How to choose the right bike saddle

A bike saddle is the most personal piece of equipment on your bike, and riding with one that works for you is crucial for your comfort and performance. After all, your saddle is one of only three places your body contacts your bike. And let’s be honest – nothing turns a good ride bad like discomfort in your soft tissue area. We’re here to help you avoid that.

So, how do you know if a saddle will work for you? We’ll guide you through everything you need to know when choosing a bike saddle, including the parts of a bike seat, the different kinds of bike saddles and what you should consider when buying one.

It’s all about riding posture

Your riding posture is the most important consideration. Bontrager saddles fall conveniently into five postures, ranging from Aerodynamic (Posture 1) to Comfort (Posture 5). You can think of these postures like a scale from most upright and casual to most forward-leaning and aerodynamic.

Your posture determines which part of your pelvis contacts the saddle. It’s a common myth that a bigger bike seat will automatically be more comfortable, as saddle comfort is all about your riding posture and how your body contacts the saddle.

Although all Bontrager saddles are designed to give support and relieve pressure to soft tissue areas, you wouldn’t be as comfortable riding a Posture 5 saddle in an aerodynamic position. Likewise, you wouldn’t want to ride a Posture 1 saddle in an upright position.

In order to find the bike saddle that works for you, start by determining your posture. (Check out the image above. How do you ride?) Then choose a saddle category that matches your riding posture.

Bontrager saddles are available in multiple levels, from Comp to Pro. Each level has specific performance features like alloy or lightweight OCLV carbon rails, shell construction and extra padding. Bontrager saddles are also available in multiple widths so you’ll always be able to find your best fit. Your local Trek shop is your best resource for finding the size that’s right for you.

In a triathlon or time trial, you want every advantage against the wind. These saddles are designed to support riders who take the most aggressive aerodynamic posture.

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These saddles are right for you if you race on a road or mountain bike. They support riders who take a forward riding posture for power and performance. They’re great for fast roadies, crit racers and competitive XC mountain bikers.

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Most enthusiast riders and even many racers would be best on a performance saddle. These saddles are a great choice for endurance road riders, trail riders and anyone who rides for speed and distance milestones.

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If you like to get in a workout on your rides, but take a slightly more upright position than what you commonly see on a drop-bar road bike, you’ll find your perfect saddle right here.

SHOP FITNESS SADDLES

Ready to cruise in comfort? If you’re a leisurely rider who rides in a comfortable upright posture so you can take in the sights, a comfort saddle is right for you.

SHOP COMFORT SADDLES

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Bike saddle width

We make saddles for all riders, and the best saddle is one that fits your anatomy. Riders who are assigned male tend to have narrower pelvis bones and typically find saddles with 145 mm widths the most comfortable, while riders assigned female usually find the most comfort from 155 mm width saddles. All bodies have variations, so if your first saddle isn’t a perfect fit, take advantage of our 30-day guarantee and give another one a try.

inForm Design – The Science of Comfort

Bontrager’s saddle design philosophy is called inForm. It’s the result of countless hours of testing with elite athletes, pressure-mapping sessions, high-speed video analyses and human/computer modelling studies.

The saddle design team is made up of mechanical and biomechanical engineers who work alongside Trek Precision Fit engineers to refine the minute details that go into Bontrager’s full line-up of posture-specific saddles.

The philosophy is simple: provide targeted support for bone structure and relieve pressure on soft tissues, and while pelvic structures in male and female riders differ, the principle is the same – a rider’s soft tissue is not designed to bear weight. Bontrager saddles are designed to provide support for a riders bone structure while relieving pressure on the riders soft tissue.

Saddle parts and terms

There’s a lot of science and engineering that goes into creating a saddle that fits and feels great. As you’re shopping, you’re likely to hear some new terms. Here’s an easy guide to the parts of a saddle and the design elements you may come across in your search.

1. Curvature

The curvature of a saddle is its cross-sectional shape. But it’s not just how wide a saddle is. Curvature determines the angle where your bone structure meets the saddle. Every Bontrager saddle features a size-specific curvature.

2. Profile

A saddle’s profile is its side-view shape, and it determines how much you’re able to move fore/aft on the saddle and may also affect how much your pelvis rotates on the saddle.

3. Transition

A saddle’s transition is its top-view shape. It affects how far fore or aft you’re positioned on the surface of the saddle.

4. Rails

A saddle’s rails are where the saddle connects to your bike’s seat post. They can be alloy or lightweight carbon, and they allow you to adjust your fit by moving the saddle towards the front or rear of your bike.

5. Cut-outs

A saddle with a cut-out doesn’t have material in the middle of the saddle. Cut-outs are designed to relieve pressure from soft-tissue areas. Contour Relief Zones (CRZ), or foam depressions in the surface of the saddle, can often serve the purpose of a cutout, while still providing great support.

As the name implies, these saddles are built with a shorter nose than traditional saddles, with a less-is-more approach to overall performance. Short-nose saddles remove unnecessary real estate and leave only the parts of the saddle that are usable and comfortable. And, because shorter saddles use fewer materials, they’re often more lightweight as well.

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The right bike saddle can help you get the most out of every road, trail and city ride.

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30-Day Unconditional Guarantee

We know that comfort matters. That’s why every Bontrager saddle is backed by the 30-Day Unconditional Guarantee. Ride it and love it, for thirty days. If you don't, we’ll take it back.

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