Bicycle saddle

Various types of bicycle saddles

A bicycle saddle, often called a seat,[1] is one of five contact

points on an upright bicycle, the others being the two pedals
and the two handles on the handlebars. (A bicycle seat in the
specific sense also supports the back.) At any point in time
there can be one, two, three, four or five contact points
between rider and bike sharing support of rider body weight
and applying rotation torque to the pedals. The bicycle saddle
has been known as such since the bicycle evolved from the
draisine, a forerunner of the bicycle.[2][3] It performs a similar
role as a horse's saddle, not bearing all the weight of the rider
as the other contact points also take some of the load.
A bicycle saddle is commonly attached to the seatpost and the
height of the saddle can usually be adjusted by the seatpost
telescoping in and out of the seat tube.

Components
Typical saddles are composed of a few identifiable
components.

Shell …

The shell creates the shape of the saddle. The nose of the
saddle is the forward most part. It is usually rounded. The shell
can be made from several materials.

Most modern saddles have a hard shell made from a moulded

piece of plastic, such as nylon. Carbon fiber may also be
used.[4]

Leather saddles do not have a hard shell. Instead a moulded

piece of thick leather is stretched, like a taut hammock,
between the front and rear ends of the rails. Traditional leather
saddles such as those made by Brooks have been used for
many years. Such a saddle is generally more comfortable after
a break-in period during which it conforms to the shape of the
rider, so long as the basic shape is right to start with.[5]
Cover …

Most saddles use some form of padding on top of the hard

shell (often closed cell foam, gel, or gel-foam) followed by an
outer cover consisting of spandex, vinyl, artificial leather, or
leather.

Saddles designed for hard use e.g. mountain bike or BMX style
riding, may have additional cover reinforcements such as
Kevlar sewn to the cover to withstand abrasion on those areas
most prone to abrasion.

Rails …

The rails of a saddle are the connection point to the rest of the
bike. They run along the underside of the saddle from the nose
to the rear. Most saddles have two parallel rails that the
seatpost clamps to, but designs vary from one to four rails.
Rails provide fore and aft adjustment of the saddle, usually an
inch or so (2.5 cm). They can be made of solid or hollow steel,
titanium, aluminum, manganese, or carbon fiber, typically
trading off cost, weight, strength, and flexibility. A recent
innovation, used with carbon shells and rails, is for the rails to
be integrated into the shell for their entire length.

Rail configurations include:

 2-rail "standard" round 7 mm diameter
2-rail oversize (typically for mountain bikes and BMX)[6][7]
Round 8 mm diameter
Round 9 mm diameter (common)
2-rail carbon fiber[7] (newer)
7 mm round
7 mm × 9 mm oval
7 mm × 10 mm oval
8.5 mm round
9.6 mm round
Single-rail I-beam (newer)
4-rail (e.g. wider Brooks leather saddles)[8]
Proprietary systems

Saddle clamp …

The part that connects the rails to the seatpost is known as the
"saddle clamp". It may be built into the top of the seatpost, or
the seatpost may be essentially a pipe that provides a cylinder
at the top (often 7⁄8 in (22 mm)) for a separate clamp to
attach. The upper attachment point must be compatible with
the rail configuration (though the two-rail 7 mm round
configuration is very common), and the lower attachment point
must match the diameter of the seatpost if not built in. The
shape of some unusual saddles also makes them physically
incompatible with certain seatpost, clamps, or frames, due to
bumping into other parts or blocking adjustment or
attachment bolts.

The most common type of sold-separate clamp has a single

horizontal bolt-with-nut which goes behind the top of the
seatpost. Tightening this bolt brings together four pieces of
metal (two on each side) which have round slots to grab and
hold standard-size rails. The inner rail grabbing pieces have
interlocking grooves on the other side that interface into disc
shapes on the outer sides of the central post-grabbing piece.
Continued tightening of the bolt causes the central piece to
close very slightly around the top of the post. To adjust the
saddle's position, loosening the bolt allows the rails to slide
forward and backward and to tilt up and down around the axis
of the bolt.[9]

Parts of a single bolt saddle clamp. The ridges on the bottom section are
worn. This clamp will not hold the seat in place.
There are two common types of built-in saddle clamps for
standard rails, both associated with genericized trademarks:[9]

"Campagnolo" seatposts (older) use two vertical bolts to

hold the two rail-grabbing pieces together. Loosening one
bolt allows forward-and-back adjustment of the saddle;
loosening one and tightening the other adjusts up/down tilt.
In some cases, there is a separate bolt that controls tilt
around a dedicated pivot. Because these systems do not rely
on grooves, the tilt adjustment is continuous rather than
stepped, and these are known as microadjust seatposts.
"Laprade" seatposts (newer) use a single vertical bolt
(typically an Allen bolt) which when tightened pushes two
rail-grabbing pieces together. The lower surface of the lower
rail-grabbing piece is convex and grooved, matching a
concave groove on the top of the seatpost. The curve allows
the up/down angle of the saddle to be adjusted when the
bolt is loosened, and loosening also allows the rails to slide
forward and back. Depending on the saddle angle, the
vertical bolt is not perpendicular to the angle of the rails, but
the grooves prevent the interface from slipping and adopting
a completely horizontal angle. This angular adjustment
mechanism is known as pivotal and is common on BMX
bikes. Because the grooves are finer than the grooved discs
in the sold-separately saddle clamp, sometimes Laprade-
 style posts are also marketed as "microadjustable" even
though the adjustment is not continuous as with the
Campagnolo style.

I-beam rails are long and allow a wide fore-aft adjustment

range. I-beam saddle clamps use two clamping bolts for grab
pieces holding the single rail. Other historical saddle clamp
variations included the Ideale saddle/Zeus post combination,
which used a special seatpost designed to forgo the need for a
clamp in order maximize weight savings.[10]

Suspension …

A Brooks leather suspension saddle mounted on a suspension seatpost.

A saddle may contain one or more suspension components to

improve rider comfort by absorbing or deadening vibration and
shock transmitted by the frame and seatpost.

Saddles may incorporate gel, gel-foam, and/or multiple-density

foam padding or lining to cushion impacts from the roadway,
while integrated saddle rails may be designed with added
length in order to flex vertically, providing limited shock and
bump absorption.

Another method encountered on recreational, comfort, or

'cruiser' saddles is to attach a pair of steel coil springs to the
rear terminus of the saddle rails, affixed at their other end to
the rear of the saddle. Some newer suspension designs
replace the twin coil springs with four or more elastomer
donut-type springs. By using interchangeable elastomers with
variable densities the suspension saddle can be tuned to the
rider's weight and riding style. [11]

Yet another method of suspension utilizes a web-spring

platform made of eight or more coil springs mounted
horizontally beneath the saddle shell. These springs are
connected to each other at the approximate center of the
saddle, with the ends connected radially to the perimeter of the
saddle frame, forming a spider's web. A shock transmitted to
the seat is partially absorbed by this web-spring platform. In an
effort to cut cost and weight, some suspension saddles utilize
a skeletonized, flexible nylon frame in lieu of the steel web-
spring.

Saddles may incorporate two or more of these suspension

designs in an effort to provide additional comfort and shock
absorption, as they have since cycling first became popular in
the 1880s. [12]

Adjustment
The position of the saddle should be adjusted relative to the
bottom bracket, not to the ground or handlebars. For example,
if the reach to the handlebars is too far, it is better to get a
shorter stem than to move the saddle forward of its ideal
location.[9] More accurately, saddle height should be adjusted
relative to the position of the pedals as fitting different pedals
or different length cranks would also mean the saddle needs to
be re-adjusted. In practice, the distance from the top of the
saddle to the center of the bottom bracket is used as the
saddle height, e.g., setting up a new bicycle using
measurements from another, as this is easier to measure.
Other methods and calculations are used for determining seat
height, such as LeMond's formula.

Height …

The saddle height should be set so that when pedaling, the

legs have a slight bend even when the pedals are at their
furthest distance.[13] This means that if the saddle height is
properly adjusted, on bikes with traditional geometry, the rider
cannot place both feet flat on the ground when seated on the
saddle. If they can, their saddle is too low, unless the bike is a
recumbent or other crank-forward design.

Tilt …

The saddle should be nearly level, although the height of the

handlebars and style of cycling will cause this to vary. In
professional bicycle racing, UCI rules require that the saddle be
within 3° of level.[14]

Fore and aft …

Conventional wisdom dictates that the saddle should be

positioned so that when the crankarms are horizontal and the
feet are on the pedals the head of fibula of the forward leg is
approximately above the pedal spindle in a vertical line.[15]
However, several authors argue that there is no anatomical
basis for this.[16][17] Furthermore, the relative position of saddle
and bottom bracket varies between road racing, track and
triathlon bicycles.

The range of adjustment differs for each saddle, and the

comparison of saddles for increased ranges of adjustment can
be confusing owing to their different shapes. In comparing
them, it is the range of adjustment of their comfort points that
need considered, and because the matter is largely subjective,
giving it proper attention is difficult to do. The range of fore-aft
adjustment for double-rail saddles rarely exceeds an inch or so,
but advertisers claim that I-beam saddle designs can give up
to 200% more adjustment range than some of these.

When the fore-aft adjustment range of the saddle needs further

extension than the clamp affords, it may be possible to add a
saddle adjuster. One such adjuster mounts on the existing
saddle clamp and allows up to 40 mm of increase or decrease
in the fore-aft position of the saddle. Another method for
increasing the fore-aft adjustment is the swept-back seatpost,
where the seatpost has a curve in it over the six inches or so
before the saddle. Because of the gentle sweep of the tube, the
top part of the seatpost cannot fit within the seat tube, so this
solution is useful only for high seat positions.

Sizes
While small saddles are available for children's bikes, the
primary size parameter for adult saddles is width. Performance
saddles, such as for racing, tend to be narrow. Comfort
saddles, often found on hybrid bicycles, tend to be wide.

Variations
A Selle San Marco saddle for women

Play media
A video on the health benefits of no-nose saddles

Several variations have been developed, either for aesthetic

reasons, or to address issues mentioned in the next section.

A banana seat is a long saddle, usually supported at both ends,

popular on wheelie bikes.[18]

Women-specific saddles were introduced in 1992 by Georgena

Terry and are now produced by several manufacturers. These
incorporate a variety of differences designed to suit female
anatomy. These differences may include a wider seat area,
shorter nose, and center relief.[19][20]

No-nose saddles do not have the front nose (also called horn)
part of the seat. This is to eliminate the crushing injuries
experienced by riders. In standard seats the weight of the rider
is often supported at the contact point between the pelvic
bone and nose of the seat. The high pressure caused by the
small contact area causes crushing injuries in the perineum
over the center of the nose, and the muscles and tendons
connecting to the interior side of the "sit bones" (ischial
tuberosities) at the back of the inner thighs over the sides of
the "nose". The "no-nose" seats eliminate the nose, and support
the body at the bottom of the "sit bones", spreading the body's
weight over a larger contact area causing lower peak pressure
areas to avoid the crushing injuries caused by standard seats.
No-nose seats require different bracing forces to keep the rider
from slipping down. This is often done by keeping the legs or
arms under moderate constant tension which can cause
additional effort on the part of the rider. While not adopted by
competitive cyclists, no-nose saddles have been shown to
improve erectile function among cyclists suffering from ED.[21]
A 2008 study measured ED and genital numbness among
bicycling police officers who used traditional saddles versus
the same officers after using no-nose saddles for six months.
The number of officers experiencing genital numbness fell
from 73% to 12%. Cases of erectile dysfunction also fell
significantly.[22] This research won the Bullard Sherwood Award
of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, for
intervention research. However, some authorities say this type
of seat causes more problems than it cures.[23]

A Anatomic Ergonomi
"banana al racing cal
seat". bicycle saddle
seat EasySeat
II
(Hobson)

Issues
Several issues associated with sitting on traditional bicycle
saddles have been identified. These are prevalent in
occupations with heavy bicycle use, including police.[24] The
pressure of the saddle on the perineal area after prolonged
bicycling has been found to cause perineal folliculitis,
furuncles, lymphedema, and chafing.[25] Some women have
had difficulties urinating or sustaining sexual intercourse after
prolonged periods on their bike saddle.[26]
Crotch pressure …

Though riding an upright bicycle improves the cardiovascular

system and can therefore actually improve the erectile function
among men, riding a bicycle for prolonged periods of time with
an unhealthy cycling technique can still cause problems for
both men and women due to a reduced blood flow in the
crotch area. Some male riders – recent survey data indicates
around 5%[27] – may ultimately get erectile dysfunction
problems if a poor cycling technique is used with prolonged
pressure on the perineum. Both men and women may also get
reduced sensitivity in the crotch. A sign of these problems can
sometimes be a tingling sensation in the area when stepping
off the bicycle after a ride, as blood flow surges back into the
area again. This issue is more related to the cycling technique
than the saddle type, although there are special, more
anatomically correct, designs to relieve crotch pressure as
well. Examples of such designs include the cutaway saddles
and noseless saddles. Cutaway saddles resemble regular
saddles in their design, but with the middle part cut out to
reduce pressure on the perineum among men. Noseless
saddles are basically two separate saddles next to each other,
with one smaller "saddle" per buttock. Such saddles achieve a
similar relief of pressure by using a different design.
Some useful techniques to reduce crotch pressure while
cycling include:

Ensuring the saddle is roughly horizontally aligned, or only

slightly nose up. Having overly upwards nose alignment will
directly increase the perineum pressure, while a downwards
alignment will reduce the sit bone support of the pelvis,
again resulting in an increased perineum pressure.
Standing up occasionally, such as on hills and when
accelerating.
Adjusting seating position from time to time. For example,
sitting closer to the rear when cycling on hills and only sitting
on the nose for brief periods.
Sitting up now and then without leaning forward as much.

Detumescence and genital numbness …

In 2014, the largest ever study of cyclists found no correlation

between cycling and either erectile dysfunction or infertility.[28]
In previous studies, bicycle riding had been correlated with
genital numbness, erectile dysfunction (ED) and perianal
hematoma,[29] and several studies had shown that long-
distance cyclists have an increased incidence of ED as
compared to the general population.[21][25][30][31][32] ED and
genital numbness were thought to result from compression of
the cyclists' perineal region while sitting on their saddles.[21][29]
50–91% of cyclists experience genital numbness.[25] To
alleviate the problem, manufacturers have designed a number
of bicycle saddles that purport to allow greater blood flow
through the pudendal artery.[29] These saddles vary in shape,
width, and padding and have been studied to determine any
actual effects on cyclists' health. (However, most current
research excludes discussion of female sexual dysfunction
and genital numbness.)[33]

The studies have shown that wider saddles tend to increase

penile blood flow while cycling, though wider seats also induce
chafing and impede a cyclist's full range of leg motion.[21][34] A
downward-tilted saddle relieves pressure on the perineum and
the "sit bones" (ischial tuberosities), thus improving a cyclist's
perineal blood flow.[34] Most saddles include padding, generally
foam or gel. Gel padding tends to distribute pressure in the
perineum and provide higher levels of penile oxygenation than
does foam padding. However, width and design have proved to
be more important than the amount of saddle padding in
determining the intensity of perineal distress the cyclist
suffers.[34] In fact, some researchers have postulated that extra
padding, foam or gel, can result in an increased prevalence of
pain in the sit bones.[33]

Gallery of saddle types

A hard A Brooks A wide A BMX A saddle
plastic leather well- saddle with both
BMX saddle padded with web-
saddle saddle central spring
without padding and rear
padding elastome
or cover r
suspensi
on

A saddle Laurin &

with an Klement
elaborate saddle
-looking from
elastome 1890
r
suspensi
 p
on

See also
Bicycle seat
Outline of cycling

References
1. Brown, Sheldon. "Glossary: Saddle" . Retrieved
2009-05-28.
2. Tony Dadland & Hans-Erhard Lessing (2014). Bicycle
Design: An Illustrated History. MIT Press. p. 17. "Before
starting, one has to screw the saddle just to such a height
that the feet still stand on the ground..."
3. Oxford English Dictionary. "4. A fixed seat for the rider of a
bicycle, motorcycle, etc. 1819 Belles-lettres Repository
May 31/2 The Velocipede, or Swift-walker... consists of
two wheels, one behind the other, connected by a perch,
on which a saddle is placed for the seat of the traveller...
The saddle may be raised or lowered..at pleasure, and
thus suited to the height of various persons."
4. "Selle San Marco Handmade in Italy since 1935" .
Archived from the original on 27 March 2007. Retrieved
2007-03-29.
 5. "Brooks England Since, 1866 Saddles, Bags, Etc" .
Archived from the original on 2007-03-23. Retrieved
2007-03-29.
6. http://www.bike-
manual.com/brands/trek/om/cross/saddle.htm
7. "Thomson Oversize Rail Clamp" . Retrieved 2016-08-12.
8. "Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary Sa - So" . Retrieved
2016-08-12.
9. "A Comfortable Saddle by Sheldon "Comfort" Brown" .
Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved
2016-08-12.
10. "Idéale Saddles: Behind the Leather Curtain" . Retrieved
2018-02-12.
11. "Koobi Saddles Handmade in Italy" . Archived from the
original on 12 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
12. "Brooks England: The Eternal One" . Retrieved 2018-02-12.
13. Brown, Sheldon. "A Comfortable Saddle" . Sheldon Brown.
Retrieved 2010-06-17.
14. Steve Frothingham (2011-12-22). "On the level: UCI
clarifies saddle rule" . Bicycle Retailer & Industry News.
Retrieved 2011-12-23. "The saddle rule — requiring seats
to be no more than three degrees off horizontal."
15. Jim Langley (2010). "Bicycle Seats Explained" . Archived
from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved
2010-03-08. "Hold a plumb line (a thread with a nut on the
end works fine) against the indentation just beneath the
bone that’s below your kneecap. Adjust the seat fore and
aft on the rails until the plumb line bisects the pedal axle."
16. Keith Bontrager (1998). "The Myth of KOPS — An
Alternative Method of Bike Fit" . Sheldon Brown. Archived
from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
"The ... rule of thumb has no biomechanical basis at all."
17. Peter Jon White (2007). "How to Fit a Bicycle" . Archived
from the original on 2010-01-03. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
"Most fitting "systems" specify that some part of your knee
be directly over the pedal axle at some alignment of the
crank, usually with the pedal forward and the crank
horizontal. This is pure nonsense."
18. Brown, Sheldon. "Banana Seat" . Sheldon Brown. Retrieved
2010-06-27.
19. "Women's Cycle Racing Association, FAQ, What's so
special about these "women specific" saddles?" . Archived
from the original on 2006-12-21. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
20. Saddles for woemen
21. Breda, G., Piazza, N., Bernardi, V., Lunardon, E., and Caruso,
A. (September 2005). "Development of a New Geometric
Bicycle Saddle for the Maintenance of Genital–Perineal
Vascular Perfusion". Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2(5),
605–611.
22. Wiley-Blackwell (2008, August 8). "No-nose Bicycle
Saddles Improve Penile Sensation And Erectile Function In
Bicycling Police Officers." ScienceDaily. Retrieved August
22, 2008.
23. Brown, Sheldon. "A Comfortable Saddle" . Sheldon Brown.
Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved
2011-07-05.
24. "Bicycle Saddles and Reproductive Health" . National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). 22
May 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
25. Partin SN, Connell KA, Schrader S, LaCombe J, Lowe B,
Sweeney A, Reutman S, Wang A, Toennis C, Melman A,
Mikhail M, Guess MK (2012). "The bar sinister: does
handlebar level damage the pelvic floor in female
cyclists?" . The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 9 (5): 1367–
73. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02680.x .
PMC 3780597 . PMID 22390173 .
26. Gregor, Robert (2008). Handbook of Sports Medicine and
Science, Road Cycling. p. 100.
27. "Research On Bicycle Saddles And Sexual Health Comes
Of Age" . Retrieved 2007-03-29.
28. "An Observational Study of Erectile Dysfunction, Infertility,
and Prostate Cancer in Regular Cyclists: Cycling for Health
UK Study" . Journal of Men's Health - Volume: 11 Issue 2:
July 11, 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
29. Gemery, J., Nangia, A., Mamourian, A., and Reid, S. (2007,
January). "Digital three-dimensional modelling of the male
pelvis and bicycle seats: impact of rider position and seat
design on potential penile hypoxia and erectile
dysfunction". BJU International, 99(1), 135–140.
30. Schrader, S. M., Breitenstein, M., & Lowe, B. (2000). City of
Long Beach Police Department. Health Hazard Evaluation
Report 2000-0305-2848 . Archived January 29, 2009, at
the Wayback Machine. National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health.
31. Tolme, P. (2005, October 31). "Don't Be a Softy".
Newsweek, 146(18), 66–66.
32. "Standard bicycle seat can lead to erectile dysfunction".
(2007, June). Mayo Clinic Health Letter.
33. Dettori, N., and Norvell, D. (2006, January). "Non-Traumatic
Bicycle Injuries: A Review of the Literature". Sports
Medicine, 36(1), 7–18.
 34. Huang, V., Munarriz, R., and Goldstein, I. (2005,
September). "Bicycle Riding and Erectile Dysfunction: An
Increase in Interest (and Concern)". Journal of Sexual
Medicine, 2(5), 596–604.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bicycle

saddles.

External links
Bicycle Saddles and Reproductive Health
Cycling performance tips: choosing and adjusting your
saddle

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Bicycle_saddle&oldid=949667740"

Last edited 23 days ago by Iridescent

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted.