Girl Parts and Saddles

At first, every woman riding a bike wonders how in the world anyone could spend more than 15 minutes on a triangular, hard stub that evokes medieval thoughts of torture just by looking at it. I have to laugh when I see that there are actually different kinds of seats depending on how you expect to ride: touring; performance; recreation or all-around. I mean seriously, isn't it ALL supposed to be RECREATION!

Anyway, I digress. The worst mistake uneducated newbies do is look for the the most cushy, wide, fluffy seat. One word: FRICTION. If one expects to be on a seat for any length of time. If you are going to load up Fluffy, your Shih Tzu and ride to the candy store, by all means, rest your tush on a comfy, scalloped seat that feels like the family couch. If you are going to ride for 15 or more miles with the hope of riding around town, look for a stream-lined all purpose seat that has as little surface touching your sweet cheeks as possible. While this may seem counter-intuitive, it really isn't. Less surface to rub on your bottom means less friction which means more comfort.

Does this mean you will feel comfort the first time you ride. Mais NON! In fact, the first time you ride, your soup bones will ache after the first five miles. You will be amazed that when you stop to use the rest room, just how amazing it feels to be OFF of the seat. What's more, you will be surprised at how much it hurts when you get back on 8 minutes after the trip to the potty.

Time in the saddle will eventually lead to the ultimate: NUMBNESS. I am convinced that repeated training rides with gradually increasing distance and length of time in the saddle kills some of the nerves in your bottom. However, whatever it is that makes it possible, regularly increasing your length of rides will render your bottom conditioned for that long ride.

Some great seat options are:

Terry’s Liberator X saddle

The key word is ‘gel’. Gel helps to absorb shock and and cushions a little without creating too much friction. Gel is also a good choice when choosing bike shorts, and riding gloves. But that’s another entry…

This saddle is $85 which is a fairly moderate cost considering you could buy Brooks for hundreds and look like you are riding a Mercedes instead of a Mustang. Terry’s website is www.terrybicycles.com.

Here’s one that’s a little less expensive, however, you are not getting the magic ‘gel’—though still a great option.

This is the Forte Women’s Contour Saddle and it runs about $49.99 although at www.performancebicycles.com there are MAD sales and a club that gives you 10% back on every dollar you spend. It is $20 to join the club each year.