Whether you're a weekend amateur or a professional racer, your bike seat is one of the most sensitive issues in your cycling life. Depending on your choice of seat, it can be a source of comfort or literally a pain. One size doesn't fit all, according to the website Bicycling Life. To get the most comfortable ride, you should look for a bicycle seat that suits your cycling style and your body size and shape.
Racing Seat
A racing seat features a narrow, lightly padded saddle that's ideal for a pro cyclist's riding position and fast pedaling. Bicycle Warehouse explains this minimal design works for racers because they lean over the handlebars and put less weight on the seat. Cycling writer Jim Langley says these lightweight seats suit cyclists who ride aggressively for long distances.
Mountain Bike Seat
Seats for mountain bikes are also usually lightweight, according to Jim Langley. They're pretty narrow, but not as narrow as racing seats, and they have a little more padding to help absorb the beating you take on tough terrain. Mountain bike seats are sometimes reinforced in the spots your body comes in contact with most.
Cruiser Seat
A cruiser saddle is usually heavy, wide, well-padded and designed for casual cycling, according to Bicycle Warehouse. Cruiser riders sit upright and put a lot of their weight on their seats, so they need the ample padding. But Harris Cyclery warns cruiser seats are only good for short rides, those less than a couple of miles. On longer rides, these seats become less comfortable and can chafe your inner thighs.
Alternative Seats
Bike seats come in unusual new designs that increase comfort and decrease physical problems, says AthleteInMe.com. Jim Langley describes some with inflatable padding and others with articulated parts that can move with your body. He says these special seats are often expensive, and some have problems attaching to the bike.
Comfort Features
Traditional bike seats often cause sore sports or numbness, so in the 1990s manufacturers introduced seats with cut-out or grooved parts to alleviate pressure, according to AthleteInMe.com. Jim Langley says cutaways can be used on many kinds of seat models, and Bicycle Warehouse says the shape of the cutaway section is different on different seats, so it's important to test them before buying.
Gel is another comfort feature in many bike seats, reports the Why Cycle? website. A gel saddle is filled with a viscous material that absorbs shock and molds to the shape of your body.
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