Comments on: Selecting the Right Bicycle Seat

By: joann

joann — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:49:28 +0000

“Selecting the Right Bicycle Seat” is a phenomenally great concise piece. I am looking to buy a new bike after having one for 20 years. I’m in my mid-forties and not necessarily athletic, but am not the “Sunday driver” either. Everyone has been trying to convince me that the wide softer seat is better and I started to wonder if I was just rebelling against an age image. But my riding style is to lean forward and this article has helped me understand why I like the narrower seat better. I just wish I could find a similar site that helps to choose the right bicycle. Thank you!

By: Hammer

Hammer — Tue, 04 May 2010 02:03:53 +0000

Steve, congrats on maintaining your activity levels, it would be easy to just say it can’t be done and give up so cudos to you for staying at it. I am sorry to say that your question is out of the realm of our knowledge base and we would have to defer to your doctor. If you explain your situation to him or her then they could give you better advice than we can. Good luck.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:19:34 +0000

My name is Steve and I am a above knee amputee of 30+ years. This is more of a inquiry than a review. Just recently (about a month) I got my new “C Leg” which is a microprocessor knee. I have decided to take up bike riding and very excited; in fact purchased a Electra 21D Townie Flat Foot technology which is great for my situation. I am not a performance rider, just for
enjoyment and exercise. The biggest challenge for me has been comfort (although been experimenting with different shorts, etc. That has improved things quit a bit. With an above knee type device the socket comes all the way to the groin, so there is the source of discomfort. I was thinking maybe a nose less seat and tried one; not the answer at all. There is a fine line between how the leg is fit for walking and having it work for riding. Going for some adjustements also. Now I am thinking maybe the answer is simply a larger nose seat, but something gel (needs to give)to take the pressure in that area. Am I thinking correctly? Would love to receive some feedback and or advice on this.
Thank you

By: Hammer

Hammer — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 12:09:09 +0000

@Steven – First of all congratulations for being 58 and still tearing it up!! As for your seat issues, it’s hard to say. The article that I wrote is what we have found to be true for the majority of people from years of being in and around the club riding scene, as you know there are exceptions to everything.

The WTB MTB seat is NOT what I was referring to in regards to a big fluffy bicycle seat but more the, well, the big fluffy bike seats like you see at Wal-Mart or even the bike shops that are made by companies like Bell etc. These are not meant for long distance riding on a performance style bike.

The thicker the padding then the higher the chance for hot spots to form which can create an entirely different level of soreness than sit bones issues. Sit bones will toughen up assuming the width is correct but hot spots can burn sores into your skin and that is NO fun.

So to summarize, first the WTB seat is moderate padding in my opinion and as for your experiences with the other saddles, it’s hard to say. You rode on one a week and the other one for a day before tossing them aside. Maybe they weren’t the right width, shape or design for your sit bones. Both were from Specialized so possibly there geometry isn’t a good match for you. One of my favorite saddles is the Specialized Alias in 155mm because I have wide sit bones…every other saddle KILLED me until I found that one….and it is on one of my bikes today. I’ve also had great luck with Selle Italia Max Flite saddles as well.

Good luck in finding one that works for you.

By: Pam

Pam — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:00:43 +0000

This is excellent info. I haven’t ridden in 30 years. Things have really changed. Thanks. This explains why I am still in pain a week after trying to ride my new bike.

By: Steven Ward

Steven Ward — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:01:31 +0000

You’ve not explained why more padding is a problem for longer rides, or why less padding is better, and I’m not sure I agree. I’ve been a road cyclist since I was 16 years old. I’m now 58 and I’ve logged at least 250,000 miles. The seat that came on my Felt F4 was very light and hard and, for me, uncomfortable. I replaced it with an inexpensive WTB Speedo mountain bike seat which has been comfortable and served me well for the past year, however it is heavy and I never cared for the shape — I prefer a flatter seat that allows you to slide forward and back — so I bought a Specialized Toupe. After a week of feeling like my butt was being hammer, I traded it for a Specialized Avatar Gel which is only slightly more padded. A few days ago I rode from San Diego over the mountains to the desert, a six hour, hundred mile ride with 5,000 feet of climbing (and a very fast decent). About half-way through the ride, my butt started hurting. I shifted my position and the angle of my hips to find relief, and stood regularly to give it a break. After the ride I could not sit on my sit bones without pain. Even the next day my sit bones felt bruised. I never had this problem with my soft mountain bike seat. Please don’t tell me that it’s because I don’t know how to sit. Although light weight is certainly an advantage for hill climbing and racing, I wonder if some of the appeal of these very hard seats stems from a bit of bicycle snobbery.

By: Richard

Richard — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:20:41 +0000

VERY helpful. Mow I just have to measure my sit bones. I ride between 1 and 4 hours and after about 30-minutes the pain sets in. My rides are limited by seat discomfort, not endurance, so now I’m on the warpath to find my perfect seat. Thansk for your help!