[GravityFreakTJ]

The last two weekends downhilling i have just noticed all the different seat heights on peoples bikes.You may see three or four people of the same height,same size bike but the seat extention is all different.You see 'em xc high and slammed all the way down.How do you run your seat and why?

 

[Kntr]

up for XC..... down for FR and DH. I just cut the post as short as possible but long enough for xc. Then I just drop it as far as possible for DH and FR.

 

[biggins]

i run my real low because my bike is kinda big and i use my thigh to push into the seat

 

[ztlh13]

M

I wanted to let you know the Boxxer is not dented, that is where a jacka$$ tied it to another bike in the back of a trailer and it gat serious friction. The internals should be fine though!

And seat height depends on the trail. If you pedal a lot then you'll want it up!

 

[Jayridesacove]

All the way down, cause I'm 5'5"

 

[GravityFreakTJ]

M

I wanted to let you know the Boxxer is not dented, that is where a jacka$$ tied it to another bike in the back of a trailer and it gat serious friction. The internals should be fine though!

And seat height depends on the trail. If you pedal a lot then you'll want it up!

Is this Terry? I changed the oil in the Boxxer and its working mucho better

 

[dhkid]

i keep it about 4inches up above the seat clamp for trails with no big jumps and some pedaling, for tech trails and trails with big jumps its all the way down.

 

[Toshi]

i keep it pretty high even at whistler and on the shore. i'm a lot less tired at the end of the day this way. of course having a monster t up front and 9" of avy/canfield goodness out back lets me get away with that more than, say, a hardtail rider with a 5" fork...

 

[skatetokil]

I keep it somewhat high (lower than for XC) for technical downhills because I can wheelie drop and throw the bike around better with a seat position that is further back and high enough to grab between my legs on occasion. Maybe 4 inches above the clamp.

 

[Ciaran]

Up high when I am on the way up, and down low when I am on the way down.

Toshi, I am that rider on the hardtail with the 5, well, 6 inch fork. It's fun!

 

[bibs]

I think it depends on a riders background too. But I used to run my seats low and now with my Gemini I run them higher to pedal and sit better. but it al depends I htink to if a person has a seat post clamp that realses quick or not, I.E. set it kind high if oy uhave to pedal rather then too low? does that make sense?

 

[Nately27]

i like mine on the high side for just about all downhill stuff. I find I can pedal better, and get a lot less fatigued during the run cuz i can sit in a reasonable position. i feel it also helps with control, particularly during cornering. the high side for me is about 6 or 7 inches above the clamp on a 17 inch frame for a 6 footer

 

[johnbrittain]

i also like mine fairly high up, just enough so if i am not sprinting i can sit and still comfortably but pedal faster.

 

[arboc!]

slammed to the frame, because i dislike the idea of sodomy

 

[caputo1989]

Low on my DH rig and high on my XC rig

 

[freeridekid]

slammed to the frame, because i dislike the idea of sodomy

haha can't argue with that (in other words as low as it can go unless its a pedally dh course or i'm goin uphill)

 

[biker3]

I keep the shortest thomson available all the way up for 3 reasons 1) You never should be sitting down riding DH anyway 2) You can pedal easier and comfortably on the less tech sections and fatigue is less 3) I think it looks uber cool and racer-like, so people will be like man that guy is cool when I ride by.

 

[The Kadvang]

Jess jess is my racer god.

 

[GravityFreakTJ]

I think it depends on a riders background too. But I used to run my seats low and now with my Gemini I run them higher to pedal and sit better. but it al depends I htink to if a person has a seat post clamp that realses quick or not, I.E. set it kind high if oy uhave to pedal rather then too low? does that make sense?

Strange but i ran the seat on my Gemini last year higher than any other bike i've had.Must be the geo/rider postion on that bike.

 

[GravityFreakTJ]

3) I think it looks uber cool and racer-like, so people will be like man that guy is cool when I ride by.

and we all know this is what should dictate bike set-up

 

[anarchyUK]

mine is at mmy knees when i stand up

 

[dexter]

every season my seat keeps going higher and higher but i think i have found the money spot on my old dh9 about 5 inches of extension on a medium frame for a rider who is 5 11 and inseam of 32 1/2

 

[buildyourown]

mine is at mmy knees when i stand up

Ding Ding!
I think most people would be surprised how much more control they have if you run you seat higher. Everybody slams it down cause they are paranoid of nut injury.
When you can control the rear of the bike with your knees, you can ride rougher terrain with more confidence. I set mine up so it hits just above the bump on the inside of my knee when standing.

 

[hooples3]

for xc i run the normal seat high. for downhill/freehide, put the seat at the height of just above my knees when I am standing on the pedals. I feel that it gives me more control to grab it with my thighs. as I travel down quickly

 

[seismic]

Low as possible because I would never sit down when going DH.

 

[The Kadvang]

Ding Ding!
I think most people would be surprised how much more control they have if you run you seat higher. Everybody slams it down cause they are paranoid of nut injury.
When you can control the rear of the bike with your knees, you can ride rougher terrain with more confidence. I set mine up so it hits just above the bump on the inside of my knee when standing.

Werd. Thats where mine is on the HT for pinching and where my homosexual roadie seat is gonna be on the DH bike.

 

[HippieKai]

I think it depends on a riders background too. But I used to run my seats low and now with my Gemini I run them higher to pedal and sit better. but it al depends I htink to if a person has a seat post clamp that realses quick or not, I.E. set it kind high if oy uhave to pedal rather then too low? does that make sense?

no it doesn't
and you like your seat post high, without a seat on it at all!!!

 

[ito]

When I did ride DH it was on a hardtail and the seat was midway up, higher than most I saw. I guess being from an XC background I use the saddle a lot for steering and balance. I also like being able to sit and spin.

These days I'm riding mostly XC and road, but hit the occasional singletrack downhill trail with some jumps and stuff. The saddle height is the same as it is on the road the whole way down, never had an issue with sacking the boys.

As for the nut casings, I'd rather hit them then miss the pedals and ram my feet into the ground before hitting anything else. I know a number of riders much better than me who have torn ACL's and broken ankles because of that.

The Ito

 

[preppie]

I started with my seat all the way down, because I was afraid my 'boys' could/would be crushed.
But on technical, rocky sections and in high speed berms, my bike always felt a little squirrelly and nervous.
A friend told me that I should try to ride with my seat a few inches higher
and I immediately noticed that I had a lot more control, because I could pinch the seat between my legs
and I could 'push' the bike over in corners with my thighs.
The only downside is bunny hopping is a little 'limited' know.

 

[Rik]

I run mine relatively high. I'm only an average height, but have my seat up taller than most, for a few reasons...
I like to pedal efficiently, I like having the ability to steer the bike with my knees, and probably the biggest reason being that 2 knee reconstructions have limited the movement in my knee so there's no point putting it any lower as I can't sit on it comfortably.

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

When and if I race i keep it slammed down... but for runs in whistler or other jump trails i keep it at my knees or a little higher standing up... It makes it better for me so I can move the bike better and maybe i can clamp the seat between my knees so I wont loose the bike in a trick.

 

[GravityFreakTJ]

Think i'm going to start raising mine a little at a time until i finf a level that is a good compromise between being able to tuck it outta the way and still able to sit and pedal occasionally.

 

[Lexx D]

About level with my stem.

 

[Red Bull]

Climbing= Almost full leg extension
DJ= All the way down unless im doing no handers...
DH= Knee'ish

 

[Jeremy R]

Am I the only one disagreeing with the people about never sitting down in a DH run? Different riders have different styles, and I generate alot more power
on the seat than I do standing. Even watching the pros, they have different techniques as well. Peat killed the bottom section of St. Anne last year, cruising in on his saddle. (for the win).
Anyway, as far as DH seat height, I run it as high as I can get away with and still ride the really steep stuff.

 

[DRB]

and still drink the really cheap stuff.

Still drinking the moonshine. The lead poisioning is going to make you go blind, if masterb..... nevermind.

 

[bizutch]

i started running mine higher than normal becuase I found I could keep the rear from sliding out in corners better if I had a little pressure from my rear to force the rear down on the ground. When you go throwing it deep in a long turn or the rear starts trying to jump up on multiple braking bumps, having your "butt" in contact with the seat pushes the rear of the bike back down in contact with the trail.

I realized it one day when I did a run with the seat really low at Wolf Laurel and hit some braking bumps..the butt of the bike tended to skip around under me even with my legs pushing it down. Next run i had my seat up higher cuase I had been working on it in the stand...and I absolutely ripped the section cause I just pushed the reaer of the bike down and controlled it so much better.

I got short legs so if you see me and think my seat post isn't high...keep that in mind.

 

[GravityFreakTJ]

Anyway, as far as DH seat height, I run it as high as I can get away with and still ride the really steep stuff.

That's what i will expeirment with this weekend at Windrock.Not worried about the runs when it's not to high,the one where it is may suck