If your saddle isn’t comfortable, then riding a bike just seems hard work. In this article we are going to discuss how to make bike seats more comfortable.
Are you sitting comfortably? No? Then let’s begin.
How to make bike seats more comfortable
Sitting on a saddle is not like sitting on a sofa or a chair.
Here, all your weight should be evenly distributed around your hips. With an uncomfortable chair, a nice soft cushion will often help, or moving position, but the answer isn’t as easy with a bicycle saddle. On a bicycle you sit astride the saddle and your weight is distributed between your bum, perineum, legs, feet, arms and hands. The distribution varies depending on the angle you are positioned in on your bike.
So your bike normally comes with a saddle .It’s not one that you’ve chosen necessarily, but it’s what you’ve got, so let’s make sure that it is the best it can be. This leads us to answer the question, how to make bike seats more comfortable.
A saddle can be adjusted in two ways: It can be moved backwards and forwards, and the angle can be adjusted.
How to make bike seats more comfortable by moving the saddle backwards and forwards.
Moving the saddle backwards or forwards alters how long the bike feels.
If you feel that you are too stretched out on your bike, moving the saddle forwards results in you not being so stretched.
Conversely, moving the saddle towards the back of the bike can make your position on the bike more stretched.
Making the bike shorter may take some of the pressure off your junk and put less pressure on your back.
How to move the saddle backwards and forwards
You will see that it is clamped in place by the bars under the saddle. These bars are called rails.
By undoing the nut or bolt on the clamp a small amount, you will be able to slide the saddle along the rails.
How to make bike seats more comfortable by adjusting the angle of the saddle
Adjusting the angle of the saddle will alter how you sit on it. Tilting the nose of the saddle down will take some pressure off your junk and mean you are sitting more on your bum. Alter it too much and you can feel that you are sliding forward. You can find out how to fit bike seat properly in one of our previous articles.
Tilting the nose of the saddle up can stop you feeling as if you are sliding forward, but if you move it too much, then it can feel as if you are sliding backwards.
How to tilt the saddle
By undoing the same nut or bolt that you used to slide the saddle back and forth, you will also be able to tilt the saddle.
How to make bike seats more comfortable with Saddle covers
If your saddle is very hard and you can’t get used to it, you could try a gel-filled saddle cover. They are generally a universal size and have padding for where your sit bones are.
How to make bike seats more comfortable with Padded shorts
Another method we wanted to discuss on your journey to discover how to make bike seats more comfortable, we wanted to mention that some cyclists choose to wear padded shorts. There are two sorts, firstly there is the option of thin padding shorts, traditionally made of chamois leather, this is to stop chafing as the rider moves around the saddle.
The other option are the shorts with thicker padding, often made of gel, this is designed to create a cushion effect. Buying the wrong one could cause more discomfort.
Numbness. If your saddle is causing genital numbness, then this could become chronic and is an alarm signal. Don’t stop cycling, but do look at getting a different saddle.
How to make bike seats more comfortable with a New saddle
If you have tried everything to adjust your current saddle and you still feel uncomfortable, don’t despair! Look for a new saddle designed to help the area causing you discomfort. If you buy a new bike, you will be able to move the saddle to that bike and not have to go through all the discomfort again. Its important to get the correct height for bike seat and handlebars to ensure you have a comfortable ride. Read more about this in one of our other articles.
Watch the Cycle Maintenance Academy video below for deeper insights on how to make a bike seat more comfortable.