Seats
A bicycle seat is designed to provide a cyclist with comfort and support. The seat is attached to the seat pole of the bicycle. Bike seats are manufactured from a wide variety of materials and prices can vary from under $20 to as much as $600.
Choosing a new bike seat can be a bit daunting so before you begin looking, think about this. The first thing you need to decide is whether you are happy with the current seat you have; if you are then it is a relatively simple task of purchasing the same saddle or something that is similar in shape and materials. If your seat is uncomfortable; identify where the discomfort is, look at how the seat is shaped, where the padding is and how upright you are when you sit on the seat. The more upright you sit on the seat the wider the seat will need to be, the further forward you lean the narrower it should be.
Speed also plays a part here as legs spinning faster will cause more friction if the saddle is rubbing on the inside of your thighs, in this case a narrow race seat is the go. If you ride a cruiser bike where you sit quite upright, the majority of the weight will be supported by the back of the seat and generally you will be pedaling slower. Wider, heavily padded seats are ideal for this style of riding, they have heaps of cushioning and some even have springs in them..
If you need to use a narrow seat and cycle regularly it is worth mentioning the benefits of wearing cycling knicks, they will dramatically improve your overall comfort while riding, especially over longer distances..
GEL seat covers are good but they will not fix everything so fitting one of these is not a guarantee of comfort. GEL covers are often a quick fix but they do not last anywhere as long as a good quality seat, this is because the GEL is loosly supported by Lycra and over time the gel moulds itself and displaces at the pressure points forming a lumpy surface. .
Quality bicycle seat manufacturers include, Selle Italia, Eddy Merckx, Velo, Tioga and SIX 20, Colony and Stolen.
