Selecting the Right Bicycle Seat

Performance Riding Position

Ideal Saddle Type: Racing Men's or Women's models

Features: The narrowest and lightest seats, lightly padded, sometimes feature cutouts in the tops, rear width matches your sit bones, may be anatomic/ergonomic

Ideal Bike Types: Road bikes; road racing bikes; triathalon style bikes; racing mountain bikes

Ideal Riding Style: Fast, fitness, fun, century, race, fast pedaling cadence

Notes: Cyclists who ride fast and hard or for competition require seats suited to their forward position and rapid pedal cadence. Notice how the rider has much of her weight over the handlebars and pedals. She's so far forward you can see that she's resting near the middle of the saddle, too. This means less weight is on the seat, which is why these riders can get by with such minimal designs. Also, it's the perfect position for fast pedaling, for which a narrow saddle like this is ideal.

Seat Padding Tips

It is important to note that many new riders simply think that a thicker and more padded seat will cure their problems but that is definitely not the case. A seat that is too thick for your style of riding then it can create as many problems as it might solve. Here is a simple test that you can try to see how your seat stacks up on a padding basis. The "thumb" test is an easy quick check.....simply press your thumb into the seat and if it feels "squishy" then this probably isn't what you want for a longer ride or performance oriented type bike. It's for a recreational, cruiser style of bike. A Sunday driver if you will.

The longer the ride goes then traditionally you pedal at a higher pedal rate and of course you will log much more seat time than on a shorter ride. For this style of riding, it's far more important that a saddle simply support your weight than it is for the seat to absorb it.

In summary, a small amount of padding built into the saddle in the appropriate areas will relieve pressure appropriately on your sensitive areas. We can't say enough that squishy, bulky padding that feels like it should be comfortable, WILL cause problems if you ride for exercise or for longer distances. Match your seat to the type of riding you do....use the pictures above as a reference.

Ignore this advice, at your own peril....trust us.

Seat Width Tips

Another very important factor to consider is the width of the seat. Everyone's skeletal system is not constructed the same way and so it is important that you match your seat to your own skeletal construction. What you want to do is to match your seat width in the rear to the width of your "sit bones." Your sit bones are the bones that you can feel if you sit on a hard surface such as the edge of a chair or a board. Try it, sit flat on a very hard surface and "feel" with your butt. You can feel a bone protruding somewhere on each buttock. If you can enlist someone to help you then find the center point of each sit bone and measure the width center to center. If you can find a seat that supports that width then you will be amazed at what a difference it could make in your comfort.

If your sit bones are too wide or narrow for a certain seat, then you won't benefit from any of its features because it doesn't fit you correctly. In fact, not only will you not benefit but it will actually create another set of problems for you. Too narrow of a seat and it will be putting pressure on spreading your bones, never a good thing and too wide and it can create pressure points.

If you are not a new cyclist but are someone who has tolerated discomfort for some time, then you might be able to see the indentations of your sit bones on your current saddle and measure them that way. I have found it better though to measure using a chair or some other hard surface.

Your sit bones should be centered over the rear of the saddle. Often there are anatomic bumps in the area for this purpose so use those as reference points to compare the width that you measure your site bones.

Anatomical Cutouts

Some alarming studies concerning loss of blood flow in cyclists has led to another innovation in engineering and that is the anatomical cutout. Not all riders will benefit from this design but if you are experiencing numbness or tingling in your groin area and nothing else has solved your problem then you might consider one of these style of saddles.

An anatomical cutout is a saddle that has a groove cut out of the center of the saddle that is designed to relieve pressure from your perineum area, which contains a lot of blood vessels. Different seat makers have different thoughts on the best shape of this cutout and there are a number of designs on the market. I have tried many of these different styles and honestly did not notice too much difference from anatomical saddle to anatomical saddle.

I think if you are a rider that prefers a groove then this is something to consider. Telltale signs again, are tingling and/or numbness and you have ensured that the seat is properly leveled and you do not simply have a fit issue.

Sore Saddle Tips

• Check Seat Height & Angle - A common cause of saddle sores is a seat that is simply adjusted wrong. You want to make sure that you saddle is level with the ground and at the right height so that the balls of your feet have a slight bend when your foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If the seat's angled down, set too high or low, it will cause discomfort and pain. If you are experiencing tingling or numbness in your hands then you may consider a slight upturn on the nose of the saddle but do not adjust more than 3 degrees. This can take some of the pressure off your hands and wrists but again...no more than 3 degrees. If you have to go further than that then you likely have another issue.
• Ride More - As we stated above, you have to condition your body to being on a bicycle seat. Don't give up on a saddle before you have given it enough of a chance. I would say a few weeks worth of riding should give you an idea to know whether the saddle is right for you or not.
• Move Around - This might seem tough to do on a bicycle seat but you can shift slightly forward, rearward and even stand up and pedal from time to time to simply change it up some and get blood flowing to certain parts again. Frequent adjustment and sliding around slightly can make a SIGNIFICANT difference in your comfort level. It's a hard habit to develop but once you learn to ride like that then you will ride like that forever.
• Dress For Cycling - If you are riding an upright style of bike, then you can wear about anything you want as it's like sitting on a chair but if you are riding a bent over style of riding bike then you will be amazed what a difference a good pair of bike shorts can make. When I started riding, I resisted this advice because I didn't believe they would help and I didn't want to wear lycra but now I wouldn't leave home without it. It's an AMAZING difference what a good quality pair of bike shorts can do for you. They have specific designs and construction that will match your riding style and when you start riding more than a few miles, they really become critical. You will also be happy to know that there are several different styles and many of them are loose and baggy and look like normal shorts. Whew.