If you don’t want a part of your body to get sore, then that part shouldn’t be pushing against something that doesn’t move along with it. That’s the thinking behind the vabsRider bicycle saddle, the two sides of which pivot in time with your pedaling.
That looks terrifying. It’s meant to go under your legs, not your butt?
Ah, a bike ride and a free castration!
This looks neat. I imagine it would feel weird after riding a fixed saddle all my life. My main concern would be durability - how well does this hold up after cycling 1000 miles? Or when it gets thrown down in the mud 100 times, or shoved in a car trunk 100 more? There are a lot of moving parts, so my best guess is that it would break relatively quickly.
I bought my bike secondhand and it had this huge, overstuffed saddle with large springs on the back. It was comfortable, but the springs squeaked, so I went and bought a new saddle. I don’t know what I’m doing, so I found one that’s highly rated and got it. It’s skinny and hard, but I put it on and went for a quick ride (less than 5 miles). A few days later I woke up in the middle of the night with a horrible pain in my butt. I went to the bathroom and I had a MASSIVE hemorrhoid. Walking was painful, sitting was impossible. After a couple of days of trying to treat it out ended up popping and I had to use my wife’s pads for over a week before it healed.
I’ve not ridden my bike since. Would this type of saddle be better for my tender hole, or should I just consider myself done with riding bikes?
Selle royale new lookin male eco as seat
Been using this for 550 km now, can’t complain
I have a couple of their saddles that I like too.
Like the others comment said, if the old one is comfortable then use that, maybe lube the spring until the sound is gone. I too can’t get used to those skinny roadbike saddle, the big comfy saddle is what my butt will accept.
I’d do more research before buying another, but I doubt a few kilometers on a bike was enough to give you a hemorrhoid… Though it could be from other things. (My doctor actually encouraged bike riding when I got one, as a way to help recover). For hemorrhoids, my doctor recommended fiber supplements, 15 second shits/not camping out, using wipes instead of TP, and ideally getting a bidet. Tangent aside… ;)
Check where your bones align. I got a seat from SQLabs after I did some rough measurements, and while the seat wasn’t incredibly comfortable, it solved my problems with my last seat (my balls were going numb from lack of blood flow due to the OEM seat.)
That’s my mountain bike saddle, so I’m not sitting on it as much as a city bike anyways. But I can sit on it for as long as I like without numbness or pain.
For my city ebike, I just adjusted the position of the OEM saddle, and it’s pitch until I felt comfortable on my ass bones, my groin, and my wrists and neck. It’s a bit further back, and tilted down about a degree.
If the big squishy one was comfortable, I’d just put it back on and ignore the squeaking from it, and if you start going on rides that are long enough for it to become uncomfortable, then think about swapping it. It takes some time riding for your body to get used to sitting on a saddle, and if your body isn’t used to sitting on a saddle, then a hard narrow saddle is going to suck, even if it is otherwise a good fit for your body.
When picking a new saddle, the most important thing is to get something that is the correct width for your sit bones. Many bike shops have devices to measure this. Your position on the bike also influences the type of saddle that will work best for you. If you ride a road bike with a leaned forward, aggressive position, a saddle that is a bit more narrow with less padding can be more comfortable over long distances, as long as it fits your body well. For more upright bikes, a slightly wider saddle with a tiny bit more padding often works better. Saddles with a ton of padding can often be uncomfortable for rides more than a few miles, as they can put pressure on the soft tissue between your sit bones. Finding the right saddle can take a few tries, but it is worth it. Cycling shorts also help a ton.
The saddle in the article is not what I would start with. Designs like this can result in less control of the bike due to the saddle not having a nose. There are a few people who find that a saddle like this works well for them, but there is a reason they are not widely used.
Thanks, I thought I could figure out the for on my own but apparently I did something wrong. I had considered going to my local bike shop, but they are as awkward as I am, so every time I’m in there it’s just awkward.
I appreciate your comments, especially the last part about this particular saddle not being best for most people.
No problem, good luck!
Not sure but it sounds like your old one was maybe Brooks b67?
It also sounds like the new saddle didn’t fit you. Your sit bones should match the width of the saddle.
Oh, those look really cool… the one I replaced on my bike was a Schwinn comfort saddle that you can get at Walmart for $40.
Less expensive isn’t inherently bad, as long as it fits and holds up those are the big ones.
You don’t go and buy any random highly rated saddle, you need to find one that fits you based on where the bones you’re sitting on are.
You don’t go and buy any random highly rated saddle
I agree 100%, and I can attest to at least one very good reason to not use an ill-fitting saddle.
Kinda looks like it could be a bit of a testicle grinder… in a pinch.
Add a separate ball holder that prevents them getting crushed and pinched by the pivoting seat.
Cup the balls, glide the buttocks.
Has anyone ever tried one of these?
I’ve ridden the Adamo that started the forked saddle trend over a decade ago. They are comfortable but only in the one position. Double railed seems uncomfortable to sit full upright on.
I use one of these: https://hobsonseats.com/
It’s great. I don’t ride without it.
Interesting. I hadn’t realised these were a thing.
I get sore hips after long rides. I wonder if this would help.
That might just be bike fit. I used to have sore hips and a sore back until I got handlebars that let me have a more upright position and it helped a ton.
Yeah could be. It’s something I’m mindful of and is definitely one way to mitigate the problem.
However, it happens with all three of my bikes.
I’ve seen a physiotherapist a few times who’s given me some exercises to do to build up some strength in the right places and take the pressure off the joint - I’ve been pretty lazy with those though.
If you adjusted your bikes yourself it’s totally possible that all of them aren’t adjusted properly. Go to a bike shop to get a professional fitting.
