Are Gel Bicycle Seats More Comfortable?

Question:  "What is the most Comfortable bicycle seat I can buy?"

We get asked this question a lot, not only from family, friends and folks at the bike shop but via email through this site.  Many new cyclists take up the sport every year only to be driven away by the intense discomfort that new riders experience when they aren't used to riding OR they have the wrong equipment for their frame.

Our first answer is to always ask how long you've been riding...if it's just a few days then it is too early to tell if your seat is right for you or not.  It will take at least a few weeks of moderate riding to "condition" your butt for this type of activity.  If you are still experiencing discomfort then we need to dig in deeper to the type of saddle you are riding.

The purpose of this article is to educate you a little bit on bicycle saddle construction and maybe clear up a few questions for you in your search for the most comfortable bicycle seat you can buy.  For some riders that ends up being a Gel Bicycle Seat, others a leather bicycle seat and even others a carbon fiber bicycle seat.  It just depends on what you are looking to get out of your bicycle saddle.

Bicycle Saddle Construction

One of the most commonly debated topics when it comes to saddles is the padding.  In every other aspect of our life, the softer something is then the more comfortable it must be right?  In the case of a bicycle saddle, that is definitely not true.

The purpose of the foam padding in your bicycle saddle is to provide a cushion barrier between your sit-bones and the hard plastic or carbon base of your saddle.  That's a big job and is undeniably an important element to producing a comfortable bicycle saddle but it isn't the only thing that goes into it and you might be surprised and skeptical at what you read below.   Saddle padding is one of the most frequently misunderstood components of finding a comfortable bicycle seat.

Traditional Bicycle Saddle Tests

If you are like most consumers who are looking for a bicycle saddle, then you will go to a bike store and apply a  very "scientific" tests to see which saddle is the most comfortable:

1. The "thumb" test.  This involves squeezing the seat between your thumb and forefinger to measure the "squish" factor.  This might work on a couch, a pillow, a mattress or something like that but it almost always results in disappointment when buying a bicycle saddle.

Bicycle Saddle Foam

Bicycle saddles are padded with what is called "closed cell" foam which is a form of rubber with air bubbles trapped within its confines.  The "density" or hardness of the foam is determined by exactly how much air is trapped inside the rubber, more air bubbles with less rubber makes the foam feel softer initially, but as the foam compresses, the support decreases rapidly due to the rubber losing it's support.   How quickly the foam collapse will depend on the following variables:

1. Density of the foam
2. Length of the ride
3. Weight of the rider
4. Age of the bicycle saddle

The Right Bicycle Saddle For You

This is a rough outline of what kind of saddle you should be looking for to match the type of riding that you do.  If you are looking for a comfortable bicycle seat then pay attention to this part carefully.

Softly Padded Saddle:  Cycling less than 3 hours per week

Medium Padded Saddle: Cycling 3-6 hours per week

Firmly Padded saddle: Cycling greater then 6 hours per week

Of course this is nothing more than a basic guide to bicycle saddles and there is always room for adjustment if you are on the border of either category but a basic rule to consider is that the lighter you are then you may consider a softer saddle, the heavier you are then you will gravitate towards a firm saddle because your body weight will quickly compress the foam in the softer saddles.

What are Sit Bones

I have referred to sit bones a few times already in this article and you may not even know what they are.  Most new cyclists quickly find out but to clarify, your sit bones are the bony part of your pelvis that you feel when you sit on a hard chair.  Those two "pointy" bones that protrude when you rock on the hard surface are called the Ischial Tuberosity but we call them “sit bones” because it's easier to spell and pronounce.

These bones are the point of contact with your bicycle seat and they need to be supported by that seat.  A seat that is too narrow will put outward pressure on the bones, almost like trying to pry them apart.  On the contrary, a seat that is too wide for your geometry may create unnecessary and painful chafing and be just as uncomfortable.   Sit bone widths vary both by individual and by gender.  Males tend towards a more narrow sit bone width, while females on average, tend to have wider sit bones.

Some bicycle shops have a device that can measure your sit bones for you or you can probably come pretty close yourself, right at home.  If you lay a piece of foam on a hard surface and sit on it with the same type of posture that you would while riding, then your sit bones should leave indentions in the foam.  Measure the indentions from center to center and you have your approximate sit bone width.

There are many variations to this process but you get the idea and should be able to figure out a way to measure you approximate width.   Remember to allow for the "width" of your sit bones, what I mean is you want to try to measure from center of the left bone to the center of the right bone.

Gel Bicycle Saddles

It seems like all the rage in the last few years when it comes to a comfortable bicycle seat has been the use of gel padding in the seat.   Gel first found it's way into bicycle saddles approximately 10 years ago but has become very popular in the last few years.

What attracts most new riders to Gel is that a Gel bicycle saddle will have a soft touch and usually passes the "thumb" test quite easily.  Gel bicycle seats do a good job of spreading the pressure over the seat but we should be very clear on this, simply  because it is a gel bicycle seat does not mean it is going to be any more or less comfortable than your current seat.

A well designed Gel bicycle saddle that is right for you will be very comfortable but don't be lulled by the term gel into thinking that it is going to be magic.  It still needs to be the right design and size for your sit-bones AND  your riding style.  The VERY first thing that you need to consider is getting the right size first.  Your new bicycle seat could be made out of the best stuff on the planet, but if it is the wrong size then the discomfort that you might feel, could be legendary.  Not a good thing.

Gel saddles could be the perfect choice for you as long as you select a quality saddle from a quality company that is the right geometry for you.  My own wife rides a gel saddle and she decided on a Selle Italia Lady gel saddle for her needs.  She tried out a number of other saddles before settling on this one for her.  If you are convinced that Gel saddles might be right for you then we have a number of them that we can point you towards that may solve your needs.

Check out Terry Gel Saddles and Selle Italia Gel Saddles, both of these companies make an outstanding product and both are very highly recommended in the cycling world.