Setting the seat angle

[castlerobber]

Is there documentation anywhere of exactly how to set the Quest seat to get the desired angle? I found one post where someone mentioned inserting the seat tube 3" (I think) to get angles of 47, 52, and 57 on his wife's bike. But I tried it, and didn't get the angle I was looking for.

I had tried to post what I thought the documentation could look like, but the forum spam filter didn't like it.

 

[Eric Winn]

I wouldn't worry so much at

I wouldn't worry so much at achieving a particular numerical angle. Instead focus on what feels comfortable in context of:

• your legs reaching the pedals with the right knee bend. Boom or TFT tube length is the biggest factor here but seat recline can change this a bit. If you are tall and the boom is out pretty far and you recline the seat back a lot the front of the bottom seat edge can dig into the backs of your thighs.
• Your arm and hand positions on the handlebars. Again, the further back you lean the seat back the further away the handlebars get. To some extent you can adjust the bars but past a certain point they are going to get hard to reach.
• Your butt - some seat angle combinations may lead to more pressure on your butt leading to recumbutt (numb butt).
• Your back - some seat angles, particularly combined with pedal and handlebar reach may make your back uncomfortable. Also the seat contours may not be quite right for your back but this can be easily handled by putting various amounts of padding under the seat cushion. Just experiment to find out what improves your comfort. Note that what might feel good on a short ride may not turn out so good if you start riding longer distances, longer ride times.
• Your neck - greater recline requires more effort from your neck muscles to hold your noggin up. Especially if you have a huge melon head like I do. There are several DIY head rests in the forums for the Quest as well as aftermarket products that may work if you find yourself going for a greater recline.

The trick is to find the right balance between these factors and perhaps others I've missed. The Quest, in particular, has a LOT of adjustment features so you should be able to dial in a fit that is best for your body.

-Eric

 

[castlerobber]

I'm trying to get the seat

I'm trying to get the seat just upright enough to keep my neck happy--about 50 to 52 degrees on my tadpole trike. Nothing I do seems to get the seat more upright than 45 degrees. I can't quite get all the variables to line up.

I'm 5'5", x-seam around 40.5" or 41". I seem to have the TFT set pretty well for my leg length, without the front of the seat pan digging into the backs of my thighs, and my knees don't hit the handlebar.

I managed a 10-mile excursion a couple of days ago, which left my shoulders (trapezius muscles, more properly) tense and aching for several hours. I know some, maybe most, of that is due to inexperience, since I only have about 45 road miles on the Q. I do try to consciously relax the shoulders and hands. I feel like having the seat back just a hair more upright would help with that also.

The handlebars are in the factory-preset position. Suggestions on adjustment would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[John Tolhurst]

Let the grips point down as

Let the grips point down as much as possible, practice riding with your palms resting on the grips - let your legs figure it out by themselves.

 

[castlerobber]

One of these days...

I have moments here and there where it all clicks, and I'm just riding a bike. No thinking about it, no wobbling, solid and steady. Then I hit a patch of patched potholes, or a car overtakes me, or I'm getting tired toward the end of the ride, and the smoothness goes away.

I've printed out the checklist from the owner's manual to work on. I'll try rotating the handlebars a bit to point the grips down.

 

[Robert Holler]

For fit I always have someone

For fit I always have someone sit on the bike - feet on pedals. Have someone hold you up. If you put the bike in a trainer put a block under the rear wheel to make sure it is level.

Loosen the handlebars and let your arms and wrists be as natural as possible. If you have short arms or feel the reach is "way out there" try rotating the stem (loosen JUST the stem) and try again. When it feels most natural, cinch the bolts down.

This ideal position is going to be different for everyone so there is no right or wrong way.

Robert

 

[castlerobber]

Fitting

Thanks, Robert. I have a trainer and a block (and a helpful spouse).

When you say "rotate the stem", which dimension do you mean? Turned on its own longitudinal axis, so it's angled down instead of up? Around the steering mast, so that it points toward me? Both? I'll have an experimentation session when I get home from work.

 

[Robert Holler]

Rotating it 180 gives a

Rotating it 180 gives a different feel and also provides for a different clearance depending on your leg length. You could rotate it upside down but the same up-down for the bars could be accomplished by just sliding the stem down.

Here is a picture of my daughter on a 20" Q

 

[castlerobber]

A picture is worth 1000 words

That clears things up. Bringing the bars closer may be just the ticket. My arms aren't straight by any means with the current setup; but they're nowhere near your daughter's position, either.

Tell your daughter I love the helmet!

Guess I'll have to take an hour or two one weekend with my inclinometer app to figure out and write down the seat angle adjustments. Will share if/when I do.

 

[Charles.Plager]

The one issue to consider

The one issue to consider with placing the bars that close is that it may interfere with your ability to sit up straight (which I do on steep hills and busy intersections).

May or may not be important for you.

 

[castlerobber]

Flipped the stem and took the

Flipped the stem and took the Q out for a couple of miles around the neighborhood. It's definitely a more comfortable reach to the handlebars, and seemed more stable when I put on a bit of speed. @cplager, I was concerned beforehand that the cockpit might be too cramped; but I still have adequate room, and it was actually easier for me to sit up when stopping.

 

[Charles.Plager]

It sounds to me like you've

It sounds to me like you've got a winner.

 

[Robert Holler]

castlerobber,
Most excellent!

castlerobber,

Most excellent! Finding the best comfortable fit on these bikes is a process for sure that takes a bit of time and experimentation. Once you start to get it dialed in though it is wonderful.

Robert

 

[Eric Winn]

Roughly 40 degree recline.

Roughly 40 degree recline. You can go a lot lower if you take the rack off and rotate the seat post 180 degrees, flip the handlebars closer to you, move the bottom seat pan forward or aft a bit and adjust the boom accordingly. I experimented with close to a 20 degree recline to try and get an idea what my Vendetta was going to be like when it arrived. The Q was not at all the same with the difference in frame shape, steerer tube and handlebars (which I couldn't really reach reclined that far). Fun to experiment with though.



I normally ride with a helmet but had stopped for a break and had taken it off and this fella with a large digital camera wanted photos of me riding so I did a couple of quick loops in front of him. There are a few more of these in my Quest Flickr photo set here. The set includes all of my Quest photos from initial assembly and various adjustments, accessories, travel to Bike Sebring, etc.

-Eric