What fore/aft saddle position should I use for long rides?

[Thomas68]

I’ve been trying to dial in my riding position on my new endurance bike, but I can’t seem to get the saddle fore/aft adjustment right for my longer rides. My knees feel fine, but I’m getting some lower back stiffness after about an hour that I didn’t have on my old bike.

[AmeliaJL]

On the first few rides I moved the seat forward by small amounts, basically a finger-width at a time. Knee felt okay, but the back stiffness lingered after an hour. I kept notes and kept dialing in in small steps, not any big swap. It felt more like a slow hunt than a fix.

[MatthewZM]

I did end up at a fitter who checked hip angle and reach. They said fore/aft mattered but not enough if the torso angle was off. Moving the seat forward helped a bit on longer stretches, but it still wasn’t settled after multiple rides.

[Oliver_T]

Maybe it isn’t the seat at all. I experimented with the stem length and bar drop a little, and for one ride my back felt looser. Then the next ride it felt off again. It’s inconsistent, which makes me doubt the diagnosis.

[MasonJ]

Mid-ride I noticed my lower back tense when I leaned forward for power. I tried a slightly easier hand position and a softer core brace after 30 minutes; helped a bit but not a cure.

[PenelopeWL]

Could the real issue be the overall fit instead of just fore/aft? I keep wondering if reach or stack is off even though the shop said it was fine, but I’m not sure I’m chasing the right thing.

[Zachary_T]

I tried a thicker pad for the longer miles, felt better for the first hour then it settled into the same pattern. I stopped using it after a couple rides because it felt odd and I couldn't trust the position.

[Jason37]

I logged ride length, pain level, and where it started. After a week I had a rough trend but no clean sweet spot. Still riding and tweaking, but progress feels slow.