Things to Know About a Bike Seat
Choosing the right seat for your bike is not as easy as it sounds. There are many products available and this can make the choice even more difficult. Here are some tips to take into consideration when buying.
- SHAPE:
- SHELL:
- PADDING:
- RAILS:
- COVERING:
This is very important since you are going to spend a lot of time on it. Seat designers give a great deal of attention to create shapes that fit well for different gender body-shapes.
The structural shell is made of plastic constructed through what is called plastic injection procedure and sometimes carbon fiber is mixed with the plastic to lower the weight and improve stiffness. The shell determines how the seat flexes and gives under a rider's weight. In recent years, many shells have incorporated holes, slots or even grooves through the nose section, all promising additional comfort. It turns out that saddles with a cutout in the nose works best for about 80 percent of riders because it shifts pressure from you bodies soft tissue toward the front. Solid-nose saddles work best for some, particularly cyclists who naturally sit crooked on their seats.
The most common material used is urethane foam along with polymer gels, which have a rubbery, flesh-like consistency that offers a reassuring feel. Different padding materials are also used on a single seat to add comfort at high-pressure areas. Foams and gels alike are molded onto the shell, with the thickness and density of the padding varying across different models of seats. More padding doesn't mean more comfort. When you sit on overly thick padding, it can deform and migrate to places where you don't want pressure, like between the sit bones. If you want nothing between you and your carbon fiber, there are flyweight saddles with no padding at all.
Until about 15 years ago, virtually all saddle rails were made from cheap, heavy, chrome-plated steel. Then followed titanium and lightened things up, and today remains the material of choice for most high-end seats. Carbon fiber is not only ubiquitous but also easily gauged by sharp seat-post clamps; however, it is found in the rails of some pricey seats, where it's often wrapped in aluminum for toughness. A few companies use a proprietary monorail or beam system, with a dedicated seat.
The smooth, outer skin can be leather, synthetic leather, or assorted kinds of fabrics and plastics, including bulletproof Kevlar. Some are perforated with tiny holes, which add a bit of friction to keep you from sliding around. For the off-roader, saddles can take a beating, with the reinforced corners found on some models offering increased durability when bike meets earth. And of course in the end, color options let you stylize your ride, but basic black hides wear and fading best.
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