The saddle rails often have a marking indicating the saddle’s range of movement towards the front or the rear. I must confess that I do not really understand this marking, as the top clamp of the seatpost used on my bike so far are (almost) as wide as the marked area! Assuming that the clamp plates of the seatpost must be positioned within the marking, I cannot change the saddle adjustment by more than one or two millimetres to the front or the rear. Or do I misinterpret the marking? Would it be still correct to install the saddle in a way that only a small part of the clamp plate is still within the marked area?
Reply by Dirk Zedler, TOUR technology expert and bicycle expert
After a few saddle rails had failed due to improper clamping, the saddle manufacturers had begun to mark the clamping area, unfortunately, not always clearly, for example with a limit stop marking. Normally, the front edge of the seatpost top clamp should be positioned within the marking. But, keep in mind, that according to the length of the clamp its rear area might get stuck in the rear area of the rails. This should be avoided, because the rails might break. Therefore, make sure to remain within the marked area and to leave a space of 10 millimetres at least to the beginning of the bend in the rear. You find more of such useful information in the books "Road Bike Maintenance and Repair Manual" and "Advanced Road Bike Maintenance" published like the TOUR-magazine by Delius Klasing Verlag. Have a lot of fun screwing on your bike!
