The Sprint banana saddle on my 1977 Bonanza bike is probably the most comfortable thing my bum has ever sat on. I could cruise round the houses on it for hours and always had a grin on my face. No wonder with almost half a metre of fluffy seat. Today, less is more - the bum flatterers now come in a racing look. The BIKE test shows which saddle is right for you. We have extensively tested 18 new models.
The correct sitting position is crucial when looking for the right saddle. Before you get to work, you need to determine your individual sitting position. A few centimetres more or less saddle elevation has a significant effect on the inclination of the pelvis - and therefore on the width of the contact points on the saddle. The more stretched out you sit on the bike, the further the load moves inwards away from the sit bones, towards the pubic bone. A race saddle can therefore be up to three centimetres narrower than a touring model. Studies show that the sit bone distance varies between six and 16 centimetres for men and between nine and 17 centimetres for women. Therefore, the first thing to do when buying a saddle is to measure the width of the sit bones. If the saddle is too narrow, you will be sitting far to the outside, on the sloping sides of the saddle. The weight is shifted to the nose of the saddle - discomfort is inevitable.
The test results of these saddles can be found below as a PDF download:
- Gentlemen:
Fizik Tundra 2 Kium
KDRE Performance T-Rail
Pro Turnix Carbon
SDG Formula MTR
Selle Italia SLR XC Gel Flow
Selle San Marco Aspide Carbon FX
Selle SMP Dynamic
SQlab 611 Active
Syncros FL Carbon
Terry Fly GT
Velo Airthru Gel (BIKE Tip Price/Performance)
WTB Valcon
XLCAmbition
- Ladies:
Bontrager Evoke R WSD
Fizik Vesta
Pologo Nago Evo Dea
Selle Italia Diva
Terry Butterfly GTS
Downloads:
Stefan Frey
Editor
