Forward saddle adjustment for limited hip ROM led to quad overload – looking for technical input

Andrea Tore

17d (edited) • Pain and Comfort ⚡️

Hi everyone,

I’d like to share my experience with a recent bike fitting and get some technical input.

Background:

• Height: 169 cm

• Inseam: 79.2 cm

• FTP: ~260 W

• Mostly endurance / threshold riding

• Hip flexion ROM measured at 80° (right) and 75° (left)

• Limited hamstring flexibility (can’t touch toes cold)

The fitter identified limited hip flexion as the main constraint and aimed to “open the hip angle at peak flexion.”

Changes made during the session:

• Saddle moved forward by 10 mm• Saddle tilted down by 9° (measured on saddle plane)

The rationale was that advancing the saddle would reduce hip closure at TDC given my ROM limitation.

Important detail:During the session there was no meaningful load testing. No sustained Z3/Z4 effort. No reassessment after proper warm-up. Everything was evaluated at relatively low intensity.

Interestingly, despite showing anterior hip block in clinical flexion testing, I never experience hip pain under load. The only symptom triggered by the forward position was quad overload. This makes me question whether static hip ROM alone should dictate saddle fore-aft decisions.

After riding outdoors with this setup, I experienced:

• Early quad fatigue already in mid Z3

• Burning in upper quadriceps near the knee

• Clear anterior chain dominance

• No real improvement in comfort

The fitter maintained that adaptation was required and that, biomechanically, this was the correct approach given my limited hip ROM.

After several rides, I reverted and experimented myself:

• Saddle moved back 15 mm from the “fit” position• Saddle raised 5 mm

• Cranks shortened from 165 mm to 160 mm

• Handlebar changed to a model with shorter reach (reducing cockpit reach without changing stem length)

With this configuration:

• Quad burning shifted from mid Z3 to high Z4

• Pedaling feels more balanced

• I feel more “planted” and stable on the saddle

• Pelvic support feels more secure and centered

• My left leg (previously less perceptible) now feels more engaged and symmetrical

• Effort distribution feels significantly more sustainable

The most interesting change is that I feel better supported by the saddle, less anteriorly loaded, and overall more stable under threshold effort.

This leads me to a few questions:

Is moving the saddle forward always the right strategy to manage limited hip flexion ROM?
Could focusing purely on geometric hip angle at TDC ignore torque distribution between knee and hip under real load?
Is it possible that some riders with limited static ROM actually function better slightly rearward, relying more on hip extension mechanics?
Should meaningful load testing (Z3/Z4) be mandatory before finalizing fit decisions intended to solve performance-related issues?

I’m genuinely interested in technical perspectives, especially from fitters who evaluate positions under load rather than only statically.

Thanks in advance.

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