Are you sitting comfortably? I am.

When I was building my list of components at the weekend, I almost completely forgot the seatpost and saddle. It's a bit odd, that, given that without those, the bike would literally be unrideable. I guess it's because there are so many more bits that are high-tech and shiny and futuristic-looking, that the thought of how I was going to sit on this bike slipped my mind slightly.

The importance of these can't be overstated, though. There's a very good reason we use the phrase "pain in the arse" to describe something we're not overly pleased with.

First, the seatpost. This is the long post which slides into the seat tube (see the diagram I posted last month) and has the saddle attached to the top. Setting the height of the seatpost correctly is really important. If it's too high, you'll overstretch your feet and legs at the bottom of each revolution, not to mention the problems you'll have getting on the bike in the first place! If it's too low (more common, from what I've seen) you'll find your legs bowing out the way a bit at the bottom of each revolution, and you won't be making most efficient use of your legs either.

The key to setting the right seatpost height is, so I'm told, to have it high enough that your legs are almost completely stretched out at the bottom of a revolution, but not quite. At least, that's how I've got mine set, and it feels good. If you've ridden a bike with its seatpost on the low side, trust me that it'll feel funny the first few times after you adjust it, but it'll be worth it and it's not too hard to get used to.

And so, on to the saddle. I've made a pragmatic but hopefully wise choice - I'm going to use the saddle I've already got on my Ridgeback. The reasons for this are, in order:

1. That saddle fits my bum perfectly (or vice versa). I've had six years of service out of it with a minimum of chafing. Some saddles - particularly leather ones, I'm led to believe - need quite some breaking in. Clearly that's not an option for me, since the bike won't be all built until early May and the ride is in June.
2. The seatpost fits my new bike perfectly. I was rather surprised by this, given there appears to be little crossover in standards between road bikes and other bikes, but it's exactly the right diameter.
3. I'll only ever be riding one bike at a time. Given how easy it is to remove a seatpost, having two seemed a little excessive.
4. The less money I spend on things I don't need, the more I can spend on things I do. That means a better bike!