Bicycle Seat

"A Bicycle Seat Fit For Your..."

...While most riders ignore the bicycle seat, except to sit on it, this part of the bicycle actually deserves more attention.  An uncomfortable seat can lead to numbness and pain, especially if you ride often. 

You no longer have to put up with discomfort from bad bicycle seats so many seats are on the market.  But you don't want a worse seat.  How do you decide which seats are right for you?

First of all, the bicycle saddles--seats, not the kind for horses--should  fit your body  So if you're a slim person, try a slim saddle; if you're not-so-slender, then perhaps a wider saddle will suit you.

Secondly, the right bicycle saddle matches your riding style.  In other words, you need slimmer bicycle seats for fast, hard riding.  When you ride fast, your weight moves to your hands and feet, away from the saddle.  And, as you pedal fast, the sides of the saddle stay out of your way as your legs move up and down.

On the other hand, riding in a slow, relaxed mode means you need a different kind of seat.  Your weight is mostly focused on the seat and you don't worry about the seat's sides as much as you would at a faster speed.  Therefore, you need a wider saddle for leisurely riding.

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Thirdly, your gender might help you decide on the right bicycle seat.  Because men and women have different body shapes, bicycle manufacturers have saddles specifically for men or women.  Women's saddles are generally wider and shorter than men's saddle.

No matter which saddle you choose, a simple test can show you how comfortable the seat is.  The bicycle seat should support your two sitting bones, ischial tuberosities, the scientific name for the bones that hurt whenever you sit on anything hard. 

For the test, you can sit on the seat and get up after a few minutes.  On the seat's top, in the back, you should see dents in the center of each pad. Uncentered dents probably mean the seat isn't a good fit.

Another factor for a good fit is the shape of the bicycle's nose.  Believe it or not, this slender part of the seat looks a little like a person's nose.  The bicycle nose gets a bad rap since most of the discomfort riders get from the seat comes from here. 

To fix this problem, some bicycle manufacturers have made a cutaway in the nose.  For instance, the Brooks B17 leather saddle has three holes in the nose area, while other saddles with a cutaway have a slit in the nose center.

Speaking of the cutaway, manufacturers may have a cutaway in the back of the seat, to separate the pads.  One example is Specialized's B.G. Comfort Saddle.  Other seats have a soft center to relieve pressure.

Softness may affect how comfortable your bicycle seat is.  For instance, the sponge seat has traditionally been useful, but it can loose its foaminess and turn brittle in cold weather.  But a newer type of seat uses air chambers to cushion the seat.  Air Rider Seats let you adjust the amount of air in every chamber to suit your level of comfort. 

With a little experimenting and searching, you can chose the perfect bicycle seat for comfortable and controlled riding.

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Ride for Life...
Chip Clark
Famous Bike Guy

 Bicycle seat