By Meg Ausen

With Bike Month and our first miles of 2015 behind us, some of you may be in need of some fine tuning to your bike, particularly for your behind! Seat discomfort getting you down? Read on for some ideas and tips for a better ride.

Bottom’s Up – Choosing the Right Saddle

Speak with any female cyclist about her bike and eventually the topic of saddles will come up. Or simply peruse our Female Bike Forum to find such discussions (there’s tons of literature out there on this topic). But, if you’re like many women, you always come away from those discussions with more questions and maybe some uncertainty and confusion. So what’s the secret? What are WE going to tell you about the right fit that is going to blow your mind and ease possible everyday woes of riding a bike and experiencing discomfort?

If you’re looking for all of your saddle-related problems to be solved by the end of this article, hoping to know exactly what saddle is best suited for you, you will be disappointed because, guess what? It’s different for everyone and like so many aspects of riding a bicycle the perfect saddle is personal. BUT!! WE want to provide some insight and tips on how to get from Point A of “Why is having a good saddle important?” to Point B of “I’m ready to ride to outer space because it feels like I am pedaling a cloud!”

What is the Queen of Women’s Bicycle Saddles?

To find the proper saddle, you will need to first determine how much money you are able to spend and how much time you’ll be spending on your bike. You can certainly find a saddle that suits you at an affordable price. If you are going to invest money into your bike, however, a good saddle is one of the best places to start. Remember that there are three points of contact between you and your bicycle: your hands, your feet, and your seat. That means we distribute our entire weight across those three points of contact, with most of that distribution centered on your seat. Not only can the wrong saddle be uncomfortable, but the more time spent on it can eventually translate into health problems. WE highly suggest going to a bike shop to get measure your sit-bones (alternatively, you can find YouTube videos on how to do this at home) because your measurement is the first threshold for finding the right fit. This is even more important if you spend a lot of time on your bike!

Once measured do some research, integrating other factors like weight, height, health history, etc. into your search. Ask yourself and others lots of questions! One thing the majority of people recommend for women is getting a saddle with a cut out, as the space alleviates some pressure on sensitive parts and the added air flow also provides relief. Next you are ready to test saddles. When going through the testing phase, recognize and accept that it might take some time to find the right saddle – you may not walk into a shop and walk out with the right saddle on your first try.

To narrow down the seemingly endless choices of saddles, WE asked for some feedback about what saddles women around NYC use and recommend. Here they** are in no particular order:

• Selle Italia Gel Flow Lady — this is a lightweight saddle made with a nylon shell. It has a large cutout in the mid-section for comfort as you ride. It also has gel inserts and extra padding (which cancels out a lot of road vibration), yet is still a narrow saddle making it ideal for longer rides. Retails for around $150. For a similar saddle, see Selle Italia’s Diva Gel Flow saddle.
• Terry Women’s Butterfly TI Gel — this saddle is wider in the rear and is designed for endurance and distance riding, but is comfortable for any length of ride. It has a large cut out through the nose and mid-section and it has multi-density injection molded foam that is slightly stiffer in the rear for more power while pedaling. The saddle has a black textured leather cover. Retails for around $164.
• Specialized Women’s Road Riva — this saddle is from a couple of seasons ago, but is still available online. This saddle has a cut out in the mid-section and foam padding. The saddle has Specialized Body Geometry ergonomic design that minimizes pressure. It also has a waterproof top. Retails for around $35.
• Specialized Ruby Expert — this saddle is designed for competitive riding. It is ultra-light with thin yet supportive gel insert padding and has a carbon reinforced shell. It has a water resistant shell and a cut-out in the mid-section. Retails for around $130.
• Brooks Ladies B17s — this saddle is made of leather that over time molds to the shape of your body. Ideal for long distance touring and everyday use. Brooks saddles have a break-in period of a couple hundred miles since they are leather (there is no padding), but once broken in, fit like a glove. If properly maintained, Brooks leather saddles last for decades. Retails for around $150.
• Brooks Cambium C17s — Brooks recently came out with this women’s saddle made from vulcanized natural rubber and organic cotton. These saddles have a thin layer of structural textile and, unlike the B17, a waterproof top. Retails for around $150.
• Planet Bike Women’s A.R.S Saddle — this saddle has a full length recess down its center and is suited for a cruiser or commuter bike. It has padding and a soft Lycra cover. Adding to its comfortable design is a flex support base. Retails for around $30.