Ask the Experts

Q:  "My butt hurts when I ride.  I think I need a new seat.  How soft should I go?  I see bikes with these little narrow seats and wonder how on earth someone could ride on those and still be comfortable.  What gives?"

"Experts"

 

 A:  Every cyclist wants to be comfortable on their bike saddle.  What is not so obvious is what constitutes a comfortable saddle.

 

Notice we call them "saddles" not "seats."  There is a reason for this.  A "seat" is something you sit on that is designed to bear your entire weight.  Conventional bicycles have "saddles".  A bicycle saddle is designed to carry some of your weight.  The rest of your weight is mainly carried by your legs, and some by your hands and arms.

 

A cyclist who is out of shape from not riding for a few months or more will start out strong, but their legs will wear out quickly.  When their legs tire, more of their weight is riding on the saddle and that's where the trouble starts.  Many saddle complaints are actually traceable to fatigue caused by starting out the season with longer rides than a rider is ready for.  If it has been several months or more since you rode your bicycle regularly, you can expect to be sore if you ride any serious distance.

 

This is not to say that there are not real differences in saddles, or that you should ride just anything. In fact, original-equipment saddles that come with bikes are often inferior to better aftermarket saddles.

 

When a cyclist finds a saddle uncomfortable, their first impulse is usually to look for a softer one.  This is often a mistake.  Just as the softest mattress is not necessarily the most comfortable to sleep on, the softest saddle is not the most comfortable to cycle on.

 

The reason is simple.  Imagine sitting down on a coffee table. Your weight is concentrated on the two bumps of your "sit bones", also known as the "ischial tuberosities."  These are the parts of your body designed to bear your seated weight.  Most cases of saddle-related discomfort arise because the load is carried on the soft tissues between the sit bones.

 

Imagine placing a soft pillow on top of the coffee table.  Now, as you sit down on it, the sit bones compress the pillow, which yields until the sit bones are almost on the table surface again. The difference is that now, you have pressure in between your sit bones from the middle part of the pillow.

 

In the same way, a saddle with excessively soft, thick padding can make you less comfortable by increasing the pressure between your sit bones.

 

Saddles with excessive padding are also a common cause of painful chafing of the inner thigh, as rides become longer.

 

Besides the type of saddle, the position and angle of the saddle are key to it being comfortable to ride.  Be sure your saddle is the correct height and be certain it is level and not tilted up or down.  Even a slight angle can make a comfortable saddle uncomfortable.