Bike Saddles_Seats Review

One of the most important aspects of cycle riding is the seat or saddle. A seat, like the Odyssey or Primo seats, is designed to hold the brunt of a rider’s body weight, while bike saddles, like Ritchey saddles or Prologo saddles, are designed to hold some, but not all, of a rider’s body weight. A poorly designed seat or saddle can cause back pain, chafing, and other riding maladies. There are better saddles, like Allay saddle seats, designed that take into consideration the different anatomical makeup of a man and woman, so riders may want to look for gender-specific bike saddles. An Easy Seat is also an option.

The shell of the saddle determines the shape of the seat and is available in a variety of sizes. Selle Italia bike seats and Hobson seats have lots of varieties and styles to choose from. Wider shells offer more support, but too wide saddles can impede movement and cause irritation. More narrow shells are ideal for racing bikes, as the shape allows the rider to avoid irritation from a wide saddle shell when increasing speed. The nose shape affects a rider’s ability to pick up speed or climb a hill on the bike. Longer noses make it easier to climb while shorter noses allow for easier transitions when racing. Funn saddles are a fun and stylish brand, as are San Marco saddles. 

Saddle shells are hard plastic and some are covered with closed cell foam, often called gel saddles. Other saddles are constructed using leather rather than foam. Fizik saddles and ISM offer all these different types. These saddles are ideal for riders who want more breathing room in hot weather, as the porous leather allows for better ventilation than foam saddles. Leather also wears and breaks down to fit the shape of the rider. If this happens, you may choose to purchase bike seat covers. Padded saddles, like Planet Bike saddles, are ideal for cruising or mountain biking as the saddle will absorb shock on rough terrain. Terry saddles come in padded and leather varieties. 

The rails of the saddle connect the seat to the rest of the bike. These are typically steel or aluminum but can also be titanium or carbon fiber. The rails affect the strength of a seat and the shock absorption of the saddle. The saddle mounts onto the bike seat post, which fit into the seat tube on the frame. Saddles can be adjusted on the seat post to raise up or down and angle front or back. Freedom saddles, as well as Sportourer saddles, are easily adjustable for comfort.

Bike saddles and seatposts designed to absorb an extreme amount of shock will come equipped with suspension components. Easton seatposts are manufactured with shock absorption for your safety while riding. The Oval Concepts seatpost is well known and reliable. Springs or elastomers in between the rails and the shell absorb the shock from the frame and seat post. Trail bikes work well with suspended saddles because riders receive extra support when making jumps. Suspension components can be custom designed to fit the size of the rider for optimal support. Cruiser bikes may use Brooks saddles or Cloud 9 bike seat, because they are comfortable for the entire ride.

Models

WTB and Velo saddles are well-known and reliable models. Other popular models include the Cannondale saddle and the Charge saddle.

Average Pricing

Simple bicycle saddles start out as low as $35. Higher-end bike seats can run between $150 and $300.