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‘ A group of us asked the UCI why they had the rule that says saddles could tilt no more than 2.5°,’ says cycling performance innovator Phil Burt, ‘and they actually said they didn’t know. We explained how we’d seen a correlation between horizontal saddles and injury to frontal soft tissue, especially in women. But because of this narrow window, riders were reluctant to angle their saddles in case a commissaire measured their bike on a less than flat road. The rule made no sense.’
The UCI listened and in 2015 the rule changed to 9°. So should us amateurs be paying more heed to saddle tilt too?
A 2011 study into cyclists climbing a 20% hill, seated, might suggest yes. It showed muscle timing and intensity changed significantly compared to riding on the flat, notably across the hip joints. Titling the saddle down by 20%, however, counteracted this, with the cyclists also perceiving this change positively ‘regarding comfort and performance’.
‘I’d be cautious about interpreting what is a lab experiment, but tilt is worth experimenting with,’ says Burt. ‘The cycling position closes up the hip so tilting a saddle down can help open the hip up again.
That’s good for both comfort and power production, especially in an aero position where the hip is even more closed.’
Burt says a slight downward tilt can also help reduce load on the back as the pelvis is given more room to rotate, and also puts less pressure on the soft tissue in contact with the saddle nose. But it’s not about going the whole nine yards – well, degrees – from the off.
‘Saddle height, setback and tilt are all linked. That’s the first thing. Second, a tiny orientation down can make a big difference to how you hold your position, and some people will feel like they’re falling off the front.
You have to work out your absolute sweet spot where you think, “My hips feel open, but I don’t feel like
I’m sliding onto my top tube.”’