jlat

hello people: Do youz think there's a way to get the right seat besides just riding on them. I know some call them saddles but it's more of a seat I think. There has to be an easy way to figure it out?
IBBY

BobbyG

I've seen advertisements for shoe inserts where they send a molding material for customers to put their footprint in. The same thing is done for some do-it-at-home teeth straighteners.

Perhaps there is a way to take a mold of one's deraillieur-aire and send it to a bicycle seat company to custom tailor a seat.

But in reality, the only way to get a real feel for different bicycle seats is to actually sit on them.

For what it's worth, I have been using gel seat covers on my bikes for many years and they literally cover a variety of slight mismatches as long as you get the right style of seat for your type of riding posture...narrow for drop bars, wide, short-nose for upright...etc.

From reading the forums here it seems soft, padded seats induce chafing and other issues for those putting in lots of saddle time...but that has not been my experience. I am good up to about 5 or 6 hours, although I average 2 hours a ride these days.

However, everybody's built differently. And while my butt seems happy on a variety of seats, my hands no longer handle straight bars for very long.

VegasTriker

That's an interesting way to spell
der·ri·ère /ˌderēˈer/ noun euphemistic noun: derrière; plural noun: derrières euphemistic term for a person's buttocks.

I remember a post by one person who "invested" in more than two dozen saddles in an attempt to find one that was comfortable. Can't remember if he was successful.

phughes

Sure, once you realize that the vast majority of saddle issues have nothing to do with saddle, but instead are caused by the bike fit, saddle too high, or too great of reach, you will figure it out.

Iride01 

There is an easy way, You are just trying to make it complicated. Go find what works for you and don't involve us.

rydabent

Still another bike seat thread. Im beginning to get the idea that DF bike seat are not comfortable, can that be?

t2p

some will state the sit bone width is a determining factor

one way to determine proper seat width might be with the measurement of your wrist (or whatever ) ? ; WTB might have a doc avail on this ?

some bike shops might have the ability / equipment to measure sit bone width ?

cyclezen

it's a saddle because it's between your legs, bike/horses have saddles, cars, chairs have seats - but call it what you will.
a variation of what said above. 'position/fit' AND posture on the bike often have a great affect
and also your personal dimensions (not just butt width...) in every aspect will affect what works
if there was any 'easy' way, it would have been found by now. For some success comes quickly and selection broad; for others it's the Holy Grail.
'saddle threads' - a mainstay of BF blather...
Ride On
Yuri

m.c. 

There are YouTube videos to show you how to measure your sit bone width. While not as exact as a computer its a good start. They involve sitting on damp cardboard or paper to get an impression.

I think time is needed with the saddle and the chamois you prefer to see how it works for you. When I was riding a lot I found I wanted a firmer saddle and thicker chamois.

m.c. 

I think people don't take the time or spend the money to work out what fits them best. Many don't get good help or direction either. Many years ago I asked my LBS about saddles he gave me two choices at the opposite ends of the spectrum and no information at all.
I have a recumbent bicycle and recumbent tricycle and both have their share of issues too. I do not like the seating position on the recumbents even though pedaling in that position is better for an injury I have. I can ride a traditional bicycle much longer and be more comfortable both physically and mentally than I can be on the recumbents. I've tried to like them but they seem very unnatural for me, very unnerving. They aren't enjoyable to spend time on.
I think both platforms are good for those they work for.

Jeff Neese

Yes, there is an easy way. Buy a Selle Anatomica.

rsbob 

Find a shop which sells Selle Italia saddles because they are one of the few companies which have a demo program where you can take a number of their saddles for test rides before buying.

This company has a demo program for a fee. https://bikefitbox.com/bikesaddlebox/

Rolla

There may be other methods, but riding on them is the best. My local shop has demo versions of several models they sell.

wolfchild

What type of bike do you have ?...What type of riding do you do ?...What type of saddle do you have on your bike right now ?

jlat

hello and hello people; I have a few bikes and the one I've been riding the most is new to me and it's a Specialised Hardrock it's like a 2004 model. I'm using the seat that came with it and the riding I do is mostly road and some trails.
IBBY

Trakhak

And is the bike new to you, or is it one that was comfortable with the same saddle in previous riding seasons?

Asking because some people start rapidly increasing their mileage on a bike at some point in the spring and then wonder why the saddle is uncomfortable. For those people, the fix is usually to scale back on the mileage for the first half-dozen rides. After that, the saddle usually feels OK again.

Also, repeating from someone's earlier post, in case it got lost in the noise: a surprising number of saddle discomfort problems result from raising the saddle too high. Try reducing the saddle height an inch, more or less, and see if that helps. If it's a bit low, raise it gradually, with a test ride each time, until you find the point where your hips start rocking as you pedal. Then drop it a tiny bit.

For what it's worth, I have around 10 bikes that I choose between for my rides. All of those bikes have different saddles, all sourced randomly, all pretty cheap, and I have no preferences among them for comfort. All because they're adjusted correctly for me.

jlat

hello people: Hey youz. What do you call where your butt goes on a motorcycle? I've been around them a long time also. I call it a seat. It seems everyone I've been around calling them the same. Saddles are for horses. That's a fact.

IBBY

philbob57

Seat post, seat tube, saddle. Which doesn't fit? That could be a question on the SAT or ACT test, for which the correct answer is 'saddle'. OTOH, if it's a question on a bike mechanic or salesperson certification test, the answer is 'they all match each other'.

On a bike (bicycle) and on a horse, the rider is supposed to use the pedals or stirrups to take some weight off the seat, and I thought that's what makes the seat a saddle. One bike (motorcycle), do you sit or perch?

jlat

hello people: when I ride my MC I try to keep an eye on the road so if I see a hole or something I'm standing on the pegs like a dirt bike. But my seat is right on the frame so I try and keep an eye out. So as you said maybe more of a saddle-like I'm riding a horse. Some do call them Iron horses.
IBBY

Kabuki12

I am pretty lucky . I have not had much trouble with saddles. I ride classic road bikes and my saddles are period correct. Several riders claim they are horrible but they work for me Concor , UnicaNitor, Brooks Pro, my favorite is a Cinelli #3 Buffalo Hyde .

rsbob 

I thought it was called the taint. Now it’s time to rummmmmmmble!

Outrider1

This

jlat

hello people: The word saddle I think came from Europe and now the word is used all over. An example of this is a woman I know from Ireland, a heavy accent who I recently had a conversation with got to talking about stuff. She said she'd like to cycle to work and the word saddle just came out. I just smiled and kept talking but her mom's over there and it's the hottest it's ever been.
IBBY

Mojo31

That's good to know.

terrymorse 

From the earliest days of the bicycle, the word "saddle" was the more common term in English.

In more recent decades, the less precise term "seat" has become common (but not among the cycling cognoscenti):




A U.S. patent for a bicycle saddle, from 1895: