How much seat post should actually be showing when you are properly fit on a tri-bike? I was at my LBS and got a quick “fit”(just a quick 20 min. session to make sure I could get comfortable and that the geometry matched my body) on an 08 Equinox E7. I was able to stand over it…barely(only by about an inch or so) and when I was on it, the seat post was almost completely inside the seat tube(only about 2-3 inches of post actually showing. It felt great, but this seems to me to scream one size too big. Am I wrong in assuming you should have about 1/2 the available post(give or take) out of the seat tube? Or am I completely off base and having no seat post showing is fine as well? The guy said that if I decided to buy it, we would go through a more in depth fitting, and I’d have the option of switching stems/aerobars/crank lengths/etc. Also, if I shorten the crank arm to give a little extra height on the seat tube, how will that effect overall performance or the ride in general?
Thats a fully loaded question. I don’t think there is a “standard” for how much seat post is showing. Look at some pros bike and you see almost nothing showing and then the next guy has tons showing. I beleive this would have to do with how much drop you’ll need to the aerobars. Without much seat post showing, due to bike geometry, you won’t be able to see much drop to the aerobars. I’m tall enough that I have a ton of post showing and I have to have 20cm of drop and I’m not even close to flat. Other people have nearly no post showing, only a few cm of drop and are totally flat. SO…it all depends.
That really cannot be answered in the way the question is put. The best for me measurements is a 60 seatube and a 58.5 top tube to start with. My Kein is a diamond bike., sz 58 and my saddle is up somewhat. My lemond is a 61 compact frame but the head tube is much taller so with a different stem, although a compaxt frame, seat does not come uo enough, So much has to do geometry, which may change again aero bar hieth. Sory to confuse, I am not a pro on the ,need to get guys like zipp to talk more
As others have said it depends!!! Among other thing is the type of bike - eg Griffen has an extended seat tube so little shows. On the other end of the scale every post manufacturer - especially those made of carbon has a minimum amount to be inserted.
So no real numbers may be given - a good fitter FIST etc should be able to judge given the type type of bike - size and your flexibility.
so the amount of seatpost doesn’t matter…as long as my back is flat and i am comfortable?
IMO, the amount of seat post showing is not a concern if the seat is at the correct height and you are fit well. Better to have too much in the seat tube than not enough.
However, it can be one indication that the frame is one size too large. What size stem are you using to achieve the proper reach? If it is absurdly short to “make it work” then the bike will not handle well.
I believe that the accepted convention if you are between frame sizes is to go smaller, not larger. Hopefully, the experts will confirm or negate this.
the stem was stock, so I don’t know. Like I said, the salesman said that we could change those if needed when I bought the bike. I may change the stem with the size below it, if I change it at all.