#Endurance saddle how to#
#Endurance saddle trial#

with the pressure on your sit bones) while you ride. LengthĪs already mentioned, the current trend is for shorter saddles that aim to fix you in a single position (i.e. A comprehensive bike fit would also take this variable into account.

Specialized, for example, offers an in-store method of measuring the distance between your sit bones and determining the ‘correct’-width saddle you require. Some brands make a bigger deal about width than others, but no one’s anatomy is the same, so it intuitively makes sense that sit-bone width will vary between riders. Once you’ve found a shape that works for you, the next variable to look at is width. These saddles tend to feature more radical shapes and designs, all with the intention of maximising soft-tissue pressure relief while in an aggressive riding position. If you’re taking part in time trials or triathlons, it’s also worth considering a saddle specifically designed for those disciplines, such as an ISM saddle.

#Endurance saddle trial#

You can of course go it alone, but the trial and error process can get expensive very quickly unless you beg, borrow and steal from your riding buddies. That said, it’s becoming more generally accepted that for optimum comfort and performance you want to put the pressure on your sit bones and off any surrounding soft tissue, so finding a saddle that enables you to do this is often crucial.Ī high-quality bike fit from a reputable brand can be helpful here – all good fitters should have a sizeable range of saddles for you to try. Personal preference will always play a big role, so ideally you want to be able to try out bike seats of different shapes before you commit to anything. Long, curved shapes such as the Selle San Marco Concor were the hot item through the eighties and nineties, then we had long and flat like the Fizik Arione in the 2000s, and more recently the trend has been for short and wide, such as the Specialized Power. The most important differentiator between road saddles is shape. That’s not to say that a bike seat designed for men can’t work for women too, but the realities of biology mean fit requirements are likely to be somewhat different.ĭon’t worry though, BikeRadar has handily produced a guide to the best women’s road bike saddles, so if you’re yet to find saddle nirvana, this could be a great place to start your search. It’s an unfortunate fact that most road saddles are designed with male anatomy in mind by default. What to look for when buying a road saddle Gender

Keep scrolling to see all the saddles or click on the links below to skip to the different price points:īest road bike saddles for £100 Fabric Line-S Elite Flat With so many road bike saddles on the market and so much choice, we’ve split our pick of the best road bike saddles into different price categories, from performance-oriented saddles that cost around £200 to budget-friendly saddles under £100. The best road bike saddles in 2022, as rated by our expert testers We also have our pick of the best women’s road bike saddles.

#Endurance saddle how to#

If you want to know more about picking out a saddle, we have a guide on how to choose the right bike saddle for you. While this might not quite be a substitute for personal testing, this guide should help you narrow down your choices and enable you to make a more informed decision for your next purchase. Our team of expert testers have ridden a huge range of different saddles, in various shapes and sizes, and we’ve assembled a list of what we think are the most comfortable bike seats for the best road bikes.