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Questions tagged [saddle]

The saddle part of a bike is designed to support most but not all of the rider's weight. The saddle's nose also assists in balancing and steering.

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36 votes
8 answers
16k views

How do I determine the correct position for my bicycle seat?

I have been suffering from IT band problems on my outer knee, which I'm pretty sure were caused by raising my seat height too much. I raised the seat on the advice of a friend who said that a higher ...
ire_and_curses's user avatar
50 votes
9 answers
194k views

Is it possible to measure your sit bones at home?

Some bike shops have gel pads that you sit on to measure the distance between your sit bones. Is it possible to take this measurement on your own at home, or does this really require special-purpose ...
amcnabb's user avatar
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15 votes
7 answers
41k views

how long does it take to break in a brooks saddle (b17)

I'm going on a 2 week touring trip and looking to buy a comfortable saddle that will be make my rides pleasant and efficient. I have about a month to break in the saddle. How long should I spend ...
jon's user avatar
  • 601
14 votes
2 answers
16k views

How to adjust seat saddle and saddle position for knee pain?

I understand that a seat too high can cause: hips rocking trying to extend to pedals pain in the back of the knee And that a seat too low can cause: can't fully extend legs pain in front of the ...
mark's user avatar
  • 357
25 votes
8 answers
19k views

How to minimize wear on pants

I commute on bike and I wear jeans (which I work in). I find that after about 500 miles of bike commuting in a single pair of jeans I've got holes in my pants from the saddle-jean rubbing. My ...
Joe's user avatar
  • 556
18 votes
11 answers
49k views

Protecting quick-release seats and wheels from theft

I have to say I am not a fan of quick-release, especially for seats. I do not need to raise and lower my seat nearly enough (almost never) to justify the annoyance of having to take my seat with me or ...
Damon's user avatar
  • 525
15 votes
2 answers
7k views

At what height should I have my seat on a road bike?

I am currently riding a loaner from my brother in-law, and I have set the seat height based upon feel. I was wondering though as to how I can set it to the right height for me to ride more ...
Anthony K's user avatar
  • 6,273
22 votes
9 answers
19k views

Is a leather saddle appropriate for all-weather riding?

In our climate, it rains pretty steadily for 3 seasons. Would a leather saddle (like a Brooks) be appropriate for my bike, or should I look for a different material?
Jay Bazuzi's user avatar
  • 5,102
16 votes
11 answers
19k views

Brooks B-17 isn't breaking in, how to accelerate the process?

I have two bikes with Brooks B-17 saddles on them: My full-frame touring bike: The saddle has a nice patina of age, having been used for several tours and some commuting. My Bike Friday Tikit ...
Goodbye Stack Exchange's user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
6k views

How do I maintain a Brooks leather saddle?

I've got a Brooks leather saddle and i like it a lot, but i am entirely clueless on how to care for it. I know i am supposed to rub some sort of fat on it, but i have no idea what kind of fat, or how ...
Mithaldu's user avatar
  • 375
14 votes
8 answers
3k views

How to mark seatpost position?

Is there an effective, non-destructive way to mark the seatpost position? We share some bikes within the household, meaning that the saddle height is adjusted often. When I had an affordable Decathlon ...
Szabolcs's user avatar
  • 996
11 votes
4 answers
5k views

Should I use a narrower saddle on a road bike than I would on my hybrid commuter?

I ride a hybrid (Trek Fx 7.3) as a daily commuter and have found a 143mm saddle to be the right width for me. However I am looking into getting a road bike for long rides and am finding 130mm ...
STW's user avatar
  • 2,569
9 votes
4 answers
7k views

How do I remove rust from my seat tube?

I just pulled my seat out as the first step of breaking my bike down for winter storage, and found that rust has formed between my seat tube and my seat post. The rust starts maybe 3" down the tube ...
user229044's user avatar
  • 3,616
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

Saddles and Bent Metal Rails

Has anyone else had issues with bent (slow deformation over time) metal rails on the saddles they have used? I previously had three or four saddles that all ended up tilted over to one side and ...
Deleted User's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
118 views

Handling Stability Parameters [closed]

I'm building my first bike: probably steel (easy to work with). 2X26" road tires. Full suspension. Will be used on sandy dirt roads, and paved streets with moderate incline. Want hands free option, ...
George's user avatar
  • 11
23 votes
8 answers
880 views

How to choose a bicycle seat

I'll need a new saddle for my bike soon. I use it mainly for short commutes (30 minutes). About once a year I go touring for a few days, up 8 hours in the saddle. My current saddle just came with the ...
Kevin's user avatar
  • 2,892
21 votes
15 answers
14k views

How can bum / testicle / inner thigh pain from a saddle be prevented?

I occasionally commute a 50miles round trip and by the end of it, things are usually not feeling very good down below. I've tried a couple of different saddles, but they both gave me problems. One ...
Scott Langham's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
10k views

What exactly do seats with a cut out in the middle achieve?

I've read that seats with a cut out are a good way of relieving stress on your sensitive areas. So we have seats like this: My question is: from what I've read, the problem with cycling with bad ...
WorldGov's user avatar
  • 219
8 votes
1 answer
608 views

How to judge comfort when buying a new saddle

I bought a Motobecane Mirage S recently from bikesdirect.com I took the following advice from a bikes forum: Plan on changing the seat, pedals, and possibly the tires. The seat will make your ...
maxwell's user avatar
  • 283
7 votes
2 answers
7k views

How to prevent Brooks Cambium C17 saddle from wearing through pants

I've got a Brooks Cambium C17 saddle, and as others have noted (see "long term experience" heading), the fabric covering has worn through the seat of my pants from abrasion and has resulted in one ...
Mike Eng's user avatar
  • 392
7 votes
7 answers
4k views

Is my bike a good fit?

I am a woman and I have been wanting to get into cycling. A few summers back I bought a gravel bike. I bought it new from a local bike shop that I trusted. The bike was considered a 'medium' (5'6-5'9 ...
15wayamb's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
284 views

What should I consider when buying a saddle?

My current saddle is starting to show its age and isn't as comfortable as I'd like on longer rides. I am considering buying a new one. Obviously saddles differ in price and weight, but what other ...
NickG's user avatar
  • 655
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why are some leather saddles laced at the bottom and should I do this to mine?

Some Leather saddles, such at the brooks b17 imperial have holes at the bottom for lacing. What does lacing a leather saddle do and should I (or when should I) do this to my own leather saddle? ...
Benzo's user avatar
  • 18.3k
6 votes
2 answers
8k views

Is there a gadget that will let me slide my seat forward more than my post allows?

So I'm I'm trying to dial in the fit on my road bike to be more tri-bike like, and in doing so, I'd like to move my seat forward, well, more than I currently can. I have the Redshift seatpost, and I ...
CJ F's user avatar
  • 233
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Saddle rail breaks often

During the last few years, I've had a broken saddle rail every year or so. It always breaks just in front, or just behind the clamp. I wonder what the reason could be, and how I can avoid this. Here ...
Berend's user avatar
  • 1,003
5 votes
3 answers
11k views

What type of saddle doesn't hurt the pelvic bone?

I have been having issues with my pelvic bone when riding my bike. I have a very good bike, and the saddle is wide, but after riding 10 minutes my pelvic bone kills me to the point that I have to stop ...
Trish's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
5 answers
3k views

Are flip saddle posts available

When trying out the baby seat on my wife's e-bike, it was really easy to fit and remove because her saddle flips up to access the battery. It's a real pain threading the baby seat over the top of my ...
Chris H's user avatar
  • 61.4k
5 votes
2 answers
7k views

Adjusting saddle angle on a road bike (drop bars)

I'll preface this by saying that I've been a mountain biker for over a decade, including XC racing for a couple years. I've never had a hard time adjusting the saddle angle (tilt forward or back) on ...
rally25rs's user avatar
  • 1,251
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is it possible and safe to attach this type of seat to suspension seatpost?

I have a Merida Crossway 20 bike, and want to change its saddle. Now after buying a new one I am not sure it is even possible to mount it. I had forgotten I have a suspension seatpost, but the new ...
Gnudiff's user avatar
  • 195
4 votes
1 answer
10k views

What's this torque specification on the seatpost for?

I read 12Nm torque on my seatpost (a Cinelli Vai seatpost). What does this torque refer to? I would assume it's for the two bolts above that tie the saddle rail to the seatpost, but at the same time ...
Alessandro Cosentino's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
3k views

Trouble balancing when starting

I recently starting riding again (stopped for 10 years) and am having balance problems when starting. Using the proper starting technique causes me to wobble and lose my balance, tho' I haven't ...
Wobbles's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
4 answers
2k views

Quick release saddle bolts?

I need to find a way to easily remove the saddle on my folding bike. Solutions from Zefal (Lock & Roll) or Pitlock/PinheadComponents/AntiVandale aren't usable because they're meant for regular ...
OverTheRainbow's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
11k views

What is the minimal seat post depth? [duplicate]

This may depend on the seat post and the fixture, but how deep should my seat post be into the frame? I have a bike that came with a post that is pretty long and I cut an inch off the bottom of the ...
James G.'s user avatar
  • 305
2 votes
1 answer
14k views

Oval carbon saddle rails compatibility

I have a new saddle and I want to buy a compatible seatpost. The saddle rails is CARBON 7x9 as specified by the manifacturer. I want to understand better the compatibility of this kind of oval rails. ...
Alessandro Cosentino's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
834 views

upgrade traditional saddle clamp (not seat tube clamp)?

I'm currently restoring my folding bike and it has a large diameter (34 mm/1.34 in) seatpost that tapers to the standard 22 mm/0.87 in diameter at the end. The bike currently uses that traditional ...
Gregory Leo's user avatar
  • 1,305
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Saddle Rail Failure?

I've been running a non-brand name full carbon saddle for less than a year. It lasted through a couple of crashes and 'cross season. But when my usual ride stopped for coffee, I found out both rails ...
OMG Ponies's user avatar
  • 1,478
2 votes
3 answers
7k views

Getting a cycling saddle that fits

I'm thinking of getting a new seat on my exercise bike How can I ensure that the seat will fit? Are there different types of fitting? How many types? My one the bike seat involves 2 hexagonal bolts ...
barlop's user avatar
  • 121
2 votes
3 answers
534 views

Repair damage to my seatpost clamp?

I am not sure I have the right terms, but here goes. I stopped in a bike shop to look around. It specialized in racing bikes. I asked the owner about why my glutes were always hurting after a bike ...
fixit7's user avatar
  • 1,232
2 votes
4 answers
1k views

Why is it important to have good saddles?

Why is it important to have good saddles? Other than the comfort in long rides.
Starx's user avatar
  • 2,958
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Has anyone ever used the Spiderflex seat on a roadbike?

I use a spiderflex seat on my mountain bike, and I would like to use this on a road bike. Has anyone ever done this, or something similar? I am 5'10" and 165 lbs (reasonably fit). Yes, I know the '...
Wes's user avatar
  • 331