Just wondering as my saddle is currently at the forward limit and still needs to be further forward. Current seatpost is in-line, so would for instance, a thomson elite layback post, used as a lay-forward post allow an extra distance forward? Any problems with this idea?

Any layback posts cheaper but still effective as a 2nd hand thomson around £40ish?

Dont want to consider the obvious just yet, i.e. smaller frame.

Ta

There was a picture on here a few days ago. Somebody had a backwards layback post on a Maverick. I’m sure it worked well, but the bike was only really suitable for night riding.

Can’t see why it wouldn’t work, although might not be designed to take the different stresses.

Put some pics up if you do 😀

Haha yes well I imagine it could look a little odd 🙂
Maybe I’ll throw an email over to thomson see what they have to say r.e. change in stresses

Bendy seat tube doesn’t help the looks.

Also found this…

😯

Looks fine to me (I am lying, you have the wrong size frame, it would pedal like an anti-recumbant)

Well seems the choice is a small frame + loooong seatpost, or the *special* looks of a bendy seatpost.

Tis a soul i have as it happens – currently a size M with 360mm seatpost extension, a smaller frame would end up looking like exactly the one above..

Can you post a picture of yourself and the bike? Are you oddly proportioned?

Wtf? Get a shorter stem or the right sized bike!

It’s going to handle like dogsh*t, trust me.

Bike fits perfect in terms of standover and reach. Just been getting knee pain so tryed the old plumbline test from below kneecap to ball of foot (over pedal spindle). Seems I need the saddle right forward for my kneecap to be vertical over my ball of the foot.

Rode the other day like this and was more confortabe, possibly, but I don’t like the look of all that overhanging titanium saddle rail..

Not sure how reliable that knee test is anyway and probably just me being fussy and need to train the ol’ knees up slowly.

KOPS is irrelevant on a mountain bike. Shorter stem?

Bike fits perfect in terms of standover and reach

If you think you (alone amongst MTBers it seems) need a lay-forward post then clearly the reach is NOT perfect!

Kneecap thing is not really applicable to MTBs as they have different requirements. Ride it the way it’s been designed to be ridden I’d say.

We need:

Your height
inside leg
ape index
current stem length
pic of the bike.

Christ I thought I had a lot of post showing 😉 but that must be bendtastic

Whose Soul is that? I see what you’re going for there. Similar to this, right?

Please show us a photo of you riding it. 😀

Useful to know the kneecap thing is not important, maybe a lay-forward post is not neccessary after all then. Anyhoo, here you go molgrips, does this sound about the right fit or is it not just my knees getting old…

Your height: 175cm
inside leg: 77cm
ape index: 1.017142857142857 (armspan 178cm)
current stem length: 60mm
pic of the bike: (i know cranks/pedals not at correct viewing angle etc)

Either you’re got the femurs of a six year old, or you’ve mis-measured the KOPS, I’m afraid. Trust me, you do not want the saddle further forwards (unless you work as a circus act, in which case, please accept my apologies). 🙂

It also looks like you are running an inline post the wrong way ’round.

Can you explain where on your knees you get the pain? Do you tend to ride with the balls of your feet over the pedal spindles, or more towards your heels?

I think the height difference between saddle and bars may be contributing to your discomfort.

lol at that Soul

pic of the bike: (i know cranks/pedals not at correct viewing angle etc)

Never mind that, your ROOM is at the wrong viewing angle!

Anyway – your stats look normal, so if I were you I’d bow to conventional wisdom. Lower your saddle, turn the post back around, put it in the middle ish of the rails, then as above try and figure out what else is the issue. Possibly pedalling position or cleat position.

Your bike will also handle tons better with the weight a bit further back 🙂

Greasy finger marks around the light switch = class 😉

It also looks like you are running an inline post the wrong way ’round.

It actually looks like it has about 5mm of layback, but you are right it’s on back to front.

Aye was just the latest test to bring saddle 5mm further forward. Right, think I’ll pop it back to normal position for now then.

Thanks for the confirmation that it should be the right size for me as-is. I do have tight hamstrings so that may be the real reason for the knee pain, but with saddle further forward their tightness is compensated for somewhat by the reduced sitting angle. (think that makes sense). Maybe some stretches will be a cure.

Not sure what you mean by the room at the wrong viewing angle? Looks normal to me 😀

That bendy frame bike with the reversed layback post looks like it has a crazy-relaxed seat tube angle, anyone riding that with more than a few inches of post would be too far back IMO

http://sheldonbrown.com/kops.html