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Bike seat recommendations?

Old 06-22-21, 01:47 PM
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TheViverRiver
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Bike seat recommendations?

I just got a free bike and the seat is not doing it for me. I’m looking for a comfortable seat that doesn’t feel like I’m sitting on an elbow. I’m very new to the hobby (like a week in) so any advice is welcome. My bike is a nishiki prestige (I think) but I’m not concerned about keeping original parts, if that’s a thing. Just want a comfy seat. Tia!
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Old 06-22-21, 01:58 PM
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Originally Posted by TheViverRiver
I just got a free bike and the seat is not doing it for me. I’m looking for a comfortable seat that doesn’t feel like I’m sitting on an elbow. I’m very new to the hobby (like a week in) so any advice is welcome. My bike is a nishiki prestige (I think) but I’m not concerned about keeping original parts, if that’s a thing. Just want a comfy seat. Tia!
you should probably ride for a few weeks before judging your current seat.

WTB Rocket is my favorite saddle.
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Old 06-22-21, 02:30 PM
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+1 on WTB. Pure, Rocket, and Volt have all worked for me.

Here's a link to their saddle fitting guiide: https://www.wtb.com/pages/fit-right-system
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Old 06-22-21, 02:37 PM
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Takes a few weeks for your butt to get used to riding. If you are new to riding or haven't ridden in quite a while then it can be quite the pain for some of us.

If your pain is just something you feel in the bones or joints of your pelvis, then just bear with it and keep riding. Once you get past the pain part and over it, then you can try out different saddles if needed for better comfort. Otherwise, the saddles you get while in the painful phase of getting use to riding won't be the correct saddles to have.

If it is an actual sore or skin irritation, then something else needs to be done for that.
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Old 06-22-21, 02:59 PM
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I think you received some good advice concerning time. Also, you may want to check out if you are fitted properly. Too much reach/not enough with legs and or arms can make various parts of your body uncomfortable. If after doing adjustments or just more trial, you are still uncomfortable, the Brooks B17 works great for me and I like the Terry for men. But remember, saddles are very personal.
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Old 06-22-21, 11:29 PM
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Originally Posted by BikingViking793
you should probably ride for a few weeks before judging your current seat.
I agree. Your behind always hurts when you're a new cyclist, regardless of the saddle brand. Give it a coupl'a weeks then make a decision.
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Old 06-22-21, 11:58 PM
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Originally Posted by debade
Also, you may want to check out if you are fitted properly. ........But remember, saddles are very personal.
This ^^^^^^

How the bike is fitted to you - the height and position of the seat and the height of the bars- can make the difference for choosing a new saddle, if it turns out that the saddle you have isn't the best choice.
For instance, it's possible to set a road bike for more upright pedalling. A saddle that's good for that may not be comfortable if you change to a lower position (higher seat, lower bars).

Saddles get expensive if you start buying them to experiment, so give the one you have some time.
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Old 06-23-21, 12:01 AM
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No seat will be comfortable until you get your backside used to riding. This usually takes a couple of weeks of short or medium rides. Once your backside has toughened up, you can start looking for which saddle is the most comfortable. For myself, having owned many bikes and using numerous different saddles, I have settled on the Brooks B17 for my casual bikes, and a Brooks Swift for my racer.
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Old 06-23-21, 12:09 AM
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TheViverRiver Make some short posts in other discussion threads and 'Introductions'. Once you get your post count up past 10, it will be easy for you to post pics of your bike and the way it is set up here in the discussion .
Or you can post some pics to 'Gallery' ('MyPics') and somebody here will put the pics in the thread for you.
A picture might show some interesting details.
For instance, a saddle that is tilted up or down too much can be very uncomfortable - small adjustments can make a difference.
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Old 06-23-21, 12:24 AM
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In addition to what others said, you can measure the sit bone width. This can be done by sitting on some memory foam (optionally covered with thin metal foil) and measuring the distance between the impressions. The saddle width should be roughly this distance + 2cm. The measurement may depend on how far you lean forward and depend on your flexibility. Repeat the measurement several times and check the consistency. Too narrow saddle will feel like a hatchet which is not possible to get used to because it will press on the soft tissues.
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Old 06-23-21, 01:37 AM
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I like a big seat, to get a much larger area of support. If you can find a big seat, try it.
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Old 06-23-21, 02:39 AM
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That's like asking what is the best tasting food. Everyone has a different butt. The best you can do is ensure you get the proper width and then try to decide if you prefer a flat or curved saddle. Some people also like saddles that have a little rise in the back, others don't. After that you basically have to roll the dice. As long as it's the proper width and you have the tilt adjusted perfectly then most saddles should be comfortable.

You'll always get poor opinions because Joe might buy saddle A, but he doesn't know how to properly adjust it and he tells everyone isn't not a good one when all he had to do was get the tilt right. My biggest deal is I only buy saddles with actual real leather covers and not fake leather.
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Old 06-23-21, 09:01 AM
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Originally Posted by csport
In addition to what others said, you can measure the sit bone width. This can be done by sitting on some memory foam (optionally covered with thin metal foil) and measuring the distance between the impressions. The saddle width should be roughly this distance + 2cm. The measurement may depend on how far you lean forward and depend on your flexibility. Repeat the measurement several times and check the consistency. Too narrow saddle will feel like a hatchet which is not possible to get used to because it will press on the soft tissues.
Another method uses a damp paper towel with regular letter paper on top of it. I've used this and it works well.
Video at
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Old 06-23-21, 09:45 AM
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And the search go's on...

Sit in a box of sand. Stand up and take a good look. How wide and deep is the impression? Take some measurements.

Go from there.

And the search go's on...
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Old 06-23-21, 09:49 AM
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Originally Posted by zandoval
And the search go's on...

Sit in a box of sand. Stand up and take a good look. How wide and deep is the impression? Take some measurements.

Go from there.

And the search go's on...
Your butt cheeks will make an impression in the sand, not your sit bones. You don't sit on a bike saddle with you butt cheeks.
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Old 06-23-21, 10:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Eric F
Your butt cheeks will make an impression in the sand, not your sit bones. You don't sit on a bike saddle with you butt cheeks.
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Old 06-23-21, 12:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Eric F
Your butt cheeks will make an impression in the sand, not your sit bones. You don't sit on a bike saddle with you butt cheeks.
Very True... I cannot argue. The sit bones will give you a mechanically accurate measurement for the smallest seat you can comfortably ride. Do try to remember that allot of us sit on our butt cheeks.

So... Sit Bones minimum and Center of the butt cheeks maximum?

I am not the expert. In reality I have never really found a perfect seat for me.

I do remember fondly the days I could ride a bicycle and did not really need a seat... Ha
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Old 06-23-21, 01:08 PM
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Originally Posted by VicBC_Biker
This ^^^^^^

How the bike is fitted to you - the height and position of the seat and the height of the bars- can make the difference for choosing a new saddle, if it turns out that the saddle you have isn't the best choice.
For instance, it's possible to set a road bike for more upright pedalling. A saddle that's good for that may not be comfortable if you change to a lower position (higher seat, lower bars).

Saddles get expensive if you start buying them to experiment, so give the one you have some time.
Very true words here and in previous posts. One week of riding is not enough time to test a saddle.

I had the opposite problem. The new bike and saddle felt GREAT. I did a lot of local riding, but nothing too long as I got used to the new bike. However, at the first ride over 25 miles, it began to hurt. Cutting back the distance relieved it, but the next 20+ ride the pain returned with a vengence and I could not ride the next day. I did a lot of adjusting of saddle height and tilt, as well as stem swaps (LOVE those threadless stems), but that 25 mile wall remained. I finally determined it was due to the saddle being padded. Short rides the padding was nice, but after longer miles the padding was more compressed and road vibration was transmitted more sharply when I hit the stiff seat shell under the padding, and felt like a sharper impact. In effect the base saddle was not right and the paddling hid that. I went to an unpadded, but more flexible, saddle, and it was relieved. Short rule, a padded saddle profile, may not necessarily be the same as the underlying shell.

All in all, over the years I have been riding, I have spend more money seeking a decent saddle than any other single bicycle item. That is because saddles wear in, and bodies change, as both you and the saddle age. Finding the perfect intersection is largly trial and error, especially since you butt has the tie-breaking vote..
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Old 06-24-21, 09:11 AM
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Well, before you buying anything let’s first make sure your seat is properly adjusted for you, and do remember when you are new to cycling or just getting back into it a week or two of aches is somewhat normal - stock with it and it’ll (usually) pass… IF you bike fits you correctly.

it could be your seat does fit you - but just needs a little tweaking to make it work for YOU.

1. set the seat height correctly for your leg length.
2. Now that you have your basic seat position done it’s time to dive into dialing in your fit.

so, once you have a saddle tilt position dialed in you like.

ride the bike and see if pain persists.
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Old 06-24-21, 09:27 AM
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Originally Posted by isabela65
Well, before you buying anything let’s first make sure your seat is properly adjusted for you, and do remember when you are new to cycling or just getting back into it a week or two of aches is somewhat normal - stock with it and it’ll (usually) pass… IF you bike fits you correctly.

it could be your seat does fit you - but just needs a little tweaking to make it work for YOU.

1. set the seat height correctly for your leg length.
2. Now that you have your basic seat position done it’s time to dive into dialing in your fit.

so, once you have a saddle tilt position dialed in you like.

ride the bike and see if pain persists.
SIt bone width tell only part of the story. Sometimes your body will get used to a saddle but sometimes it will only get worse . Before spending money on saddles try adjusting the one you have-- a slight tilt or setback or raising or lowering the saddle can make a huge difference in saddle comfort. I've also spent way too much money on saddles. The only one I found that fit me is the SQ Labs 600 series.
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Old 06-24-21, 02:41 PM
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Most people on road bikes put more weight on their pubic rami than on their sit-bones (ischial tuberosities), because they bend over from the hips.

Seat width is only part of the story. It's pretty easy to measure, so there's a lot of talk about it, but that's a lot like losing something in a dark corner of a room and looking for it where the light is good or seeing everything as a nail because your only tool is a hammer.

If you've just started riding, you've got to expect butt pain. Until I started using a trainer, every Spring I had to break myself into the bike again. It took 2-3 weeks of riding every 2nd or 3rd day for short distances (2 miles to start, gradually building miles up) before I could ride every day.
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