset) after some experimentation.
I don’t think this works very well at all with a cut-out style saddle.
If you have a leg length discrepancy, especially in femoral length, you will probably be most comfortable with the saddle offset to the long leg side, regardless of how you dress.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with a significant offset. My saddles are offset close to a centimeter to the side (at the tip.) This works for me because I have a serious leg-length difference; my short leg, however, has a longer femur than my long leg, so I shim the shoe on the short leg, plus angle the saddle towards the short leg, which helps to equalize the femur difference…