Bike seats are sometimes called saddles. By either name, it only takes one ride on the wrong sea
t to let you know without any doubt that a good bicycle seat is absolutely necessary for regular ridding. Even a short, smooth ride can be painful and joyless without a comfortable seat on your bike.
How do you tell a good seat from a bad seat? There are as many answers to that question as there are bicycle riders. It can be different for men, for women, and for kids. There are some seats that are really better than others.
Some make the mistake of opting for a large cushioned seat. Stop there for a moment, ant think. I always caution against large seats. Larger seats increase friction and contact. What happens is they can broaden the area of discomfort, not decrease it.
Cushioning leaves some leeway in your selection. “Gel” seats don’t do it. The gel; always moves, and moves to where you don’t need it. Some of the newer seats out there have a “Gel-Foam” that actually gives you some comfort and stays in place. Most of the newer saddles have a groove down the center. Some go all the way through the seat and others a combination of an indentation and a groove through the seat. All of this removes all of the “pressure points”, or at least most of them. Some are specifically for men, and some for women. Some have been recognized in important medical journals. After using one of these seats, you will realize that there really is absolutely no good reason to have cushioning under your entire derriere. As you shop, you’ll notice that a woman’s saddle is shaped differently in the nose, and is slightly wider at the back.
When you make your choice, try it out. If you shop at a good bike shop you can get some excellent guidance from their employees, and many will allow you to take it home and try it, allowing a return if you are not satisfied.
Here is the fact, from my experience. I have ridden a lot, and have found that there really is no completely pain free bicycle saddle. Comfort can be increased, but not to a “totally comfortable” stage. Doesn’t keep me off the bike though. Riding a bike gives me so much joy in all other areas, that a slightly uncomfortable seat becomes forgettable.