the seat going down hill

[commutergirl]

So I get that when you go downhill, you wanna slide back on your seat and put the weight to the rear.

What's the deal with the fancy schmancy Crank Bros Joplin drop down/pump up seat post?

Doesn't that just put your weight further down but in the same frame spot and you lose the benefit of keeping your rear wheel planted? So now your in danger of the rear wheel flipping you up in the air like a wrist rocket aimed at the sky if you hit a big nasty?

thanks
c

[wigger thomas]

You have to consider how many steep technical downhills you are really going to ride. I do xc mountainbiking. I see some pretty big downhills in the Berkshires and Catskills [small mountains near by] and I really don't have any use for an adjustable seatpost. But I'm 42.

Now if you're worrying about worst case scenarios hanging over the back wheel going downhill,chances are,you don't need to be messing around with that stuff just yet. Just bail on the super sketchy stuff and save yourself a trip to the ER.

[commutergirl]

what was the thinking behind sitting lower instead of behinder?

is there something I'm missing in the technical reasons for moving the weight behind? Was it really just an inadequate way to try to get the weight lower?

c

[wigger thomas]

again,I'm not a downhill type per say,but I think it's more about getting the seat out of the way. You actually stand more and it makes it easier to move your butt behind the seat w/o getting caught up on it. Make sense?

[Ripp]

If you tip the front end of the bike down a fairly steep incline and keep your butt in a similar relation to the cranks, the seat gets both a bit taller and more to the front of the bike (in relation to the cranks, your center of balance, more or less) which puts the seat in the way of really moving your weight back on the bike. Dropping the seat for really steep or very long descents makes getting you're weight where you want it to be easier, but only on more severe slopes. Many riders are just fine without ever adjusting the saddle height, most others are fine to do it as needed with a quick release seat post. Few really get any practical benefit from an on-the-fly adjustable seatpost, mortals are resting long enough at the top of a climb to take the few seconds to drop the post if needed!

Sorry for being long winded. :o

[rockyrider]

The extra seat clearance is very much a guy related thing as it prevents the "boys" from becoming a punching bag for the seat. Many gals can manage that way behind the seat position for descending without dropping the seat.

If you look at this gal's centre of mass it is way behind the front wheel contact patch, so she's not about to take a trip over the bars.

22590

The racer at the bottom is showing just how extreme you can take that, and no the camera is not rotated, it really is that steep.

22591

[K-Man]

Stop. Drop. And roll....

[rockyrider]

I still have a Hite Rite if anyone wants to invest in a piece of bicycle nostalgia. The only reason I can't use it is that I have no frames with a seat post binder welded into the frame. :D It got a lot of use on my old Mongoose IBOC Pro. This picture is actually taken just before the gravel pit plunge at Canmore Nordic Centre in race in 1989 where I am contemplating my imminent death and have not activated the Hite Rite because it just wouldn't matter. :rolleyes: :D

[mimbresman]

Did a long, steep, technical (winding, rutted, and slippery), descent near Caracas with steel-s-real . He put his seat down, but I don't have a quick release and was too lazy to pull out an allen wrench and do it. I dealt with the downhill with my seat up.
As Rocky said, putting the seat down gives more fore/aft clearance when getting over the rear wheel, but sometimes having the seat low is advantage when riding down the steeps, because when seated, it allows you to easier reach the ground for 3-point turns or having a leg/foot out as an “outrigger” for stability through ruts like we were riding down.

[tryandgetme]

here's a situation where it's nice:

you get an extreme downhill where you need to get so far behind the saddle it hits you in the stomach, so that you're far enough behind the front wheel that you can't flip. No problem. the problem is when you get to the bottom and start moving frowards again, snagging the shorts/waist strap of the camelback/shirt on it and you can't get back up again.

also, I lower my seat alot when I'm doing a very technical trail and I spend most of my time standing, it's good and out of my way, lots of freedom to move forwards/back as the trail needs it.

but I tend to just adjust the height according to what I'm going to be riding and just leave it, and sometimes I go so far as just leave it where it is for optimal leg extension, and just deal with not getting stuck. riding a bike isn't as rocket science as the technology salesmen say, you can adjust very well to a riding style without the fancy automagical-adjustamajigs.

[mimbresman]

. riding a bike isn't as rocket science as the technology salesmen say, you can adjust very well to a riding style without the fancy automagical-adjustamajigs.

Well said!
Rigid single speed anyone? ;)

[rockyrider]

riding a bike isn't as rocket science as the technology salesmen say, you can adjust very well to a riding style without the fancy automagical-adjustamajigs.I for one am a big fan of automagical-adjustamajigs.

[commutergirl]

that explains a lot.

And it's awfully nice not to have to ignore the smackdowns on that other website that we just won't mention.

c
long winded just means you've got something to say.:D

[davkatreb]

Rigid single speed anyone? ;)
Way ahead of you.:D And to the o.p., there's really nothing wrong with getting off and walking if you're unsure. Next time, or maybe the one after, you might be ready to ride it.

[Rock Star]

there's really nothing wrong with getting off and walking if you're unsure.

Or if you don't have the gears to get up or down the hill. ;)

[plume_mtb]

you don't need gears to go down the hill.

:)

[rockyrider]

you don't need gears to go down the hill.

:)
or a bike for that matter... :eek:

[davkatreb]

you don't need gears to go down the hill.

:)
I believe you are looking for the "Gravity" forum...

[commutergirl]

The earth has no gravity. It sucks. Especially when wet.

c

[mscotch]

you don't need gears to go down the hill.

:)

Got over 41 mph on my geared 29er x-cal this weekend....my buddy with his Haro Mary29er SS just can't seem to spin fast enough to keep up. Maybe he's just a liteweight, though!:eek:

Maybe that's what Cranky is referring to...:)

hopethishelps

[davkatreb]

Maybe that's what Cranky is referring to...:)

No, I was addressing the fact that going UP the hill is usually a major player, unless you're one of those types who uses a ski lift for a granny gear.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Nor is that sort of thing my dish of tea. Personally, I'd much rather ride my bike to go somewhere than go somewhere to ride my bike. Some folks are ascairt of cars. Me, I'm ascairt of crashing in the woods alone and never being found. But I suspect that's another thread.

[Rock Star]

Make a friend. Ride in woods with friend. Make more friends while riding in the woods. Enjoy life. Gears are mighty helpful up and down the trails I ride. I have seen some single speeder rigid 29ers in there too though. I would sure be hiking more and biking less if I didn't have gears.

Oh and I go places to ride. I rarely ride to go someplace, although lately I'm doing a bit more of that.

[one piece crank]

Pre-walking a section to find the best/possible lines is de-rigueur for the potentially dangerous stuff. I have a really good helmet, but that doesn't mean I want to use it!

In the tricky stuff that stops traditional pedaling, I drop the seat to where I can still clamp it between my knees when I'm way back behind the saddle. This helps with leverage while still offering more downward clearance to absorb drop-offs.

I can ususally handle the typical technical-XC riding with the seat at full height.

Tom P.

[RacerK]

what was the thinking behind sitting lower instead of behinder?

is there something I'm missing in the technical reasons for moving the weight behind? Was it really just an inadequate way to try to get the weight lower?

c

If you're going down a pretty steep hill, it's very helpful to get your weight both lower and "behinder" (great word by the way). Lowering your center of gravity in general helps your handling, plus getting your weight back means less chance of flipping.

I used to never change the seat height, partly because around here you're never going downhill for that long before it's time to climb again, and doing so with a low seat sucks (in my opinion). But on a recent ride out in Oregon I was going downhill for long enough that it made sense. And like Tryandgetme said, it's also good to lower your seat for doing more technical riding, since you want to be off the seat and moving around, using that body English. I used to just try log piles and skinnies and stuff with the seat way up in XC racer wannabe position, and that just plain doesn't work. Even without dangly bits to worry about!

If I had 'em, boy it would be tempting to ride with a cup all the time... don't know how you guys put your jewels in harm's way so much.