[musicociclista]

Hi, I would like to hear from any Aliante user how to level the saddle. I've tried several angles while riding until it feels right, but don't know if a level tool is useful here since the seat is raised at the back. Your suggestions?

 

[Andrea138]

I have the vitesse, which is prettymuch the same thing, but a little wider. I like to have my saddle tilted up slightly, so I made the nose the same height as the rear. If that doesn't work for you, just keep riding/adjusting until it feels "right" to you.

 

[Ridgetop]

My saddle is set the same way Andrea said. I tried leveling my Aliante but that didn't work. I eyeballed it in and then raised the front slightly and have been happy ever since.

 

[JoeyBuck]

Well, the general opinion seems to be if it feels right, it is right. So true.
That being said, I found that if you put a level across the highest part of the nose and the highest part of the rear part of the saddle, it will be pretty close to level and a good starting point for fit.
The level will be tilted a bit to the side (not in line with the top tube), but it at least gives one a reference point if the saddle is removed or adjusted.

 

[danl1]

Hi, I would like to hear from any Aliante user how to level the saddle. I've tried several angles while riding until it feels right, but don't know if a level tool is useful here since the seat is raised at the back. Your suggestions?

Personally, I'm one for a little bit of 'up' in my saddle. Just to say, what's right for you is right, so 'level' is somewhat overrated.

Anywho, I always took 'level' on an Aliante by placing an edge from the nose to the bottom of the 'V' in back, and placing a level on that. That gave me the same sensation as 'level' on conventionally shaped saddles, to which I added my personal tweak.

Level to the high part of the back is too up for my tastes, and level based on the nose portion of the saddle is clearly not what was intended for the design.

 

[tarwheel2]

I take level and set it across the highest point on the front and back of the saddle. Then I raise the front so it is just slightly higher than the back. Works for me.

 

[Squidward]

When I first set up my Aliante I had set it up so that the front third was level using my eyeball to gauge it. Out on a ride, I kept feeling like I was sliding off the front of the saddle so I raised the nose up in small increments until that feeling went away. Now, if I were to run a level on its edge from the nose through the V cut in the back of the saddle it is almost level with a very slight nose-down attitude.

Like Andrea, I'm more concerned about how the saddle feels than how it looks so long as it doesn't look like the nose of the saddle is higher than the back edge of it. I have three Aliantes set up this way and they all sit at about the same angle relative to the frame.

 

[musicociclista]

Anywho, I always took 'level' on an Aliante by placing an edge from the nose to the bottom of the 'V' in back, and placing a level on that. That gave me the same sensation as 'level' on conventionally shaped saddles, to which I added my personal tweak.

I also have the saddle a little 'nose up'. I tried to level it like you did and it felt like I was sliding foward. Then from that point I started to raise the nose till it felt right. After the sweet spot is achieved it's a very comfortable saddle. I think I have forgotten how a 'flat' saddle feels like...

 

[handsomerob]

I have the vitesse, which is prettymuch the same thing, but a little wider. I like to have my saddle tilted up slightly, so I made the nose the same height as the rear. If that doesn't work for you, just keep riding/adjusting until it feels "right" to you.

I gotta agree with Andrea as well. It looks more nose up than it will feel...

 

[dekindy]

Now, if I were to run a level on its edge from the nose through the V cut in the back of the saddle it is almost level with a very slight nose-down attitude.

That is exactly how my fitter set mine up. A very slight adjustment can make a large difference. The adjusting bolt is less likely to strip out so loosen it first.

 

[crankee]

I have this saddle - it came with a bike I bought and I've decided to use it. I'm taking a different approach to leveling it. Someone on RBR suggested leveling saddles from the middle of the saddle to the back. I've done this with my Arione and it worked great. I adjusted the Aliante the same and this puts the nose is up - a lot. It looks weird, but after riding around for an hour in the 'hood, it is comfortable. We'll see if it's still comfortable and my parts are still working after a 3-4 hour ride.

 

[krisdrum]

I'm in the slightly nose-up crowd. I have this saddle set up with a bubble level cut in half by the forward "middle" line of the level when placed across the highest part of the nose and sitting in the V in the back of the saddle. If I lift the back of the bubble level to be in line with the highest point of the saddle rear, it is nearly dead-on level.

 

[High Gear]

Hi, I would like to hear from any Aliante user how to level the saddle. I've tried several angles while riding until it feels right, but don't know if a level tool is useful here since the seat is raised at the back. Your suggestions?

I have been through MANY saddles over the years, looking for one that didn't give me sadle sores or numbness. I got to the point that I thought no saddle would be perfect. The Aliante is perfect for me, the top one with the carbon Kevlar shell. I'm with the other guys in that the nose has to be higher. This was the opposite with all the other saddles I have tried. I even got a rider from my work place to go with the Aliante. He didn't believe me at first about the "nose up" setting but eventually arrived at that point. I can't believe it took the cycling industry this many years to come out with a saddle that rivals the Selle Italia Flite for comforting the masses.

 

[Slow Eddie]

No opinon on the Aliante as a saddle, as I've never ridden it. But if you want a reliable (as in accurate and consistently reproducible) method to level saddles, then lay a clipboard across the top of the saddle and place your measuring instrument of choice across that. If you want "level", then a simple bubble level will suffice; but your local hardware store should have an angle finder that can measure the relative tilt of the saddle in degrees.

HTH.

 

[JJJamison]

Level

I place an old LP or oversize hard cover book on the saddle so that it rests on the highest points of the rear and the nose, and then adjust tilt so it is dead-on level. The end result is a slightly nose-up appearance mainly because of the hammock shape of the saddle - pretty much same as the picture above. I find this to be absolutely perfect in terms of comfort. YMMV.

 

[musicociclista]

Actually, I have mine as level as I can, and it feels very comfortable. It looks nose up, but it's level. I measure from the nose to the middle of the V shape. Also, I have tried several seatposts and noticed that fine adjustment is a big plus for this saddle. With my FSA SLK (no fine adjustment) a level seat can't be achieved on my frame, so it's a little nose up, but with the FSA K-Force (2 bolt fine adjustment) a level seat can be dialed in. To me, the level seat feels better, but can use it nose up too.

 

[acid_rider]

i used to ride it. put a wide ruler on top of seat from high end of nose to the high end of tail, covering the whole length of the saddle. put the bike on level surface. put level on top of the ruler on top of saddle and make it completely level, nose to tail. ride. if you slide into the dip then nose up 1 degree (use the precise angle measuring device!) if you have pressure in "sensitive" areas then nose down 1-2 degrees. This pretty much applies to all mainstream saddles on sale today. I used Fizik Aliante, Arione, Gobi, S/I Flite and now Selle SMP. Same rules apply. Level from nose to tail. Then ~1-2 degrees nose down or nose up if required. Simple. Aliante sometimes "looks" as if it's nose up, dont trust your eyes, use the level.