by Stock saddles are hardly ever comfortable. Often made with very stiff materials that are the cause of dull soreness and pains. Not only are they stiff, they are also often very narrow which just concentrates the pressure in one area further exacerbating the problem.
Switching saddles is one of easiest ways to make your riding experience more comfortable. No matter how good your bike may be, an uncomfortable saddle can kill your desire to get out on your bike. Riding comfortable bike seat that agrees with your body can do just the opposite, giving you the urge to jump on your bike at every possible moment.
Pros of a comfortable bike seat
- Prevent perineum pain
Pressure on an area called the perineum is caused by poorly shaped saddles that put pressure on soft tissues. This pressure cuts off blood flow to this important region. This can cause temporary numbness of genital area and sometimes even prolonged damage from the reduced circulation such as erectile dysfunction.
Wide comfortable saddles and saddles with relief channels take pressure off of this area of the soft tissues. Often riders stubbornly push through this pain for long hours at a time. This is a huge mistake, the act of riding a bike should never lead to permanent damage. A comfortable seat will protect you from doing damage to yourself unnecessarily.
- Prevent sore behind
A Comfortable seat will release the uncomfortable dulling pains on the sit bones when sitting in the saddle for long periods. The material and width of the saddle can prevent this soreness by providing a nicely cushioned platform. This wide platform helps with spreading the pressure evenly over your sitting area.
- Prevent Sores
Sores occur with excessive rubbing of the saddle against moving parts of the body. Poor fitting seats, especially at the front nose of the saddle can create sores as your legs rub against it as you pedal.
What makes a bike saddle comfortable
- Width of Saddle
In general the wider a saddle gets the more comfortable it will be. With a wide saddle your weight will be more evenly distributed over the surface area. This means less concentrated pressure points on the contact points of your behind making for a smoother riding experience.
- Good support for sit bones
The area where sit bones contact the seat should have a good platform to support your weight. It makes no difference if the saddle is wide but the area you sit only has a small area to spread your load over. Your sit bones should be supported by a strong padding to hold your weight. However the materials should be soft enough to relieve dulling pains.
- Quality material construction
The material should be a good balance between a soft feeling material but strong enough to support your weight. Cheap saddles made of flimsy foam may be comfortable for the first few months. After some time however as the material deteriorates you’ll find points of the saddle collapsing and your weight not being supported properly. Find saddles with not only a type of material but constructed well for the material to not fall apart.
- Suspension
Suspension is movement in the saddle that absorbs the road shocks to dissipate the forces before it gets transferred into your body. This usually comes in the form of springs or balls underneath the rear side of the saddle.
Why to not buy a racing saddle
The more upright you sit on the saddle means that more of your weight is distributed evenly over the saddle. An aggressive bent over position means your weight is pushed towards the front of the saddle. If the saddle has a slim nose area it can start to become uncomfortable as your weight will not be supported by a wide platform.
If you have no plans to race then a slim saddle with weight savings as the priority is unnecessary. A wider saddle will accommodate your more upright riding position on a cruiser or mountain bike to better support your weight where you need it.
How to chose the best bike saddle for you
- Choose the most comfortable saddle for your weight
Heavier riders will want a stronger platform to support their weight. This will mean a saddle with stiffer materials and a large area for sit bones to be supported to evenly distribute your weight better.
Lighter riders will want a saddle with softer materials as less force will be exerted on the saddle in general. The saddle just needs to be wide enough to accommodate your sitting area, leaving you more room to move around the bike, especially when out of the saddle.
- Chose based on your typical riding time
If you find yourself doing mostly short journeys on your bike then a saddle fit is a less important factor when making your choice. The ideal saddle for your body should fit like a glove.
This will be even more important when spending long many hours on the saddle. An ill fitting saddle for your body shape will become more apparent the longer you spend riding.
A good start is to get an estimate of the distance between your sit bones and chose a saddle width that best accommodates this.
List of the Best Comfy Bike Seats
