This story is about achieving a more comfortable ride on our bikes. Bicycle comfort (or lack of comfort) is a big issue for many people. We have great e-bikes, but like many e-bikes, they were (are) not as comfortable as they could be. I don’t want to pretend that we are perfectly comfortable, but rather that we are more comfortable. The subject of bicycle comfort, especially regarding your bike saddle, is very personal. What I find comfortable and what you find comfortable are probably two different things.
Table of Contents
Fit determines bicycle comfort.
If your bicycle doesn’t fit you, you will not be comfortable on your bike. I have much to say about how bicycle fit determines comfort on your bike. Here is a link to the section of my e-bike ebook about bicycle fit. Your e-bike needs to fit you.
Make small changes
Achieving bicycle comfort is tricky. Changing one thing, like your seat position, can affect your comfort in both your hands and other locations on your body. To avoid changing the location of your problem, fix one thing, make your changes small, and then perform test rides to find out if the change was a good one.
Posture and body contact points determine bicycle comfort.
Other than your feet on the pedals (discussed later), your hands and bottom are the points of contact on your e-bike. Your body posture and the body parts that contact your e-bike determine your bicycle comfort. Too much pressure on a body part will make it uncomfortable. Removing weight from one place puts the weight somewhere else. Balancing and spreading the body contact points over a larger area is the best way to achieve bicycle comfort.
Sometimes, you can eliminate seat pain by adjusting your handlebar position. Adjusting your seating position and posture and using more effective components tailored to your body can improve bicycle comfort.
Posture influences bicycle comfort decisions.
The following drawing illustrates two different body positions on a bicycle. The more athletic position has a forward tilt that puts more weight on the hands, and the upright position puts less weight on the hands and more on the seat. The further you rotate your body angle towards an upright posture, the higher your natural hand position will be.
Bicycle comfort for your hands, arms, shoulders, and neck
Your hands should comfortably fit on the handlebars. Usually, this contact point is your handlebar grips. The word “grips” can be misleading because gripping the grips can lead to extra stress. When riding, you want to avoid unnecessary stress.
Your hand position in contact with the grips should be natural and not excessively flat (knuckles up). It should be evident that palms up won’t work. The ideal hand position will be palms down in a natural. The heel of your hands should be slightly lower than your knuckles. The meaty part of your hands should touch the grips rather than the thumb joints.
Your fingers should lie in a natural curve around the grip. The wrist should not be flexed up, nor should they be extended downward at the joint. The fingers, metacarpal bones, and wrists should naturally align with the forearm. In a natural position, the thumb joint will align behind the knuckles without too much ulnar deviation at the wrist (tip of the thumb in front of the knuckles). Having the opposite — radial deviation (thumb toward the body’s center line) is never best.
Vibration control for the hands
For many people, for their hands, forward lean and weight on the hands coupled with road vibration create a primary discomfort when riding a bicycle; on most bikes, the air in the tires, frame, fork flex, and front shock absorber can deal with small vibrations. The combination of these flexible bike parts creates bicycle comfort.
Big shock absorbers are overkill for vibration control but are very important for cyclists who jump their bikes. The last thing you want to happen when landing a jump is for your hands to be knocked off the handlebars.
If your wheels don’t leave the ground, you have multiple options to deal with vibrations to achieve bicycle comfort. If your wheels leave the ground (jumping), the answer is a shock-absorbing front fork. Traditionally, vibration control was performed with a slightly flexible fork and handlebars. You can also use a dedicated spring-loaded suspension stem to deal with road vibrations. Stiff parts transmit vibrations, and flexible parts soak up vibrations. As with many things, the balance between stiff and flexible will help you be comfortable on your e-bike.
The bike fit may be wrong if your hands go numb during the ride. Perhaps it is a result of not having strong core muscles. Don’t ignore saddle height as a possible cause of hand problems. Lowering the saddle by a centimeter will transfer more weight to your bottom and off your hands. Sometimes, all it takes is riding with suitable gloves to achieve comfort.
Numbness in your hands is nearly always a result of the bicycle seat position putting too much weight on them. The seat may be too high, or the handlebar position may be too low. Padded gloves can often help, as can a larger-diameter grip. Bike fitters usually recommend that road riders frequently change their hand positions.
Bicycle comfort for your wrists, arms, shoulders, and neck
Your wrists and forearms should align with your hands, with only slight and natural differences between them. Your elbows should be slightly bent and not straight to your shoulders. If your elbows are not bent, it indicates that your handlebars are too far away from your seat. You should be able to lock your elbows, but even though it is possible, you should not lock your elbow joints. This will allow the elbows to absorb the vibrations transferred to your shoulders.
Your handlebar width should be the same or slightly wider than your shoulder width. Traditional road bike handlebars had multiple positions for your hands so that you could move your hands to new locations as you rode. E-bikes rarely have different locations for your hands, and the other positions are often cluttered with devices on the handlebars. Choose your handlebars wisely to achieve bicycle comfort.
Adequate handlebar width is essential for your breathing. Bicycling is an athletic sport, even on an e-bike. Make sure you can breathe well during your effort.
Bicycle comfort for your back, neck, and shoulders
The more forward your posture is, the more it stresses the muscles in your neck. If your neck is sore, it indicates your body posture is too far forward. (Remember, I am not defining comfort for bicycle racers; nearly all these things apply to racers.)
The distance between the saddle and handlebars determines bicycle fit in an athletic posture. If the bicycle fit is good for your body, the back is generally straight, including the neck. If the distance between the handlebars and saddle is too short, it will cause a sway in the lower back. If the distance is too long, you reach for the handlebars, have a hunch-back posture, and raise your shoulders.
Bicycle comfort for your bottom
Don’t ignore the above discussion about fit and hand position and think your only problem is your bike seat. Bicycle comfort is a balance of weight between your hands and your bottom. A change in hand position can influence and even correct saddle pain issues.
Sit bones and saddle width.
Everyone knows that sit bones are not uniform. You may not know that the contact point between your bicycle saddle and sit bones changes with posture. Sit bones can be measured accurately to determine the correct saddle width. The problem with measuring the sit bones is that different people sit with varying postures on the bike. You may not be sitting on your sit bones, depending on your posture. Instead, your weight might be carried on your body’s soft, fleshy parts. If you have irritation between your legs or numbness, you are not sitting correctly on your sit bones.
Sit bones
The sit bones are at the bottom of the pelvis, and the different locations on the sit bones have different names. The overall term for sit bones is the ischium. Forward of the ischium is the pubic bone. Above the ischium is the ilium (hip bone). The ischium has two different locations along the bone called the posterior apex (backside) and anterior apex (front side).
The ischial ramus is forward of the anterior (front) apex. As you tilt your posture forward while riding your bike, the point of contact on the bike seat moves forward from the anterior apex onto the ischial ramus. Attached to the front of the sit bone is the pubic bone. While bicycle racers often tilt their pelvis to sit on the ischial ramus and even the pubic bones, they were not designed to be used this way.
If your sit bones are “standard,” a standard-width saddle should fit you… It isn’t that easy. The problem is that, unlike the tip of your finger, these bones are not points but longer bones that are part of your pelvis. Sit bones narrow towards the front (anterior), and the more you lean forward into an athletic posture, the more you will apply more weight to the front part of your sit bones and less weight to the back part of your sit bones.
Bicycle comfort on your sit bones
The ischial tuberosity (ischia is pronounced “ISS-kee-uh”) is the sit bone at the bottom of your pelvis and bears weight when you sit on a bicycle seat. The weight should not be supported by the soft tissues rather than the sit bones. One problem with selecting a bicycle seat is that cycling is an active exercise that involves moving the legs at the hip joint while sitting. Less force can be applied to the pedals if the saddle inhibits leg movement. Thus, saddle selection must be narrow enough to allow leg movement and wide enough to distribute weight on the sit bones.
You will be happiest if you sit on the sit bones, not the fleshy part between them. Even though it is common among racers to sit on the forward apex or ischial ramus of the sit bones, it is not the most comfortable location.
Notice that as you rock your pelvis forward, it tilts forward and transfers the load (that’s you) to a small contact point (anterior apex) than if you were to rock the pelvis backward. There is also a posterior apex, but a cyclist’s posterior apex is usually not in contact with the saddle unless the seat is closer to the pedals than normal.
Body posture and pelvis tilt
As the rider leans forward, the pelvis tilts forward. Spine tilt puts more weight on the hands. The pelvis tilt changes the point of contact with the bicycle saddle and decreases the area of the sit bones in contact with the saddle. (I am trying to make you aware of the effect; I am not trying to tell you to change your posture or even seat position if you are already comfortable.)
Pelvis tilt changes the point of contact with the saddle and the area of contact with the saddle. The more upright the posture, the more contact area with the saddle on the flat part of your sit bones, and the more distributed the load will be on the aft part of the sit bones. All of this assumes that you do not compensate for your pelvis tilt with the joints in your lower back.
The above drawings of the skeletons at different angles show the spine in a neutral position. Cyclists, however, may tilt the pelvis forward or backward in the lower joints, artificially tilting the pelvis without tilting the spine.
Saddle “tilt” should “match” pelvis tilt.
Rules associated with bicycle racing state that the seat should be generally flat from front to back. Since you are not a bicycle racer, there is no reason that you cannot adopt a saddle tilt that will best match your pelvis tilt. A slight tilt can make a massive difference in bicycle comfort. Tilting the saddle forward will put more weight on your hands.
As the spine and pelvis tilt forward, more pressure is put on the soft tissues in front of the sit bones. Saddle design can help minimize the pressure on this area, and I will discuss this shortly. Another thing you can identify from the above drawing is that as the spine is tilted forward, this argues for a slightly lower nose on the saddle. In all cases, the nose of the saddle should not be higher than the aft part of the saddle due to the contact area. This argues for saddle designs with a nose lower than the heel. This works as long as you are not sliding forward in your saddle.
You may also notice that my drawn lines have a slight arch. The curve of the line represents the body shape from the sit bones forward towards the pubic arch.
Your saddle design should allow for forward tilt without the sensation of sliding off the front of the saddle. The surface of the saddle should not be a slippery material. Reject saddles that appear polished or are covered with a stretchy, slick material.
Measuring sit bone width
The easy way to measure the width of your sit bones is to sit on a piece of aluminum foil or cardboard on a soft surface such as a carpet on stairs or a chair. The impressions left on the aluminum foil should identify the maximum width of the sit bones. Sitting on the aluminum foil in a posture similar to your bicycling posture will be best. Lean slightly forward to get a position identical to the one you use on a bicycle. This will measure the point of contact on the anterior apex.
Measuring will not be exact and challenging to transfer to bicycle saddle selection because bicycle saddles don’t usually identify sit bone width. Many large people have narrow sit-bone widths, and smaller people have wider ones. Measuring will be complex because sit bones are not a single point, making it difficult to clearly define what is being measured from/to on each side.
My measurement at the anterior (front) apex was shockingly narrow and did not accurately reflect the accurate measurement of the sit bones at the posterior apex. The anterior apex was only 90mm, and the posterior apex (not touching the saddle) was much broader. Still, even though I usually ride in a more athletic posture and have a “narrow” sit-bone width, it doesn’t mean I like a very narrow racing saddle design.
Measuring saddle width
Once you measure your sit bone width, the next step is to measure your saddle width. However, you need to make this measurement at the location where you think the sit bones will contact the saddle. This is not a measurement of the overall width of the saddle at the widest point.
The easiest way is to lay a ruler across the saddle slightly forward (about three centimeters) of the aft part and ensure the saddle will support your sit bone width. If the saddle is too narrow, you will sit on the fleshy body parts and may even have the saddle push the nerves into the inside edge of the sit-bones.
Ideal saddle width
Posture also pertains to the power you can deliver to the pedals. Posture and seat height are also related, and incorrect posture can lead to discomfort. When riding an e-bike, however, power to the pedals can be somewhat sacrificed instead of using your motor to supplement the force you put into the pedals.
Once you measure your sit bone width, the best thing you can do is use your impression sheet as a guide. You can even place the impression sheet on your saddle to see if you are riding a saddle that corresponds with your sit bone width.
The ideal saddle width pertains to your sit bones, posture, and saddle height. Starting with posture, most riders choose an upright posture with a broader saddle and a shorter nose than riders with a more athletic posture.
Saddle too narrow
If a rider selects a saddle too narrow, the point of contact moves to the inside of the sit-bones. This position will be uncomfortable for nearly all riders because the contact point will be inside the sit bones, and soft tissue will support the weight almost entirely.
Saddle too wide
If your saddle is too broad, you will probably scoot forward to the more narrow section, which effectively changes the distance to the handlebars. Assuming you are not slipping forward but moving forward, a saddle that is too wide will encourage you to position your bottom so that your sit bones are correctly positioned. Saddles that are too wide inhibit your ability to pedal efficiently. If you slide too far forward, you risk running out of the nose of the saddle or sitting on an unpadded part of the saddle.
Saddle lower and higher than the desired height
A lower seat height doesn’t allow for full leg extension and lowers the effectiveness of your pedal stroke. Decreasing your saddle beyond the ideal position decreases the force you can put into the pedals. A lower-than-full leg extension places more of your weight on the back part of your saddle and creates a more upright posture. Compared to the ideal saddle height, a lower-than-normal saddle argues for a wider saddle than other riders may consider comfortable.
If a lower saddle height robs the legs of power, a higher saddle height causes hip rocking, resulting in injury when sustained for long periods. If your saddle height is ideal or too high, you will almost always choose more narrow saddles because your pelvis will be rotated forward, and the point of contact with the saddle with your sit bones will be more limited.
Your weight also matters.
Like everything else, riders’ bodies change with age and time. Regarding bicycle comfort, a larger person has more weight contacting the saddle and often has a more challenging time being comfortable on a bicycle.
Saddle position
If saddle width and tilt are not enough, there is also the factor of saddle position forward and aft on the seat rails. Tradition says that you adjust the saddle so that your knee cap, with the pedals at a ninety-degree angle, will be above the ball of your foot as it sits on the peddle. At best, this measurement is a starting point.
Sometimes, you can slide the saddle forward, putting your bottom closer to the handlebars, and achieve small but meaningful changes in your relationship with the handlebars. A better plan would be to get a bike that fits you better or change the bicycle stem.
Seat too far forward or too far aft
If the seat is too far forward, it tends to put more weight on the hands, leading to hand pain and hunched shoulders.
Reaching the handlebars feels uncomfortable. You will tend to drag your forward on the seat bottom closer to the handlebars. If your bike is too big or the saddle is too far from the handlebars, you will be uncomfortable lifting your hand off them. If your handlebars are too far from your seat, you will probably also complain about neck pain.
Saddle Tilt
A nose-high saddle can result in lower back pain, while a nose-low saddle can cause you to slide forward and shift weight towards your hands. Like everything else, you must find your best saddle position and experiment with the different adjustments.
Position your saddle tilt so that the nose is slightly below the seat bones, and then add minor adjustments to increase the nose’s low position. If you lower the nose too far, you risk increasing the stress on your hands.
Ideal saddle cushion
Typically, bicycle saddles are constructed in two layers. The bottom part of the saddle is the frame, and the upper part is the cushion. The ideal saddle cushion spreads the rider’s weight over a larger frame area, not allowing the rider to feel the frame below the cushion.
Saddles that are too hard or too soft
This is the most common complaint, but you need to find out why the saddle appears to be too hard. The saddle may not be too hard, or it may be incorrectly designed for the rider. The cushion section of the saddle is typically made of foam or gel or a combination of foam and gel. Both are designed to spread the rider’s weight without the rider feeling the frame under the saddle. Hard saddles do not adequately spread the rider’s weight related to the seat bones and are usually uncomfortable for most riders.
You want a saddle that is soft enough to cradle your sit bones but firm enough not to allow you to cave through the cushion to the seat frame. Super soft saddles do not accomplish this primary goal of supporting the rider above the saddle’s frame. Rider weight also plays a role in softness, and a larger rider may need a slightly harder saddle than a less weighty person.
Some saddle designs use cuts in the saddle frame to allow for more movement than would generally be achieved with a rigid frame. Saddle designs have even evolved so that the flex is built into the frame on some saddles, reducing the need for a cushion.
Even if the saddle isn’t so soft that you compress the cushion to the point of contacting the frame, a saddle that is too soft becomes uncomfortable due to compression of the soft body tissues. This can restrict blood flow and compress the pudendal nerve, which runs through the perineum area. This compression can lead to numbness and even pudendal neuralgia (sharp pain), sometimes called “cyclist’s syndrome.”
Saddle Padding
Saddle padding is usually a combination of foam, memory foam, gel, and occasionally silicone.
Memory foam is popular and allows the rider to sink into the saddle. The idea is that it contours to the sit bones very well, making it comfortable. You can think of it as compressed into a shape, and this shape is perfectly contoured to your body. Once compressed, memory foam does not allow for any rebound-absorbing shocks. When saddle padding is only made of memory foam, you can feel the frame under the saddle after a moderately long ride.
Normal (non-memory) foam does not retain its compressed shape. It absorbs road vibrations and quickly rebounds back to its original shape. Even if a saddle is advertised as memory foam, unless it retains the shape of your thumbprint, at least for a while, it is not entirely memory foam.
Gel is a saddle padding found on many higher-end saddles, sometimes combined with foam. Gel conforms easily to your body and rebounds quickly back to its original shape. Depending on the gel, sometimes it breaks down under the load and seems to crack, limiting the padding’s life span.
Silicone is a padding material that can be molded into complex shapes. Depending on the design, its varying stiffness levels have a rebounding effect. Depending on the chemistry of the silicone, it can last a long time, and lifespan is not directly related to initial stiffness.
Padded Seat covers
I didn’t try any saddle covers during this exploration, but I have used them in the past to try to make the saddles a little more comfortable. Unless they have changed dramatically, all have failed quickly and tend to move around on the saddle, going off to one side or the other. I haven’t found a good seat cover.
Ischial tuberosity bursitis
Bursitis refers to an inflamed fluid sac next to the Ischial tuberosity. The bursa forms when an insufficiently padded surface places too much stress on a location (seat bones). If you cannot get comfortable on your bicycle seat, this could be your problem. To prevent bursitis, spread the load on your bike seat to spread the weight over a larger area. Of course, this isn’t a medical diagnosis nor a medical prevention. Pain in this area caused by bursitis, tendonitis, or tendinopathy is challenging to diagnose because the bursa and tendon are close together. Although the pain’s cause may differ, the initial treatment (rest and ice) for these conditions is the same.
Perineum relief
The perineum is the body area that contacts the saddle between the legs forward of the sit bones. Nearly all saddles remove or sculpt this area to reduce saddle contact with this area of the body.
Saddle nose width
Until now, I have been discussing saddle width and how it affects your sit bones. Most saddles, however, have a nose that can be narrow or wide, and saddle nose width is mainly involved with soft tissue. This, too, can create pain and numbness but is typically associated with perineum contact.
No-nose bicycle seats may be better than bicycle saddles.
If the bicycle saddle nose causes pain, then if it could be removed, would that result in a more comfortable ride for a rider on a comfort-style bike with an upright posture? That is the idea behind the VSEAT, and we (Tami and me) have spent lots of bicycle time using our VSEATs. Even though we are not entirely “comfortable” with our results testing the VSEAT, this idea has merit. Here is a link to the VSEAT. VSEAT noseless bicycle seat.
Other noseless bicycle seats and minimum nose saddles provide some benefits similar to the VSEAT, but we haven’t tested them. Most of them seem oddly designed. I’m not too fond of some of the short-nosed saddles I have tried because the sweep of the leg pocket is too abrupt. I would have to sit on these other bike saddles with my seat in a lower-than-ideal position for leg power.
Controlling seat vibration and shock absorption
A suspension seatpost is only for comfort. Unlike a rear suspension, it isn’t for landing jumps or keeping your rear wheel on the ground. Instead, it allows the seat to move up and down, absorbing some of the bumps rather than your rear end. Here is a link to the section of my e-bike e-book discussing e-bike suspension. Everything you need to know about suspension
Springs on your saddle
Spring under the saddle is the traditional vibration absorber for your bottom. This technique has been used for at least 120 years, and it works, assuming that the springs are soft enough to be compressed by the rider’s weight. Lightweight riders may never feel any benefit from these springs. Likewise, if the rider is too heavy for the springs, the rider will bottom out the springs before the full impact is absorbed. One of the problems with springs under the saddle is that they compress from side to side as the rider’s weight is shifted during pedaling. This causes the pelvis to tilt and soaks up some of the rider’s effort.
Elastomeric absorbers under the saddle
Elastomers under the saddle are similar to springs and accomplish the same thing, but they have only recently become available. In my experience, they find it hard to tell if they are doing anything. I don’t feel the pelvis rocking that I do with springs under the seat.
Shock-absorbing seat post
A shock-absorbing seat post is an excellent way to control road vibrations on the saddle. Unlike a pair of springs, this allows only vertical movement without the potential for the previously discussed pelvis rocking.
If your bike has no rear suspension, the Redshift Shockstop seat post is a good substitute and can add extra comfort in the right area. Here is a link to the Redshift Shockstop seat post: Redshift
Bicycle comfort for your knees and feet.
Bicycle racers choose cycling shoes carefully, and generally, these shoes are very stiff. One common issue is having a narrow shoe width that will cause pain after the ride. Recreational riders, especially mountain bike riders who jump on their bikes, are moving the center of the pedal rotation more towards the foot’s arch.
Avoid stretching the calf and Achilles tendon, especially when riding uphill.
Foot position also has a lot to do with knee stress; some knee stress can be relieved by positioning the center of the pedal a little after the ball of the foot.
Shorter crank arms can reduce knee stress.
Notes about different saddles we have tried
Serfas
Serfas has an extensive line of mid-priced saddles. We only tried two saddles from Serfas; neither was their current product offering. Here is a link to Serfas Tailbone Saddles, which is currently being offered. Serfas Tailbones
Serfas traditional shape
Tailbones Unisex Saddle is a more traditional saddle with a deep padding design that is too soft for me. After long rides in the saddle, I feel the frame below the padding. This is also the saddle with the daisy-shaped cut-outs in the saddle frame. Even though I think the saddle is too soft, I like the traditional shape.
The Serfas Tailbones saddle that seems most similar to this saddle is the Serfas TBM-10L Tailbones Memory Foam Lycra Waterproof Saddle.
Tailbones Comfort shape saddle
Tailbones Comfort Vinyl Saddle is a wide comfort version of a gel-padded saddle with a waterproof vinyl cover. It is nearly 9 inches wide and has a very shallow perineum relief channel that seems too far towards the aft of the saddle between the sit bones. The underside of the saddle frame is cut out to allow for more movement of the gel pad. The Serfas Tailbones Comfort Saddle assumes the rider is sitting in an upright posture. Unfortunately, it is no longer available.
The Serfas Tailbones saddle that seems most similar to this saddle is the SEFAS TBM-20L Tailbones Memory Foam Lycra Waterproof Saddle.
Selle Royal
Selle Royal makes an extensive line of premium bicycle saddles. Many of them include Royalgel, their answer to comfort padding inside the saddle. All the Selle Royal saddles we tried have a cover material that absorbs less heat from sitting in the sun. Overall, we are generally happy with the Selle Royal saddles we have experimented with.
Selle Royal understands that saddle width changes and needs to change with rider posture. The “Relaxed” line of saddles all assume an upright rider posture. All the Selle Royal saddles we tried were made for upright body postures. Here is a link to the Selle Royal bicycle saddles website. Selle Royal Bike Saddles
Selle Royal Resprio Relaxed Saddle
Selle Royal Resprio Relaxed Saddle is a full-figured comfort saddle with lots of padding focused on the sit bones. The perineum relief is exaggerated, and it has elastomeric springs under the saddle to help absorb road vibrations. Of all the saddles we tried, it had the most dramatic cushioned shape, and it was Tami’s number one choice. As for me, I couldn’t wait to get off it.
I was not too fond of the Selle Royal Resprio Relaxed Saddle because I sit in a more athletic posture. I hope to try this saddle’s Selle Royal Resprio Moderate version someday. I found the Selle Royal relaxed saddles all made me slide forward, and thus, the nose of each saddle was too short for me.
Here is a link to the website. Selle Royal Resprio Relaxed Saddle
Selle Royal Lookin Evo Relaxed
The Selle Royal Evo is a wide saddle with a typical shape and elastomeric shock absorbers at the back side of the frame rails.
Here is a link to the website. Selle Royal Lookin Evo Relaxed Saddle
Selle Royal On
Unlike the Selle Royal Lookin Evo, the Selle Royal On Relaxed does not have elastomeric shock absorbers on the back side of the frame rails.
Here is a link to the website. Selle Royal On Relaxed
RockBros
The Rockbros lineup of value-priced saddles is impressive. All are similar, and each is well constructed. The lineup consists of three very similar saddles, all with similar features. I like the textured vinyl covers with prominent perineum cutouts. Rockbros uses memory foam in all the very soft saddles I tried.
Rockbros Leisure Saddle
The Rockbros Leisure is a well-constructed, memory foam padded saddle with a pronounced perineum cutout. This cutout allows for venting and, perhaps, cooling airflow in this area. This saddle has the deepest foam cushion and is the largest of all the saddles we tried.
Here is a link to the Amazon page for this saddle. Rockbros Leisure Saddle
Rockbros MTB Saddle
The Rockbros MTB is narrower than the Rockbros Leisure saddle by nearly two inches. Unlike the Rockbros Leisure saddle, the shape isn’t as dramatic because it is narrower. The elastomeric shock absorbers at the back part of the rails are not included, and the perineum cutout is smaller. I liked this saddle more than the Rockbros Leisure saddle. Tami liked the Rockbros Leisure saddle more than this one.
Here is a link to the Amazon page for this saddle. Rockbros MTB Saddle
Rockbros Racing Saddle
Rockbros makes a racing shape of the same memory foam saddles. I liked the shape but didn’t like that they were too soft to support me on a long ride.
Here is a link to the Amazon page for this saddle. Rockbros Racing Saddle
VSEAT
Of all the bicycle comfort designs we tried, the VSEAT is decidedly different in a good way. There is no nose, allowing for free leg movement, and without a nose, the softer body parts cannot be placed on the seat. The only way to sit on a VSEAT is with your sit bones. The seat design is comfortable but might benefit from a little more padding.
The VSEAT is different enough that it takes a little time to get used to it, but it becomes natural once you do.
The VSEAT’s padding is a rubber-like molded shell used for both padding and the seat cover. Below the exterior shell is a molded shape that allows for different levels of support depending on where your body contacts the seat.
For users of shock-absorbing seat posts, the nose of the VSEAT interferes with the motion of the seat post shock absorber. I have been thinking about how the VSEAT could be modified by removing some of the seat frame structure and allowing for more movement of the seat post.
The VSEAT design requires a slight tilt forward on the seat. Install the VSEAT flat. Then, adjust the seat to drop the front by about 1/4 to 1/2 inch, followed by a test ride. Increase the nose drop on subsequent rides only in small increments. This nose drop will shift more weight to your hands. If you feel that the weight on your hands is too much or that you are slipping forward on the seat, raise the front slightly. This nose drop will provide more comfort to the area where your legs bend while pedaling.
Perhaps some other bicycle seats are endorsed by a urology physician, but I don’t know of any. Here is a link to the VSEAT website: VSEAT noseless bicycle seat.
About our links
As you know, our blog income is zero, which allows us to be independent and tell the truth. We do not get income or commissions. No, we don’t make paid endorsements. We don’t make recommendations; instead, we will tell you what we like (or dislike). The links are only provided as a quick reference to help our readers.
Links
FoxRVTravel — E-bikes 2024: How to choose the best electric bicycle: Free e-bike e-book
FoxRVTravel — Your e-bike needs to fit you.
FoxRVTravel — Everything you need to know about suspension
The e-bike we decided on is the FLX Comfort 2.0. FLX E-BIKES
Link to our e-bikes FLX Step Through (Comfort) 2.0 mid-drive e-bike
Serfas TBM-10L Tailbones Memory Foam Lycra Waterproof Saddle
SEFAS TBM-20L Tailbones Memory Foam Lycra Waterproof Saddle
Selle Royal Resprio Relaxed Saddle
Selle Royal Lookin Evo Relaxed Saddle
Redshift Shockstop Suspension Seatpost
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Thanks, this really helps.
How could anyone know this amount of fitting stuff for bicycles and not be working in the industry?
I love the pictures of the skeletons. They drive home the point about sitting on a bicycle seat.