Choosing the right bicycle saddle

 

What is the difference between a bicycle saddle and a traditional bicycle seat you might ask? Well a bicycle saddle is known from the bicycle evolving from something that looked like a wooden horse on wheels. Also to be classified a saddle the seat must support your two hard seat bones or "sit bones". These are the bones that must absorb your body weight on long rides. The perfect fit takes into consideration you gender, weight, type of biking, and how many hours of riding per week that you will be doing. Bicycle saddles are very important because if do not choose the right saddle you will be sore every time you ride your bike.

Should you buy a soft or hard saddle? You would think that soft saddles would be more comfortable but that is not always the case. Most of the weight when a person sits is distributed to the two “sit bones” or the ischial tuberosities. If the saddle is either too soft or has too much padding then it tends to put the weight in all the wrong places, among other things, and causes discomfort. A common cause of chafing as you ride longer are saddles with excessive padding.

Get a wide or narrow saddle? This depends on the type of bicycle and riding you plan to be doing. Performance saddles, such as for racing, tend to be narrow. Comfort saddles, often found on hybrid bicycles, tend to be wide. The long narrow shape of allows the cyclist to spin their legs at high RPMs. The width of the bike saddle is crucial in determining the comfort of the bike rider. It should be based on the space between a bicycle rider's sit bones. The sit bones will hang over the sides and cause the soft tissues to bear the load is the saddle is too narrow. If the saddle is too wide, chafing of the inner thighs will likely occur, especially in hot weather.

What type of saddle material? For the casual or infrequent bicycle rider imitation leather such as vinyl may be an acceptable option because of its lower cost. Because it repels moisture better than other materials it can make the saddle feel slippery and affect the control the rider has. A leather bicycle saddle is resistant to wear and tear and because of its slight tacky texture it reduces slipping. It does a good job of managing a moderate amount of moisture because of leather is breathable. After a few rides the softened leather conforms to the shape of the cyclist. It is hard to beat the luxurious feel of a quality leather bike saddle from Brooks.

Each rider has different needs and a unique body structure that must be taken into account when purchasing a bicycle saddle otherwise you will not enjoy your ride. It is always important to choose a saddle that fits your body and your type of bike riding and not to follow the market trend.