The saddle
A comfortable saddle is a saddle that fits you however, it may not suit somebody else. Comfort depends on two factors;
Pelvic support
The width and shape of the saddle must suit the distance between the sitting bones and the shape of your pelvis. The larger the distance between the sitting bones and the rounder the pelvis, the wider the saddle must be. Some saddles that are designed specifically for comfort are constructed from different materials below pressure areas to offer suspension as well terrific support. Many saddles have no structure below the front part of the saddle to ensure there is no pressure on sensitive areas.
The width of the saddle also depends on the position of your upper body on the bicycle. When sitting on the bicycle in a low handlebar position with a very curved spine, a narrow racing saddle is usually more comfortable and more functional. When sitting more upright, a wider saddle is generally more suitable. This means that either a soft or hard seat can provide excellent pelvic support. Some of the big sprung saddles that look comfortable are not suited for longer rides. The sprung design base allows the seat to continually change shape and puts occasional pressure on softer tissue areas, However they are great for short recreational rides. Remember, if your planning to be in the saddle for more than 2-3 hours, make sure you try it thoroughly before the big ride. Our staff can help with matching a saddle to your needs and if you don’t like it soon after trying, we will exchange it for another.
Surface support
Surface support is the allowance of the seat for you to move around between you and the seat base to protect from chaffing. Gel seats were very popular because they used a very thick insert that acted like an extra layer of body fat however the gel had tendency to displace on most brands. The gel seats available now have only a very thin layer of gel and are no where near as comfortable as the older style were. Most of the newer technology is not gel and offers a very malleable surface that will suit almost very rider and not displace like the gel did.
Provided you have a seat that offers great pelvic support as you ride more, you will be able to ride on a seat with less surface support as the skin area that makes contact with the seat with go through a wear in period and toughen up within a couple of weeks depending on how often and long you ride, if the seat suits your shape and how you treat the area if soreness develops. An old cyclist’s treatment is mentholated spirits on the sore area to toughen up the skin. If you have developed saddle sores, they will not be with you for long and if intend on riding a lot it will soon be problem free with the right seat.
Shorts
If you ride for any distance without bike shorts, you won’t find a saddle that will fix sore nether regions. No amount of "gel" padding can make up for the sweat sodden garment with the rows of heavy stitching grinding away at your crotch as you pedal. Get the point?
In case of a positive saddle tilt (i.e. the saddle pointing upwards), the cyclist runs the risk of numbing certain parts of his body. As a consequence, the cyclist will have the inclination to tilt his pelvis backwards, which will result in a higher pressure on the lower back. If the saddle is pointed downwards (i.e. negative saddle tilt), the cyclist will have the inclination to slide forwards. This is very uncomfortable not only because the narrower front part of the saddle gives too little support, but also because the arms, wrists and hands are subjected to too much pressure as a result of the cyclist trying to maintain a normal position on the saddle.
no more than 2mm up at the front
We start with the saddle level. If you find there is too much pressure on your crotch, try tilting the saddle slightly forward. In this position more of your weight will be on your "sit bones", while raising the nose shifts more weight to the perineal region. If you still find things uncomfortable, then perhaps it’s time to try a new saddle. The best approach to this is to bring your bike to bikeNOW and try out different saddles there.
*Traditional tensioned (kern) leather saddles such as the Brooks, by contrast, should be positioned (by design) so that rear portion is very slightly higher than the neck and nose.
