Question: I just started riding a mountain bike last week for exercise. I enjoy riding but I am experiencing a significant amount of pain.....it makes me not want to ride anymore. Do I need a women's bicycle seat? What's wrong?
Answer: This scenario is quite common for many new riders and it can be difficult to discern what is just "newness" from something that will require an anatomical correction via a women's specific bicycle seat.
First and foremost I would always recommend that a new rider give their butt a chance to condition itself to the new stress that you are putting on it. It might not make you feel any better, but it is very, very common for new riders to experience a decent amount of pain as they condition their bodies to riding. Howevver, that said, if your pain is severe or you have given an adequate amount of time to condition yourself and the problem isn't getting any better then it might be time to look for a better seat.
The seat might possibly be the single most important component on a bicycle, it certainly is when it comes to the comfort of the rider. So knowing this, don't just buy any old seat and hope for the best. You will be far better off to do some research, ask around and get the right seat the first time.
What's Right
The first thing you need to know when selecting a seat is what kind of riding you are going to be doing. Your riding style and seating position will determine what kind of seat you should consider. Take a look at this seating position chart and determine which one is more closely suited to what you are going to be doing.
Once you have a better idea what kind of seat you are after it is time to consider your choices. There are two issues that should be considered when looking for a women's specific seat. The first is that you need to make sure that the top of the seat is "friendly" with the female anatomy and you also need to make sure that it is wide enough to accomodate your sit bones. Female sit bones tend to be wider than men's sit bones, so most of the seats on the market that are targeted towards a male rider, will likely not be right for you.
The first issue mentioned is usually overcome by creating a groove or a depression down the center of the seat. This removes pressure from your most tender of areas and is actually quite common on both male and female specific seats as men also have numbing issues with the blood vessels in their perineum area as well.
The second issue mentioned is typically the culprit when it comes to a persistent issue that just won't go away. If you wear shoes that are too small, your feet don't just get over it, they hurt every time you take a step. Your bicycle saddle is the same way and toughing it out is not recommended. If a seat is too narrow it will actually put outward pressure on the sit bones and create an extreme amount of discomfort and some really ugly pressure points.
What to Do
This might sound overwhelming, but this is a very common issue and most bike shops will be more than happy to help you measure your sit bones or you can easily measure them yourself. If you wear a thin pair of shorts, sit on a hard wooden bench or chair and "feel" through your butt. You will quickly feel two boney protrusions that are supporting your body, you will feel them quickly when seated on a hard surface. Locate the center of these two points, ( a helper comes in handy) and then measure that distance.
Once you know how wide your sit bones are then you can much more easily find a saddle that is designed to fit your anatomy. In many cases that will be a women's specific saddle but if you don't have a wide pair of sit bones then you won't have to worry about buying a female specific seat.
If you aren't capable of measuring your butt then you might ask the bike shop to let you try a number of different seats on a bike mounted in a trainer. Once you are on and pedalling, simply "feel" for your sit bones and make sure they are firmly located on the seating area of the saddle. If it feels like they are on the outer edge of the seating area then that saddle is too narrow and will be uncomfortable.
This advice is equally important for both men and women, it is just important for women to note that they are typically wider than the average man so many of the unisex seats on the market will work for you.......so a women's specific seat could be just your ticket.
So to answer the original question of do I need a Women's Specific Bicycle Seat? The answer is quite clearly "maybe."
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