Cycling is a great way to get from one point to another, recreate, build some core and muscle strength and enjoy the outdoors. Besides getting a suitable bike for your type of cycling (off-road, mountain, urban), what is most important for your ride is the bike seat. It takes one longer ride on an uncomfortable seat to realize how important this part is. If you are looking for a new bike seat, it’s important to determine how it’s made, but also to choose a model that will meet your anatomy. Bike saddles can be men’s, women’s or unisex, but they also differ for the type of riding they are made for. Here are the things you should keep in mind during your bike seat shopping.
Saddle Anatomy
Shell
This part is the hard base of the saddle that creates its shapes and determines how much it will flex. The rails underneath connect the shell to the seat post through the seat clamp. There are several layers on top of the shell that work as padding and cover.
The more affordable saddles are made of plastic or a fibre-reinforced polymer. The pricier ones have a carbon fibre shell. The advantage of the carbon fibre shell is its light weight; it’s also stronger than plastic and polymer.
Rails
The rails of the saddle connect the shell to the seat post clip. The more affordable saddles have steel allow rails, the mid-range and most expensive saddles use manganese alloys, carbon fibre and titanium rails. The rails are the main part that determines the saddle’s price.
Padding
The padding determines the comfort during your cycling. If it’s thick and soft, it surely will appear attractive, but over time, it will compress and deform under your weight. You may easily end up with a very uncomfortable seat that can easily injure your soft tissue areas. Many manufacturers nowadays use pressure mapping; this helps them to know where to add simple foam, gel or memory foam.
Cover
The cover is the top layer of the saddle and is the part you sit on. Saddle covers are made from various materials such as real leather, but synthetic covers are much more common. Check the seams and rough patches when choosing your saddle (these parts are crucial for your comfort and if they are poorly made can tear your pants and shorts).
Consider Your Own Anatomy
When choosing a bike seat, it’s also important to consider your own anatomy. Men and women have different bodies, so many brands offer saddles specially designed for women’s comfort and anatomy. Many women will feel comfortable on men’s or unisex saddles. What’s most important is that you don’t feel any pain or pressure in your soft tissue areas. Also, it’s important where you’ll ride your bike (urban, mountain, races); narrow and aerodynamic saddles made for races are surely not the best choice if you ride your bike to get to school or work every day.
How It Should Work
When you sit on a chair, the bones at your lowest point in the pelvis keeps your body’s weight. These bones are also crucial for the saddle fit. When you’re riding, the perineal area for men and the pubic bone arch for women should rest on the saddle. These areas can hold a small amount of weight, so pressure reduction in this part is critical to avoid numbness and pain that usually occurs in this area rich in nerves and blood vessels.
Everyone’s sit bone width varies, so saddle manufacturers often produce models with various widths. Women have wider hips than men, so they need wider saddles for better comfort.
Differences Between Types of Saddles
The main difference between saddles varies from discipline to discipline. A mountain bike surely can’t have the same bike seat as a bike meant for urban riding. Road cyclists that compete in road races cycle in a more aggressive position than road cyclists on long-distance tours. In that case, the position relates to the rider’s hip angle, which affects how the pelvic interacts with the saddle.
Bike saddles for faster-paced efforts have an aerodynamic position like those found in bikes for road riding or triathlons (these bikes require flatter and longer models). Curved-profiled saddles are often chosen by riders who cycle in a more upright position (gravel riders, trail riders and commuters).
Off-road seats are designed to reduce trial vibrations (they have flexible wing panels and more complaint shells).
Women’s seats tend to be wider and more padded, due to the women’s anatomy. They have slightly wider hips, so the pressure in the pubic bone must be reduced for a pain-free and comfortable ride.
Why Some Saddles Have a Cut Out
You may come across seats that have cut-outs. This way they alleviate the soft tissue pressure in the genital area. The pressure in the perineal area for men, and pubic bone arch for women can be extremely painful during long rides on uncomfortable seats. The cut out can significantly help the rider to have a pain-free ride.
But, if you don’t feel any pressure in these areas, should you get a cut-out seat? Of course, and many people opt out of this model. It’s important what’s comfortable for you. Make sure to test this seat, because some people feel pressure points near the edge of it. If you ride during rain and into muddy terrains, avoid such a seat, since you will most definitely end with dirty pants. There are off-road saddles with cut-outs that come with a draining shelf to avoid this from happening.
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