The other day I pulled out the measuring tape and the level to see if I could improve the fit on the Tank, my Surly CrossCheck. My baseline for comparison is The Mule, my Specialized Sequoia touring bike that fits me like a glove.
I put the bikes up against a wall on a level surface. I could immediately see that the saddle on the Tank was level while the saddle on The Mule was tilted ever so slightly up. Hmm.
I tilted the saddle on the Tank up to the same degree and did two 30-mile rides. I discovered two things immediately. First, the ride strained my neck. Not as much as a few months ago but enough to make me cautious about riding the Tank on a regular basis. The second thing I noticed was I was getting much more power to the pedals. Not only was the Tank suddenly faster put the power transfer was even better than what I have been getting on The Mule.
I also noticed that the tip of the saddle was slightly higher than my handlebars on the Tank but not on The Mule. On a whim, I raised the saddle a few millimeters on The Mule and went for a ride. The bike was marginally faster. I took it up a bunch of short, steep hills. It was climbing better too. My upper body was more relaxed, something I have been missing since riding out west in 2022. The big revelation happened when I was done riding.
I was standing up straighter with much less lower back discomfort than usual. The onset of pain from walking seemed to be delayed. I guess the lower saddle position was aggravating my lumbar spinal stenosis and I didn’t realize it.
Today I took The Mule for a 43-mile romp in Charles County, Maryland. There are a handful of short hills on the route. Not once did my legs tie up as they did during my recent tour. I am not saying that this new position would help me haul 35 pounds of gear up a mountain but it seems like a step in the right direction.
For my next tweak, I’ll be attaching a flux capacitor. Stay tuned.
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 