Subscribe Feed (RSS)Saddle Setback
August 15th, 2009 by Bill | Filed under Articles, Brooks, saddles.
A lot of customers are frustrated by the length of the clamp area on Brooks saddles. They wish for more setback.
The setback is determined by the front curve of the clamp area on the chassis. Look at these two leather saddles. You can see that the width of the clamp area in front is dictated by the shape of the nose. If the clamp area were extended towards the front of the saddle it would distort the skirts or require that the mid-section of the saddle be wider. Either of these changes would probably compromise the performance of the saddle.
This is why saddles with higher skirts (Swift, Swallow) can have longer clamp areas.
Most current bikes are built with shorter top tubes than when leather saddles were the standard. If there was a good way to make a comfortable leather saddle conform to current taste, the manufacturers would be using it. That leaves set back seat posts (too bad about CLB), custom builders, or hoping design will come full circle.