Saddle comfort

06/09/25 20:34 Filed in: Riding

Being comfortable on your saddle while riding is about a lot more than just selecting the correct saddle. The body sitting on that saddle has to have a certain level of stability to achieve "saddle comfort" (Whatever that is!).
Feet, hands, back - instability here can lead to discomfort on the seat.
For the feet it can be the shoe, the cleat placement or the insole.
For the hands it can be bar height or stem length as the most likely culprits.
For the back I find it is either how one sits on the bike or core strength that impact back alignment.
Any and all of these combine to determine how one sits on the saddle and subsequently how comfortable the saddle feels.
Seat height, seat angle and seat setback are also obvious determinants of comfort.

Enough padding is nice, but any more than "enough" is too much and can cause pelvic instability and discomfort.
The most comfortable saddle I've ever used was a bare carbon shell that had "just" the right shape for me and it literally disappeared under me - the highest compliment for a saddle. Comfort on a bike is not like comfort in your favourite armchair. If the seat slips from your thoughts for much or most of the ride, then it is doing really well.

The bottom line is, if your saddle causes distress when you ride pay attention to the whole bike and not simply the saddle. Best bet is to consult an experienced fitter for assistance.

Michael Hanslip Coaching

If you want to go faster, you have to pedal harder

Saddle comfort