Choosing the Right Mountain Bike Seat

I'm sure you realize that all of the components of your bike work together to make for an efficient and comfortable ride assuming that you have everything configured the way it should be. And if you have ever been on a really long ride over several hours you most likely know how important it is to have the right seat (or saddle) on your bike since having the wrong one can be a very painful experience.

There is more to choosing a seat than how cool it looks, how much it weighs or what the rails are made out of. In order to get the best seat for your seat you need to do a little research and find out what specifications you need to look for when shopping for one. You may find that you have to go through a couple of them before you find the right one. In this article we will hopefully shed some light on what to look for when choosing your seat and what your options are to assist you in your search.

Most bike seats are made up of a plastic shell that is then padded with gel or foam to some degree and finally covered with a material such as vinyl, leather or synthetic leather. Some have holes, slits or depressions to take pressure off certain parts of the body when seated. And some even flex while you are seated and act sort of like a shock absorber. Then you have various materials for the rails such as titanium and carbon fiber but this has nothing to do with the comfort level but only the weight... and the price.

Everyone has what they call your sit bones (ischial tuberosity) and it’s said that the seat width should be about 2cm wider than the center distance between these sit bones when in a normal riding position. The sit bones can handle the pressure of holding up the body on the seat compared to the area around them. Of course measuring this distance is most likely harder than it sounds! Another thing to watch out for is that the seat is not so wide that it gets in the way of leg movement while pedaling. Today's seats are pretty narrow in general so it's not really an issue unless you are going for one of those super jumbo padded seats. You still might have to worry about chafing if there is some contact being made with your legs.

Here is a chart showing where your pressure points are on the seat in various riding positions.

This video from Arts Cyclery shows you how to measure for your saddle width using a simple method anyone can do at home.

As for the shape of the seat you want to look for something that is not going to cause pain or cut off blood flow or pinch any nerves. Keep in mind that just because a seat looks uncomfortable doesn’t mean it is. We have seen some pretty sparse looking seats that actually worked out well for longer rides. And don't think just because a seat has a bunch of gel or other padding that it's going to be like having a couch underneath you because if its shaped wrong it will feel like the opposite.

Many manufactures are making seats specifically for certain types of rides and bikes. For example Specialized has their Sitero saddle which is designed for long distance rides while in the aero position. Then you have seats like the RaceFace Aeffect which is a lightweight seat that is designed to work on all types of rides from cross country to downhill runs. Then you have WTB seats which tend to be a bit wider and have more padding. Their Pure model is designed for longer rides and can handle more aggressive all mountain riding. Fizik even has a 29er specific seat called the Thar.

Another thing to consider is the length of the seat because you will shift your position from rear to front as you are climbing steeper hills. Some people like to angle their seat forward a little to make it easier to climb but you shouldn't really go too far forward or backward from level. If you want to get a seat with a wider nose that is an option because it will provide you more sitting space when you do have to use the nose of the seat for steep climbs. The bottom line is all about comfort and not causing any nerve damage or even something worse like impotence (for the guys) because you are putting pressure on the wrong parts of your body. If you only do short rides then it's not as critical to have the perfect seat but for long term rides or even road biking it's much more important to get the right seat. If you are really serious about getting the right fit for your seat then check out your local bike shop to see if they do bike fittings where they will measure your seat measurements as well as other things to make sure everything on your bike is configured for optimum performance and comfort.

Posted by Preston Mason