Most often the saddle nose points down. Then you slide forward and put more weight on your hands. Saddle height, saddle position and reach to the handlebar may also not match, and neither may a saddle shape or width that does not suit your riding posture. Check the tilt with a spirit level first, then height and position.
Here you read what causes the sliding, how to set up the saddle in five steps and when a different saddle is the better solution.
What causes you to slide forward on the saddle?
Usually a setting is behind it. This table shows how to recognise the cause:
| Cause | How you recognise it | What you adjust |
|---|---|---|
| Saddle nose points down | You slide forward and put more weight on your hands | Level the saddle |
| Saddle too high | Your hips tilt as you pedal | Set the height from your inseam |
| Saddle position forward or back | With the cranks horizontal, your front knee is not roughly above the pedal axle | Move the saddle in small steps |
| Handlebar too low or too far away | You have to stretch far and your shoulders sag forward | Adjust handlebar height and reach |
| Saddle shape or width does not fit | Your sit bones find no support and the pressure moves to soft tissue | Choose the width by your sit bone distance |
Change only one setting at a time and ride a lap afterwards, otherwise you will not know what worked.
How do you set up the saddle so you stop sliding forward?
- Check the tilt: Put a spirit level or a straight strip on the saddle. If the nose points down, you slide forward; if it points up, it presses into the crotch. Level the saddle.
- Check the height: Inseam times 0.885 gives the distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the saddle. At the bottom of the stroke your leg should be almost straight without your hips tilting.
- Check the position: Set the cranks horizontal. Your front knee should be roughly above the pedal axle. Move the saddle in steps of about 3 mm.
- Check the handlebar: Arms slightly bent, shoulders relaxed and wrists straight. If you have to stretch far, the handlebar is too low or too far away.
- Test ride: Ride a lap after every change and notice whether you still creep forward.
The detailed guide is in Setting your bike saddle correctly, how saddle, handlebar and upper body work together in The right riding position on a bike. How to fit a saddle to the bike is shown in the assembly guide.
Can the wrong saddle be to blame?
Yes. The more upright you sit, the wider the saddle can be, because your weight then rests on your sit bones. The further you lean forward, the narrower it should be. If the width does not match your sit bone distance, the sit bones find no support and the pressure moves to soft tissue. You can measure your sit bone distance in a few minutes: How to measure it. Whether a hard or soft saddle suits you better is covered in Hard or soft bike saddle.
What to do if the bike saddle hurts?
If mainly your sit bones hurt, it is often the saddle itself, more in Sit bone pain when cycling. If the pain radiates into your back, Bike saddle for back pain helps.
When does a different saddle help?
When tilt, height, position and handlebar are right and the saddle still does not suit your width and posture. All three Alpensattel 3.0 PRO models have a Pressure-Balance hard gel insert that keeps the sit bones from sinking in deeply and stabilises your sitting position. They differ in width and riding posture:
