Bike saddle nirvana - is it achievable?

My current bike saddle has served me well for over 5000kms of use. It is now looking a little worse for wear, fraying and hardening in places I do not want it to harden and is not offering its usual comfort level. I am now looking for a replacement.

A comfortable bike saddle is mandatory for a cyclist - there is just no point in compromising, it is just a pain in the butt! I well remember my first 100km ride on an uncomfortable bike seat - I hated it from around 80km onwards! I doubted I even celebrated my distance achievement I was just in too much pain and discomfort.

The most important aspect when choosing a bike saddle is to ensure that your sit bones are well supported by the saddle. The sit bones take the majority of your weight. The rest of your weight is borne by your legs and to a certain degree your arms. If your saddle is too narrow or too wide for the width of your sit bones then the pressure of your weight will be applied to unsupported regions of your body resulting in numbness, discomfort and often chaffing. Your sit bones, described as the two pressure pints or two 'bumps' you sit on, should be positioned in the centre of either side of the saddle's rear pad. This is especially important for female cyclists who have wider hips than men and therefore require a wider bike saddle. Women's bike saddles are alsoshorter from nose to back and have far more pronounced cutaway at the sides to accommodate the thighs.

Some bike saddles have cut away portion that allows all pressure to be removed from soft tissue regions. For women cyclists this can be especially helpful in the perineum region. Some saddles have a gel insert in the cavity which provides support in the soft tissue region without the added pressure a solid saddle sometimes adds.

The comfort level of your bike saddle is also related to your overall bike position. If you are leaning too far forward on the bars then extra pressure is applied to your sit bones as you tend to rock on the saddle. If you need to adjust your reach position, get the handlebar stem altered, or another sized bike with a different top tube length. Don't just move your seat forwards or backwards as this contributes to more bike position problems.

If your saddle is too low for your height far more weight is placed on your sit bones resulting in more weight being borne on the seat and less leg efficiency. You will end up with a sore butt and lower back, and a drop in speed.

The level of your saddle in relation to your bike is also important. Your saddle should be virtually horizontal. Some women like the saddle to be slightly lower at the front, but if it is too low then there is a tendency to slide off the saddle creating additional pressure on the hands.

Get your position on your bike checked by a professional - it may end up solving more problems than just a sore butt and pins and needles in your hands.

If you are purchasing a new bike odds are that you will require a new saddle in the near future. Your local bike shop should allow you to upgrade at the time of purchase but expect to pay the difference in costs between the model supplied bike saddle and your new saddle. Ask to test a few different bike saddle models. Most quality bike shops have sample saddles from manufacturers that can be lent to prospective purchasers.

Be aware that one cyclist's saddle nirvana may be a plain pain in the butt for another cyclist. Everyone has a different 'posterior'. It all relates to the amount of fatty tissue, muscle mass, pelvic tilt and a host of other anatomical and physiological issues that makes us unique.It may take you some trial and error but follow these few pointers above and the journey to a comfortable ride may only be one saddle change away and not several, expensive saddle re-fits.