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Why do we call bicycle seats saddles and why is it a seatpost not a saddlepost? Asking for a friend.

Bicycle parts

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    Well, I call it a "seat". And those chain-handling thingies are "derailers". Feb 20, 2017 at 19:26
  • Silly French words leaking everywhere. Mech is easier to spell correctly.
    – Criggie
    Feb 20, 2017 at 19:32
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    The french word for bicycle seat is "Siège de bicyclette" and saddle is "Selle de vélo" - so I don't think we can blame the french for saddles. Maybe the British? It's a conspiracy from the darn Brooks company?
    – RoboKaren
    Feb 20, 2017 at 19:36
  • Unclear what you're asking. The question in the title is different to the body.
    – andy256
    Feb 20, 2017 at 22:05
  • I could have put quote marks around the saddle and seatpost in the title but it'd make it hard to read.
    – RoboKaren
    Feb 20, 2017 at 22:15

1 Answer 1

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Like most things in English language, established convention. According to Google N-grams, "saddle post" along with "seat post" was used until 1950s, after which "seat post" became dominant.

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  • What an interesting way to answer the question! Thanks!
    – rclocher3
    Feb 21, 2017 at 2:13

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