Finding The Right Saddle
It’s a complete cliche, but your saddle position is the foundation of your bike fit! If your saddle is in the wrong place you open yourself up to all sorts of problems, saddle sores, numb hands, knees that complain, lower back ache, tight shoulders, even headaches! So don’t just take your inseam measurement, times it by your foot size, divide by your bar width and call it good!
There is no perfect saddle height, it is a range, and that range is not the same for everyone, which is why the various saddle height calculations are at best a rough starting point. Many are from before clipless pedals and carbon shoes, that have decreased pedal stack heights by 10-15mm.
A lot of the time when riders complain about their saddles being uncomfortable it is because the saddle is in the wrong place, too high, angled up, or too far down, set way too far back, all these things can affect saddle comfort more than the actual saddle itself. It is important to realise this and get the saddle set in the correct position to start with, it’s the first thing that your fitter will set up during your fit. Saddle first then everything flows from there.
Saddles are hugely subjective, because once you have the position dialed it is all about comfort, and there is nothing more subjective than that. Well it’s not just about comfort, support is also a vital aspect of getting the correct saddle. Thick padded saddles might look great, but they can actually be really problematic as your sit bones (the bits you SHOULD be sitting on) will dig into the padding. This can cause pinching in places you don’t want pinching, and then as you pedal the padding will compress on one side and then the other which can cause your pelvis to rock on the saddle, also sub optimal.
The best saddle is the one you give no thought to. Some people can ride around on thin pieces of bare carbon, others need a wider base and a little more well placed padding, most people benefit from a pressure relief channel or cut out. There is a wide range of shapes, sizes and materials available in modern saddles, but not all saddles work for everyone. So during your Saint Cloud bike fit we will spend time to make sure your saddle is set up in the correct position and is giving you the level of support that you require.
There will be a saddle out there that is good for you, it just requires a little time and effort to get it right.
Book your Bike Fitting with Saint Cloud today to find the right saddle for you.
