A recent pro bike auction shows that pro cyclists still have no respect for The Rules... so, should you tilt your saddle forward too?

If you're a cyclist with an eye for detail, you might be familiar with Rule #48 from the famously meticulous Velominati list of cycling commandments, which insists that saddles must be "visually level." Despite this, many world-class riders appear to favour a downward tilt nowadays, as we spotted on a recent auction of pro bikes. So, should you too break with tradition and embrace the alternative saddle angle? Let's take a look into why riders might choose to go there, and whether there's any evidence to support the benefits of a downward tilt.

A the time of writing, the sporting memorabilia and auction website MatchWornShirt has been offering members of the public the chance to buy road bikes as used by top pro riders, raced in some of the most prestigious road cycling races. Bikes from the likes of Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard and Tom Pidcock have gone for as much as £15,000, providing well-heeled cyclists/cycling fans with their own bit of WorldTour history. 

While browsing, we noticed that some world-class riders don't adhere to Rule #48 of the Velominati, which insists saddles must be level and pushed back. For those who weren't aware, the Velominati describe themselves as the "Keepers of the Cog" who aim to "maintain the sacred text wherein lie the simple truths of cycling etiquette known as The Rules". 

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Rule #48 warns, "If the tilt of the saddle exceeds two degrees, you need to go get one of those saddles with springs and a thick gel pad". Yet, quite a few pros opt for a downward tilt.

 But what is saddle tilt? Well, it refers to the angle of the saddle relative to horizontal and a downward or negative tilt refers to the nose of the saddle pointing down. So, should you copy the pros or stick to The Rules? We spoke to some bike fitters to find out.

Why opt for a downward tilt?

Adjusting the angle of your saddle can bring about some positive changes, as noted in a 2022 study that found tilting your saddle nose down by eight degrees could help improve efficiency in seated-uphill efforts by an average of 1.4% compared to having it completely parallel; but, it’s important to note that finding the right saddle angle can be complex.

According to Phil Burt, Director at Phil Burt Innovation and former Head of Physiotherapy at British Cycling and Consultant Physiotherapist at Team Sky, the primary reasons for tilting your saddle downwards are actually comfort and achieving a more aerodynamic position.

“A small amount of tilt reduces saddle pressure at the front significantly, especially for women. It also allows the pelvis to rotate forward, promoting a lower, straighter back and generally a more aero position,” Burt explains.

However, Luke Craddock, Director at Synergy Performance, highlights that saddle shape can make measuring and quantifying saddle angle challenging: “It can have a significant impact on a rider’s position, both positively and negatively,” he notes.

Improved performance or comfort?

The saddle is one of the most critical contact points between a rider and their bike, playing a key role in stability, comfort, and control. Craddock explains that the saddle’s primary function is to stabilise your mass on the bike by providing a platform to connect your pelvis.

"Tilting the nose of a saddle is therefore going to play a key role in how this weight is distributed," he notes.

When it comes to performance and comfort, Burt highlights significant evidence supporting a downward tilt. In 2015, he conducted research at British Cycling using saddle pressure and injury data, which he presented to the UCI. "It was so compelling it resulted in them changing the saddle tilt rule to allow a wider range of degrees of tilt," he says.

This reflects the growing recognition of the benefits of a downward tilt for reducing pressure and enhancing comfort, particularly for riders in aggressive positions.

On the aerodynamic front, Burt acknowledges that while less research exists, a downward tilt can still improve aero positioning by opening up the hips. 

What are the potential drawbacks of a saddle tilt?

When it comes to bike fit, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and this is especially true for saddle position and angle. While tilting your saddle downward can offer some benefits, both Burt and Craddock caution against excessive tilt due to its potential drawbacks.

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One issue is weight distribution. Both experts explain that a significant downward tilt shifts weight forward onto the handlebars, increasing hand pressure and potentially causing numbness. Craddock adds, “I see saddle tilt occurring a lot within riders who are trying to eliminate saddle discomfort but at the detriment of other contact points on the bike. I strongly advise to avoid doing this. A flat or close to flat saddle will help you stabilise the key connection we have with the bike"

Additionally, excessive tilt can cause riders to slide forward on the saddle, leading to constant fidgeting to adjust position. This instability can disrupt pedalling dynamics and overwork the quadriceps, potentially causing discomfort in the knees or even feet.

Do the pros vary their saddle tilt?

As we can see from the Cervelo further up the page and the bike above - Ben Swift's Pinarello Dogma F - some pro riders do ride with a downward saddle tilt at least some of the time; but does this vary depending on the race or the terrain?

The short answer is that some professional riders may adjust their saddle tilt depending on the demands of the event, while others stick with a consistent setup.

Burt explains, "Some may do, others not. It needs to be a compromise as no event is all uphill or downhill!"

He points out that for some riders, particularly those in very aero positions, they perch on the nose of their saddle, riding it flat. For these riders, excessive tilt wouldn't work with their specific positioning.

Craddock points out that pro riders like Tadej Pogačar often use a tilted saddle nose, but he cautions against directly copying such setups.

“A 60kg professional cyclist with extreme levels of function and conditioning, paired with very little upper body mass, has a bigger degree of variability in what they can get away with,” he explains.

Pogačar also spends much of his time racing and training in mountainous terrain, where the gradient naturally tilts the saddle nose slightly upward.

So what should you do?

Both Phil Burt and Luke Craddock have highlighted that there is no one perfect saddle tilt, so a one-size-fits-all approach is clearly not the way to go. One thing is clear: saddles are not designed to be ridden nose-up. Instead, they should be either flat or slightly nose-down, depending on personal preference.

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In answer to our earlier question, should you follow The Rules or copy the pros? Well, a bit of both... you shouldn't do it just because the pros are, but as The Rules actually suggest, a saddle with a downward tilt of between zero and two degrees is probably the way most of us should go.

Craddock emphasises, “We should never look to the pros and assume that this is correct or most effective. It may work for them, but this is not the case for the majority of us.”

To set up the angle of your saddle, Craddock suggests starting by placing your bike on a flat surface and measuring the angle of the saddle using a spirit level. This can be done on the front portion if it's curved in shape. He recommends starting with a flat saddle and if this feels uncomfortable, try a slight nose-down tilt, around one or two degrees. If you still feel unstable, it might be due to other aspects of your bike fit that are causing your body to compensate.

While a slight downward tilt of up to two degrees can provide benefits for both professional and amateur riders, it’s clear that the demands of professional cyclists differ significantly from those of the average rider. Therefore, it's probably best that most of us steer clear from the more extreme setups that exceed this. 

When it comes to your bike seat, do you stick to The Rules? Let us know in the comments section below.