Hammer

What is the best bicycle seat or saddle?

dezignmind asked:

My current seat (which I will not name, just because it's not right for me doesn't mean others may not enjoy it) causes soreness within 20-30 minutes of riding. Please keep in mind it must be usable for road riding and mountain biking as I use the same bike for both. So could someone please help me find a seat that will work and help my sore butt....it's killing me and I really want to ride bicycles more often, I love it but I can't take the pain.

7 Comments »

John S rated this:

I basically had the same problem and now I’m using a horn-less gel seat from and love it. You may want to try it. I would tell you more about it but I would just be retyping the information on their site. I will say it took me a couple of rides to get used to the new seat as it does not have the horn but that is the point, your weight should be carried by your rear and not your crotch.

# 28 December 2008 at 8:23 pm

Boneman rated this:

Saddles are always a sore point of contention. I still love my Brooks B17. It’s currently the best selling saddle Brooks makes, and for very good reason. It’s great for a slightly upright seating position around 45 degrees. It’s wide enough to support your sit bones and narrow and smooth enough not to chafe. I found it comfortable immediately, and it only improves with age according to most reviews about it.
You can find some great deals on these on Ebay and that is where I bought mine.

It’s important that you make sure you give your butt enough time to condition itself to riding as most new riders experience soreness at first.

# 29 December 2008 at 10:11 pm

Bob A rated this:

If you just started riding, all seats will make you butt hurt after a while. Give it a couple of weeks and the pain will go away. Make sure the seat is adjusted properly in height and angle and watch out for the gimmick of the month type of seat. A quality seat from someone like Terry or Specialized will usually do the trick. In most cases….you just need to ride more. Of all the saddles I have I like my WTB the best, it has a dip between the front and the back of it and is very comfortable.

# 30 December 2008 at 2:43 pm

Andy rated this:

Saddles are obviously very personal and subjective. Everyone raves about Brooks B-17, but I haven’t tried one as having a leather saddle isn’t very pratical for a commuter.

I recently went to a Specialized dealer and got measured using their Body Geometry system (you sit on a pad that measure the width of your sit bones). Based on the results and your riding style they recommend a specific saddle width for you. I bought a Specialized Avatar, and it’s been great. It’s a road saddle, but I’ve been using it on a mountain bike. The Specialized Toupe has a similar design but is much lighter.

# 30 December 2008 at 6:44 pm

ohiojeff rated this:

they were always so expensive that i wouldnt spent the money. i tried all kinds, and then my new Bianchi came with a SanMarco saddle. all i can say is when it wears out or gets tore up, i will spend the big bucks to replace it.

to look at them, they look uncomfy, because they have no padding. what they are like is like a sling. they flex and move, and i tell you what, i can ride all day and never get sore. i was going to use my raliegh on the trainer and nasty days to protect my bianchi, but i’ve had the bianchi on the trainer and mainly because of that saddle.

# 3 January 2009 at 1:35 am

epsilon_theta rated this:

I ride a Specialized Toupe saddle. I LOVE it. I tried 4 saddles and wasted a ton on money before finally spending the $200 for this one. It was worth every penny. Now several of my friends have this saddle.

I ride strictly road/racing, though. Not sure if it would work for mt. biking. It has a lot of flex.

I can ride for hours and it does not bug me, but I am sure good shorts help too. You cannot skimp on shorts. By the best you can afford. The $200 sorts really ARE different and worth the money.

# 5 January 2009 at 2:02 am

Gerry R rated this:

Austin C will have you putting a horse saddle on your bike. That would be pretty interesting. Some people really need to wake up and actually understand what they read.

One of the best all time saddles is the San Marco Rolls. It has been around for at least 25 years, possible more. I just got one after going through a Selle Italia Signo Gel Flow, Selle Italia SLK Gle Flow and Specialized Avatar Gel. There are still people who use it in the Tour de France and it is, for me, extremely comfortable and not nearly as expensive as many others.

# 8 January 2009 at 3:21 pm