How to install and adjust saddle 

Posted by tan xiao yan on

Choose the right bicycle seat, and you can have a nice biking. Choose the wrong seat, you're uncomfortable and would like to stop your riding. Don't be afraid to experiment. Seats are easy to remove and install; most bikes employ the same seat clamp configuration. Here is some advice to help you install and adjust bike adjust - it is a good idea to try to follow these steps after every ride.



Three of the most basic types of seat posts

This is the first one. It requires a 6mm Allen key and you are going to do is loosen off that bolt. And sometimes with this particular type you need to loosen it a little bit more than you think. If you were just to adjust it, then you just want to get it. So that that will move and you are disengaging these little teeth in there. Then sometimes it can jam you have to give it a little bit of a push. Once that’s nice and free you can adjust the nose up down front and up. If you want to completely replace this saddle, you are just going to swivel that top piece, so that you can take the saddle off and simply put the new one on and tighten it up. When it’s on the ground you can sort of micro and adjust it. And when you are trying a new saddle, a good place to start is with a completely level and it right in the middle of the rails here. So sometimes it will only go a little bit with the nose up or a little bit with the nose down. Sometimes you cannot get it quite level so you have to kind of play around with it.

Another type uses a 51 Allen key. You just loosen that and the whole thing just swivels, so you can slide it forward enough you can put the nose up or down.

Another route of common type uses a four mil Allen key. so if you want the nose down, you tighten this. If you want the nose up, then you tighten that. in order to tighten one, you have got to loosen off the other one first. so if I wanted the nose up a little bit I would loosen off the one in the front and then that would allow me to tighten the back and the nose will swivel up. when you tighten it up, it should be with this particular type especially it should be really snug. you can strip these if you really wrench on them so you don’t want to do that but just make sure it’s good and firm.



Out With the Old

Loosen the large, vertical bolt on the seat collar directly under the seat with a hex wrench. This loosens a clamp that secures the seat rails.
Grasp the seat with one hand and swivel it to one side. If it won't slip out of the clamp, loosen the bolt more but don't remove it.
Remove the seat from the clamp when the bolt is sufficiently loose.
In With the New

Lift the top of the clamp slightly with one hand. Reverse the procedure for installing the new seat by turning the seat slightly to one side. Slide the two rails on the seat under the top of the clamp.
Turn the seat parallel with the top tube of the bike as if it were already installed on the bike. The two-part clamp has U-shaped indentations. The rails fit into the indentations. When the rails fit into the indentations, the seat should feel somewhat steady.
Slide the seat forward or back inside the clamp to center it. Tighten the bolt with the hex wrench.


Height Adjustment

Ride the bike on a smooth, flat surface out of traffic. Your knees should have a bend of 5 to 10 degrees at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If not, stop the bike.
Loosen the horizontal seat-post pinch bolt with a hex wrench at the top of the seat post where the post emerges from the bike frame. Grasp the seat with both hands, and swivel it to lower or raise it as needed. The post and seat will move up and down together.
Tighten the pinch bolt and test ride again. Adjust as needed until your knees are bent correctly at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
Tilt, Forward and Back

Ride the bike. The two bones in your rear-end, the "sit bones" should be centered over the thickest part of the seat in back. If you feel pressure forward, the nose of the seat is too high. If you're sliding forward, the nose is too low. Stop the bike.
Loosen the vertical hex bolt on the collar under the seat using the 5 mm hex wrench. Slide the seat forward or back to center your sit bones over the thickest part of the seat.
Tilt the nose of the seat up or down to level it, or angle it up or down as needed. Ride the bike and adjust as needed until comfortable. Tighten the nut securely and continue riding, testing and adjusting as needed.


Suggestions

Seat adjustment is subjective. Make adjustments as needed for your own type of bike and riding style. It can take weeks of riding to properly dial in a seat by taking note of sore spots or chafing. Take a 5 mm hex wrench with you when you ride, and adjust the seat as needed. When you forget to make adjustments, you've got it right.

Warning

Many cyclists opt for wider seats, which can cause problems with soft-tissue irritation. Accustom you to a narrow seat for best results.