Choosing The Best Road Bike Saddle

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Choosing The Best Road Bike Saddle

Best Womens Bike SaddleFinding the best road bike saddle is important if you are going to be spending prolonged periods on the bike. There is no one size fits all solution and you need to find the saddle that is right for you. Of course, you need to understand why it is important to have the best road bike saddle for you as well.

Why You Need The Best Road Bike Saddle

The saddle of your bike has been designed to support your body while you ride. However, if you are sitting on a saddle that is not right for you, you will suffer from saddle soreness. This will cause discomfort while sitting on the saddle and when you move around after riding.

If you suffer from pain caused by your saddle, you may try to adopt a different position when riding. This position will often be bad for you because you are not fully resting on the seat. People who have done this have found that they suffer from additional problems such as back and knee pain. This is the reason why you need to find the right saddle for your body.

The Type Of Riding You Do

When looking at saddles, you need to consider the type of riding you are Great bike seat reviewlooking at doing. While this might seem simple as you have a road bike, there are actually many different variations that you need to consider. When road riding, you might want to slide forward during certain times of your ride or you may be someone who rides on the rivet. If you are, you will need to get a saddle that has a flat profile and a wide flat nose.

If you sit upright when you ride and do not move around much, you need to get a different saddle. You should look at a saddle that is wider and has a curved profile. These saddles are often called comfort seats because they are more comfortable for long rides.

The Size And Shape

The size and shape of the saddle are the most important aspects to consider when you buy. As the saddle is designed to support your body, the size and shape needs to mold to your shape. This is the reason why saddles come in a range of sizes and different shapes.

If you are a rider who has a long and low riding position, you need to look at a narrow saddle. The saddle should also be flatter than others. If you are going to be sitting upright while riding, you should look at a curved wider saddle. You need to assess the length and width of the saddle you use based on your body type.

If you are going to a bike shop to purchase your saddle, they will generally have a fitting system. These systems will help you determine the size of the saddle that you need. The shape of the saddle will be personal preference based on the riding position that you use. These systems will generally have a memory foam or gel seat that you rest on which leaves an impression that can be measured.

If you are buying your saddle online, you will need to try and measure your seat yourself. If you have memory foam or gel items at home you can use them. You will need to measure the distance between the centers of the depressions in the material and add approximately 30 mm to get the ideal saddle width.

The Amount Of Padding

best pink bike seat reviewWhen looking at saddles, you will notice that some have a lot more padding than others. Most people assume that thick padding in the seat is ideal for comfort on long rides. However, you need to remember that the padding will be compressed as you ride and could put more pressure on your bones.

The majority of road saddles will have very thin layers of padding. There are also some saddles that do not have any padding at all and are bare carbon saddles. These are not the ideal saddle for everyone because they can be very hard if you do not have the right riding position.

Channel, Cutout Or Standard?

You will notice that a lot of road bike saddles have channels and cutouts in the middle of the seat. This is to further relieve pressure on the soft tissue which is caused by the saddle. The cutouts and channels will also improve the flow of blood in the seat area. However, you need to determine if this is something that you need.

If you do not experience any numbness while riding, you can use a standard saddle. However, if you are experiencing numbness when you ride, you need to look at a channel or cutout saddle. This will generally improve your comfort and will reduce the numbness that you feel. If you do not have numbness, you can still try using a channel or cutout saddle to enhance your comfort.

The Price Of The Saddle

Getting the best road bike saddle is a combination of many factors and one of them is the amount you are able to spend. Some saddles are fairly cheap while others will be very expensive. You need to have a budget for your saddle and you should look at getting the best one in that range.

If you are able to spend more on your saddle, you are going to get lighter and more durable materials. Cheaper saddles will need to be replaced more often. However, if you are not going to be using your bike for hours each day, an average range saddle will work for you.

Choosing the best road bike saddle is important because it will increase the comfort that you feel when you ride. The size of the saddle needs to fit your body and you should measure your seat before you buy it. The shape of the saddle is impacted by the way that you ride and you need to consider this.