In building up my Tommasini fixed gear that has become my regular rider, I realized only after putting a laborious finish over the bar tape, that I need a stem one centimeter shorter to give me a more comfortable fit. Being not too keen to tear off the tape, is there a saddle with a rail arrangement/seat position that is likely to move me closer to the bars? The San Marco saddle that I currently have on there I find very comfortable, but it is maxed out in it's forward position. I'm not too concerned with the relation to the crank, as I like a more forward seat position. Any suggestions much appreciated.
Dennis Young
Hotaka, Japan (where the roads are iced up, but I can at least think of
getting on the bike)
>
> I would think all of this would be intuitive for anyone who has been riding
> for many years. I know from experience how much leg extension I want at the
> bottom of the downstroke, where I like the center of a Brooks saddle relative
> to the center of the seatpost, how much I like to extend to reach the bars,
> and how high I like the brake levers. The first thing I do with a newly
> acquired bike (after airing up the tires, which may require replacing them or
> the tubes) is take a series of short test rides, adjusting the saddle
> position in the seatpost clamp, the seatpost and stem height, and the lever
> position on the bars between rides. I know from experience about where to
> start with these, then fine tune them until they feel right. I usually leave
> the bars untapped for a couple of weeks while I get the lever position just
> right. Often, it is necessary to change the stem to one with the right
> extension for me. If a correct stem in the right length is difficult to
> obtain, I mi!
> ght
> tolerate a stem extension 10 mm off from ideal, but no more. I'll also
> usually change to a Brooks or Ideale saddle if the bike didn't come with one.
> There are a few plastic saddles like Unicanitor, Ideale or Selle Turbo which I
> might tolerate for the sake of originally, but most plastic saddles I just
> won't ride. I don't personally feel the need for a lot of measurements or a
> "fit system". I really don't care if the setup conforms to some "scientific"
> definition of "correct". I want it to feel comfortable to me, and that is a
> matter of feel, not science.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Houston, TX