Best Road Bike Saddle Seats: Trends and Recommendations 2017
Saddle seats for road bikes must be the right size in order to be comfortable. Unlike with mountain bikes, where you are going short distances, you are setting yourself up for a whole lot of misery if you buy the wrong size seat and go on a long ride, even if that seat is otherwise high quality. The best bicycle seat on the market does you no good if it’s sized wrong, so first and foremost you need to focus on getting the right “bike fit” for your saddle seat.
Seats are available in a variety of widths and positions like the noseless saddle from good bike shops but the “right” size—at least according to experts—is the one that supports your sitz bones or “sit bone” area. This is the bony part of the pelvis where your leg and bottom join together. Though you can sit on and try out a variety of bicycle seats to find one that feels comfortable, your best bet for getting the right fit is to be fitted by a pro. Bike shops usually have sitz bone width sizing tools, so you’ll get a measurement that you can use to guide your buying choices.
Everybody is different, but by combining measurements with your general comfort level, chances are you’ll be able to get a saddle seat that is right for you.
Road saddles are usually V-shaped. They have a more pronounced seating area with a longer nose. Saddles for females typically have shorter noses, though.
Saddle seats sometimes don’t look as padded as some of the other style seats available, but there are actually road bike saddle seats that are extremely padded. Just remember padding will add weight, so you’ll need to account for that if you’re racing. If your goal is comfort, you can get saddle-shaped seats that have added gel or thicker foam than normal. This can come in handy for recreational riders, but if you’re focused on time you’ll need to sacrifice padding.
Do All Saddle Seats Have Cutouts?
No, there are seats without cutouts, but most riders tend to prefer them from a comfort point of view. Cutouts offer relief and prevent pressure from building up on soft tissue during longer rides. Since saddle seats tend to be gender specific, the cutout can keep pressure minimal and enhance the pelvic tilt for greater comfort. This is especially true for riders that tend to have a forward tilting pelvis, which is nearly everyone.
One final note:
Saddle seats tend to be expensive, but they’re a good investment if you’re serious about riding. A quality saddle can last as long as a decade, so you’ll be making an investment. Of course, quality affects how long any seat lasts, so don’t assume that if you invest in a cheap road bike saddle seat you’ll be using it for the next 10 years. Seats made of synthetic leather tend to break down faster and cheaper seats usually have gel or foam that wears out faster.
What are the Best Road Bike Saddle Seats?
Fabric Scoop Pro Saddle
The Fabric Scoop Pro Saddle can be used on road and gravel. It is carbon fiber and nylon base offers shock-dampening assistance and it only weighs 198 g. We love it because it’s durable and offers high-performance, all-day comfort. There are three different shapes available that help you get the fit that’s right for your pelvic structure. There’s no pressure relief channel like you’ll find on other seats, but most riders think this is a very comfortable saddle option. It retails for about $150 to $200.
WTB Women’s Deva Race SE Saddle
This saddle is designed for female road and cross-country riding. It features foam enhanced with vibration dampening gel. It’s heavier than some of the other saddles available, but it had a flat profile and is very comfortable because of the pressure relieving channel. It’s shortened nose and smooth edges make it good for standing and climbing. This is a great bargain saddle and retails for about $35.
ISM Adamo Road Saddle
This saddle is ideal for riders who struggle with perineum pressure when riding. This saddle is nose-less and is radically channeled with gel and foam padding. This allows for maximum blood flow and reduces pain on all length rides. Triathletes love this saddle because they spend so much time in the aero tuck position. The seat is made from quality materials and is long-lasting and tough. It has 100 mm of fore-aft rail adjustment, but riders usually sit further forward on this seat than they do on others. It retails for between $120 and $250.
Terry Carbon Butterfly
This women’s saddle seat has been around for several decades and is still a favorite among female riders. It’s designed to fit the shape of the female pelvis and was one of the first saddles designed with a woman’s body structure in mind. The overall design has stayed the same since the seat was introduced in 1999, but now it features much softer padding and is made from durable carbon rails so it weighs less than the original seat. Riders get support and comfort and a thin layer of shock-absorbent and fatigue-reducing gel. This saddle retails for about $185.
Brooks England Standard Saddle B17
This is a classic saddle. It’s made by Brooks, a company that has been making seats for more than a century. This saddle requires some breaking in and, initially, it’s uncomfortable. It features a full-grain leather cover, which, once broken in, adjusts to the body temperature of the rider. This means it will keep you cool on hot days and warm when you’re cycling on cold days. Breaking in the saddle also means riders will get a completely customized seat body if you’re willing to put up with some riding discomfort to break it in.
It features steel rails to ease road shock and provides long ride support. It also helps to cut down on chafing.
This seat is not everyone’s cup of tea, but we love it for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a classic. You know you’re riding on something reliable that’s been loved by cyclists for more than 100 years. Can something be that bad if it’s been popular for so long? And we love how customizable it is. You get a saddle custom made to your body, if you’re willing to put up with some riding discomfort to break it in.
This saddle is available in black and brown leather and retails from $95 to $180.
