1. Gear your rear into gear

No other single component causes such angst, aggravation and discomfort to so many people as the bike saddle. You could spend a long time (and a lot of money) buying, trying and discarding every candidate that might be right for you. Or you could try out these guidelines instead.

PURPOSE

If you’re sitting up and enjoying the view, you’re going to need a seat with padding and springing to support most of your weight. However, on longer rides this may cause uncomfortable friction and heat retention.

If your legs are going as fast as possible, and you’re carrying more of your weight on your feet and hands, then a narrow, thin lightweight shell is all you’ll want, though even the ‘hard-arses’ amongst us might admit to some pain and numbness after many kilometres on one of these

Most people want something in between, and there are quite a few different shapes available. First fit the saddle to you; after a while, you will adapt to it.

FIT

If you’re small and narrow, don’t go for a seat that is wide and cushy, and vice versa. Locate your ischial tuberosities (‘sit bones’, on the underside of your pelvis) and examine your potential new saddle. Are the centres of the cheeks of the saddle (wide bits at the back) a good match for where your sit bones are? Put it on a bike and try a variety of hand positions for a minute or so each.

You might tilt the saddle down at the front slightly if you are experiencing discomfort there. Position the saddle forward or back on its rails to have the bump just below your knee over the pedal when the pedal is all the way forward (at 3 o’clock).

MARS AND VENUS

Saddles shaped specifically for women have two distinct differences to male or unisex saddles. They tend to be wider at the rear, to fit a woman’s generally wider pelvis, and shorter, to reduce pressure on sensitive areas at the front. It’s sometimes hard to find a good women’s racing or fast recreational saddle. Georgena Terry deserves an honourable mention in this category, as do Selle Italia’s LDY range, and Selle San Marco’s Atola.

WEIGHT

Some lightweight saddles are less than 150g, with some bare carbon-fibre shells weighing in at under 100! Big, cushy saddles for cruisers might weigh close to a kilogram. Remember, it’s not just the mass of padding that makes a saddle comfy, but the design, and quality of the materials.

COST

Some saddles cost $35 and are really good value for money. Some cost over $200 and appeal only to the most die-hard of fans. There are many in between this. The Selle San Marco B-Gel saddles (amongst their wide range) are cheap, comfy and supportive and are good for many. Selle Italia makes many well-liked saddles from $50 to $300.

THE MANUFACTURERS

Taiwanese company Velo manufactures saddles for many different brands, as well as its own. Look for an embossed ‘Velo’ on the underside of saddles or a Selle Italia quality-control sticker. Selle Royal makes the popular Fizik and LookIn ranges, as well as having recently taken over the traditionally manufactured leather saddles of English company Brooks.

MATERIALS

Rails

The rails support the saddle and fit into the seatpost clamp. Avoid older, cheaper saddles with steel rails and varieties with steel coil springs for suspension. Go for modern saddles of the same type with well-designed rubber suspension. They’re much more comfy than the older ones and a lot lighter.
Better quality saddles have much lighter rails made from springier steel (perhaps tubular), titanium or even carbon fibre. This helps absorb road shock, which is a big cause of numbness. Longfemured people need a saddle with long rails so they can adjust the saddle far enough back.

Shell

The shell is the skeleton of the saddle and it has the biggest influence on the overall shape and how it will fit you. The shell is moulded from plastic (and may be reinforced by carbon fibre) (or stretched leather over a metal frame, like the iconic tooled Brooks saddles) to fit a range of bum shapes and riding styles.

Padding

Padding supports your weight, cushions you against shock and reduces friction. If it’s any good, it retains its elasticity and suppleness for many kilometres. Manufacturers use different densities of polyurethane foam and silicon rubber ‘gel’ alone or in layers (sometimes called ‘dual’ or ‘triple density’). Some lighter saddles rely on the shell shape and rails for shock absorption.
Many saddles nowadays are narrow and have reduced material between the nose and the sit area. This shifts the rider’s weight to the sit bones and decreases pressure on the perineal area, allowing increased blood flow and reducing numbness and the possibility of nerve and blood vessel damage.
You may need to ride quite a few kilometres before you can feel any difference. Some shops offer a short-term trade-in option if the seat you choose isn’t quite right.

Cover

The cover keeps water out of the padding, minimises friction and shapes the saddle. Most betterquality covers seem to be made from thin leather, which has low friction and usually grippy texture. Avoid too many seams or embroidered graphics – they just wear your Lycra and are a point of weakness in the cover.

Mark Horner divides his time between fixing bikes and supporting rides. When he’s not working on or around other people’s bikes, you’ll find him out riding his own.

Maker	Model	Shape	Riding style	Padding	Suspension	Cover	Rails	Approx. RRP
Selle Italia	Trimatic 2	Mens, medium road	Recreational/  racing	Gel option	rubber block	Vinyl	Manganese/ Molybdenum steel	$69
Selle Italia	FLX	Men’s/ women’s, 'Trans-Am' cut-out option	Touring/ commuting	Gel option, 'flex control', (differential padding thinkness)	co-moulding integrated rubber rear unit	Vinyl, leather option	Steel	$35
Selle Italia	LDY	women’s, 'Trans-Am' cut-out option	Fast Recreational to cruising	As above	n/a	Vinyl, leather option	Titanium, hollow Vanox steel	$75-$240*
Selle San Marco	Atola	women’s, 'arrowhead' cut-out option	Recreational/  racing	Multi-density PU foam, gel option	n/a	Lorica	Cro-Moly steel	$89
Selle San Marco	Nelson	Men's/ women's	General purpose	Gel option	Nelson' spring system	Lorica	Cro-Moly steel	$120
Selle San Marco	B-Gel	Men's/ women's	Touring/ commuting	Dual density foam	n/a	Vinyl	Cro-Moly steel	$40
Fizik	Arione	Narrow, good fore-aft abj.	Fast Recreational, racing	Gel option	Wing Flex, Twin Flex option	Leather	Carbon, titanium, hollow Vanox steel	$180-$300*
Fizik	Aliante	Men's/ women's curved profile	All purpose	Gel option	Wing Flex, Twin Flex option	Leather	Carbon, titanium, hollow Vanox steel	$75-110*
Fizik	Vitesse	Men's/ women's curved profile	All purpose	LookIn gel option Comfort performance (CP)	Wing Flex, Twin Flex option	Vinyl, leather option	Carbon, titanium, hollow Vanox steel	$80-$120*
LookIn	M-Flex	Athletic, moderate, relaxed	Fast Recreational to cruising	3 Density RoyalGel	Modular elastomer	Vinyl	Steel	$69
Velo	Tempo Z-1	Comfort performance	General purpose	D2 co-moulded inserts	n/a	Synthetic leather	CrN/Ti (Cromium Nitrate/ Titanium) steel	$49
Serfas	Rx	Seven different shapes	Fast Recreational to cruising	ICS triple layer	Dual density base	Microfibre, Lycra	Cro-Moly steel	$69
Georgena Terry	Butterfly	Women's	General purpose	Multi-density PU foam	n/a	Lorica, leather option	Cro-Moly steel, titanium option	$80-$170*

*indicates different models with different prices

For more info

http://www.bv.com.au/bikes-and-riding/11163/