Before You Buy Vol.4 Seats/Saddles
Here’s an jnsider’s tip on how to get the best service when looking for a saddle. Do not refer to your saddle as a seat! You’ll be shunted away to the granny section and pay double for a totally inappropriate “seat.” The lycra lads and weight weenies who work in bike shops always refer to “seats” as saddles..
NOTE: Much of the following applies differently to mtb’s.
IF your bike is appropriate for your application and IF your bike came with an appropriate saddle (major name brands do), no saddle should ever be uncomfortable. That is, with one caveat. If you are making a bike do something for which it was not built, you’ll want a different saddle.
My wife’s cruiser is awesome for 1 or 2 miles around the neighborhood at 6-8mph. With her mid-drive on there that saddle is awful even on my 6-8 mile commute (depending on how much horsing around I do and stops along the way). It was not made to spin or roll 12-15mph! She will be doing some 30-50 mile rides with me. She needs a new saddle.
If your appropriate saddle is not comfortable, your bike is not properly fit to you. Not size, fit. Fit is another article, but if your fit is off, no seat will be comfy.
Once you’ve settled on a bike, application and fit, you can look at different saddles to suit. The further you ride, the less padding you want. The faster you ride the less suspension you want (weight, efficiency and aero become primary). My favorite saddle for a loaded touring ride is like the one pictured (though I have an awesome one on there currently with no springs).
Padding is fine for short rides of five miles or less. Much more and your pelvic bones sink into the padding and cut off your circulation.. This can make your unmentionables numb. Do it long enough and you will develop saddle sores, tail bone and low back pain. Padding also tends to balloon out, causing chaffing.
There are quality saddles made of all materials. I prefer natural because they breath. I am old, fat and even my nether regions tend to sweat (that oughta spoil some meals). The best saddles work like a sling. They cradle you in comfort.
If you need or like a little suspension for the bumps, get a sprung saddle. They work, they have worked for a hundred years. Don’t buy in to a lot of hype about elastometers. They are not the same. Before you even consider an expensive and often unreliable suspension seat post, try a sprung saddle (there are great posts and stems for commuting and gravel, but they aren’t cjeap). I have one on my commuter that is made of reconstituted leather (think cheap fiber board department store furniture). Even that one is supremely comfy. I have purchased two and expect to get two more (around $50). Great saddles don’t have to cost a lot.