saddle position and min insertion point?

Question

I have a brand new Canondale bike. Love it to pieces. My only concern is that the saddle sticks out a lot from the anchor (roughly 8 inches when my leg is straight and the peddle is down). Does this create instability or unsafety for the saddle? The minimal insertion point for the saddle stem is inside and hidden in the anchor tube. How far inside and hidden should this min insertion point be?

Answer 1

i have long legs, so i've got ton's of seatpost showing on pretty much every bike i've had. if the minimum insertion mark is hidden in the seat tube, you're fine. no need to worry. as to instability, lower centers of gravity (or mass) are more stable, but the very slight improvement in stability you might get from a somewhat lower seat position--is completely outweighed by having a position that facilitates effecient pedalling.

Answer 2

Well... sometimes the post min. insertion point and the frame might vary. As a rule of thumb, the post should reach inside the frame the point where the top tube intersects the seat tube for it to be viable. Just mark the point where it is now, and then remove the seatpost and place it beside the seat tube and see how far the post reaches inside. If it is at or below the top tube I think you're fine.

If not, you could trade your seatpost for a larger one. Thomson has some that are pretty large, like 400mm (most are around 320 or so).

Answer 3

If your seatpost has the minimum insertion mark still in the frame tubing, then you're probably ok. Most seatposts have this mark about 4" from the bottom, give or take, depending on the design and intended use. If you're using the right post for your style of riding, no worries. People that use xc components to ride rough or jump get into trouble....hopefully if something snaps it doesn't cause an ugly crash or damage other parts. I've broken posts at the head and see other people snap theirs on the shaft, but so far no horrible crashes. I've seen videos of nasty stuff, though....one guy lost his balance, sat on the tire, and crashed into small trees, another guy had his post fall into the rear spokes and mangled up his wheel after skidding out.

So I'd say don't worry about it.....but if you're concerned, you could pick up an all-mountain post (lighter weight than freeride or dh posts) for cheap on closeout somewhere. Or splurge for a Thomson post....they're very strong by design and still very lightweight.

Answer 4

If the minimum insertion line is still inside the seat tube, then you are OK. If it is the seatpost that came with the bike (and matches the seatpost specified in the literature), then you should have an additional level of confidence.

Answer 5

like the others pointed out, if it is in past the mark, you should be good. i actually use a mountain bike seat post because i like to ride a frame at the low end of my range for lighter weight and better stiffness. i have never had any problems, and like you i have a bunch of seat post showing. i'm even pretty large for a rider. 6'2" 200lbs