The Best Bicycle Seat
Your bicycle saddle or bicycle seat is what can make the difference between you wanting to go out in the fresh air for a cycle or wanting to avoid it completely. A hard, ill fitting saddle can cause extreme discomfort, especially for those who use their bikes often or for long excursions. There are many different styles out there, so we're sure you'll find one perfect just for you.
Some different styles or shapes of bicycle seats you can choose from when buying a new Saddle. This include:
The Race Saddle: These seats are lightweight, feature minimal padding and have a longer narrower shape. You'll want this saddle if you will be pedaling rapidly and need a narrower seat nose to avoid interference with pumping legs.
The Mountain Bike Saddle:These are also narrower in shape and for the same reason as the race saddle. They're light weight, feature more padding to soften impact from unstable ground, and are often shaped in the rear and front to allow different positioning for different terrain. A good mountain bike saddle will also feature reinforced areas for durability.
The Gel Saddle: The gel in the seat acts as a shock absorbing cushion, and can also mold to our shape for added comfort. They're usually wider than mountain bike or race seats and may feature bumps to support the sit bones
The Suspension Saddle: These seats have built in suspension to ease impact from rough terrain. These are a great all around seat also for racing or mountain biking.
The Cutaway Saddle: These saddles feature an elongated hole or groove down the centre to provide comfort and breathing to those who experience groin or genital discomfort when riding. These can also be used as an all-round saddle and are often found in either women's or men's models.
The Wide Saddle: These seats are more meant for bike like beach cruisers, as they are wider and more cushioned to allow for a comfortable ride, though may interfere with leg movement when you're pedaling fast. These seats are also heavier and good for when most of your weight is being transferred to your backside instead of being more evenly displaced between your legs and arms.
The Leather Saddle: These saddles are often more expensive but worth the extra dollars. As they are leather, they are easy to break in and form to your shape and the material breathes. They're also a bit heavier and can be damaged by water so it's a good idea to pack a cover of some sort for it if you leave it outside.
The Easy Seat: These seats are not for every rider but they can be comfortable. They feature two separate pads, one for each sit bone, connected by a centre bar. They are adjustable, sometimes expensive and great for those who feel like the nose of a regular saddle is uncomfortable. These do take getting used to for some riders, and are recommended for those who put more weight on their seat and have higher handlebars.
Buying a bike saddle is like buying new shoes. They feel different to everyone due to the variety of body shapes. You can tell if your saddle fits properly by checking directly after you dismount if there are two indents from your sit bones in the middle of each side of the seat pad. If you have wider hips choose a wider seat, as otherwise you will pinch the tender skin on the inside of your sit bones. There are also mens and womens seats out there. Womens are often shorter and wider to fit wider hips.
With this information in hand you should be able to go out and pick the seat the fits you perfectly. Adjust the seat so you are sitting directly on your sit bones on the sit bone pads, so that nothing is pinching or chafing. Nothing makes a cyclist happier than the ability to sit down on a chair after a long ride without experiencing pain. A good saddle that is properly adjusted will do just this!
Adjusting the Saddle
Your bike seat should be level to support your full body weight and allow you to move around on the seat when necessary. Too much upward tilt can result in pressure points. Too much downward tilt can make you slide forward while riding and put extra pressure on your arms, hands and knees, which can lead to injury.
To adjust the seat height, wear your biking shoes and riding shorts and place your heels on the pedals. As you pedal backwards, your knees should fully extend in the down position. If your hips rock side to side the seat is too high. Now when you move your foot into the proper pedaling position, with the balls of your feet over the pedal, you'll have a slight bend in your knees.
You can also adjust the seat forward and backward (fore and aft position). With your feet on the pedals so the crank arms are parallel with the ground, the proper position will put your forward knee directly over the pedal axle. Dropping a plumb line from the patellar tendon makes this adjustment a bit easier to see.
Your bicycle saddle or bicycle seat is what can make the difference between you wanting to go out in the fresh air for a cycle or wanting to avoid it completely. A hard, ill fitting saddle can cause extreme discomfort, especially for those who use their bikes often or for long excursions. There are many different styles out there, so we're sure you'll find one perfect just for you.
Some different styles or shapes of bicycle seats you can choose from when buying a new Saddle. This include:
The Race Saddle: These seats are lightweight, feature minimal padding and have a longer narrower shape. You'll want this saddle if you will be pedaling rapidly and need a narrower seat nose to avoid interference with pumping legs.
The Mountain Bike Saddle:These are also narrower in shape and for the same reason as the race saddle. They're light weight, feature more padding to soften impact from unstable ground, and are often shaped in the rear and front to allow different positioning for different terrain. A good mountain bike saddle will also feature reinforced areas for durability.
The Gel Saddle: The gel in the seat acts as a shock absorbing cushion, and can also mold to our shape for added comfort. They're usually wider than mountain bike or race seats and may feature bumps to support the sit bones
The Suspension Saddle: These seats have built in suspension to ease impact from rough terrain. These are a great all around seat also for racing or mountain biking.
The Cutaway Saddle: These saddles feature an elongated hole or groove down the centre to provide comfort and breathing to those who experience groin or genital discomfort when riding. These can also be used as an all-round saddle and are often found in either women's or men's models.
The Wide Saddle: These seats are more meant for bike like beach cruisers, as they are wider and more cushioned to allow for a comfortable ride, though may interfere with leg movement when you're pedaling fast. These seats are also heavier and good for when most of your weight is being transferred to your backside instead of being more evenly displaced between your legs and arms.
The Leather Saddle: These saddles are often more expensive but worth the extra dollars. As they are leather, they are easy to break in and form to your shape and the material breathes. They're also a bit heavier and can be damaged by water so it's a good idea to pack a cover of some sort for it if you leave it outside.
The Easy Seat: These seats are not for every rider but they can be comfortable. They feature two separate pads, one for each sit bone, connected by a centre bar. They are adjustable, sometimes expensive and great for those who feel like the nose of a regular saddle is uncomfortable. These do take getting used to for some riders, and are recommended for those who put more weight on their seat and have higher handlebars.
Buying a bike saddle is like buying new shoes. They feel different to everyone due to the variety of body shapes. You can tell if your saddle fits properly by checking directly after you dismount if there are two indents from your sit bones in the middle of each side of the seat pad. If you have wider hips choose a wider seat, as otherwise you will pinch the tender skin on the inside of your sit bones. There are also mens and womens seats out there. Womens are often shorter and wider to fit wider hips.
With this information in hand you should be able to go out and pick the seat the fits you perfectly. Adjust the seat so you are sitting directly on your sit bones on the sit bone pads, so that nothing is pinching or chafing. Nothing makes a cyclist happier than the ability to sit down on a chair after a long ride without experiencing pain. A good saddle that is properly adjusted will do just this!
Adjusting the Saddle
Your bike seat should be level to support your full body weight and allow you to move around on the seat when necessary. Too much upward tilt can result in pressure points. Too much downward tilt can make you slide forward while riding and put extra pressure on your arms, hands and knees, which can lead to injury.
To adjust the seat height, wear your biking shoes and riding shorts and place your heels on the pedals. As you pedal backwards, your knees should fully extend in the down position. If your hips rock side to side the seat is too high. Now when you move your foot into the proper pedaling position, with the balls of your feet over the pedal, you'll have a slight bend in your knees.
You can also adjust the seat forward and backward (fore and aft position). With your feet on the pedals so the crank arms are parallel with the ground, the proper position will put your forward knee directly over the pedal axle. Dropping a plumb line from the patellar tendon makes this adjustment a bit easier to see.
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