Putting a new saddle on your bike is a relatively easy thing to do, as the most mountain bikes have a simple clamp set up. Almost all saddles are designed using two rails. These rails connect to a clamp bolt located on the top of the seat post. To remove the old saddle, use the appropriate size Allen or hex wrench and loosen the bolt by reaching under the saddle and turning it counterclockwise. Sometimes this can be a bit cumbersome. Loosen it enough so that you can remove the saddle from the clamp, and jiggle the saddle loose. If necessary, you can take the bolt all the way out and the top part of the clamp will come off. This is OK if this happens. You can just put it back together when you put on the new seat. Once the top of the clamp is quite loose, and the old saddle is removed, you can guide the rails of the new saddle into position in the clamp. As you tighten the saddle into position, you can adjust where the saddle clamps onto the rails. You can also adjust the fore and aft position. Most clamps have a little cam, where you can adjust the tilt, before you do the final tightening. You may need to jiggle it around a bit to get the right position. When you have to saddle in the proper position, then you can tighten the clamp my tightening the Allen bolt. Make sure that the bolt is pretty tight, to prevent any movements in the saddle. Most anyone can deal with this procedure, as long as you have the right tool and a little patience. If the saddle has a different design, it will usually be obvious how to remove it, and what bolts to loosen. Now go out and ride! Be certain to recheck the saddle for tightness after a few miles and re-position if necessary. |
