But to get power to the pedals while out of the saddle, it helps to have the handlebars well forward of the cranks.
Particularly when climbing out of the saddle, the best position tends to be had with a long forward reach to the bars.
You can tell this is so by climbing a hill out of the saddle with your hands as far forward on the brake lever tops as you can hold them, then climbing the same hill with your hands as far to the rear as you can on the bars. Chances are you can climb faster with your hands further forward.
So you need to find the best compromise between a comfortable seated position to reach the handlebar, and a forward handlebar position for those times when you need to stand. Only an inch or two in handlebar placement fore-aft can make a big difference while climbing.
That same inch or two in saddle position can mean the difference between a comfortable 50 mile ride and a stiff neck and sore shoulders.
As you move the saddle forward from that balanced position, you’ll have more and more weight supported by your arms, but you’ll be able to position the handlebars further forward for more power.
The track sprinter has the frame built with a rather steep seat tube angle, which positions the saddle further forward from where the tourer would want it. But again, the track sprinter spends very little time in the saddle.
If you can’t move your saddle forward enough or backward enough for the fit you want, don’t despair. Different saddles position the rails further ahead than others, giving more or less saddle offset.
Seat posts are available with the clamps in different positions relative to the centerline of the post.
So, how do you want to balance on your bike? Do you want to emphasize speed and acceleration? Do you care mostly about comfort and enjoying the scenery? The answers to these questions determine how you position the saddle, not some computer program or someone’s system of charts and graphs.
How your best friend fits his bike should have no bearing on what you do even if he has exactly the same body proportions as you. You know why you ride a bike. Only you know what compromises you are willing to make in order to achieve your purposes on a bicycle.
You may have a bicycle for short fast rides, and another for long tours. Just as the two bikes will have different components so as to be well suited for their purposes, so might the fit be different. The rider hasn’t changed. You are still you. But your purpose has changed.
The light, fast bike for short rides will likely have a more forward and lower handlebar position than the tourer. And so the saddle may well be further forward too.
As you move the saddle forward or rearward, you are also changing the effective saddle height, relative to the cranks, since the saddle rails are usually not perpendicular to the seat tube.
So be prepared to change the seat post extension as you adjust the fore-aft saddle position; lowering the saddle as you move it back to maintain the same leg extension, and raising it as you move the saddle forward.
