First things first: THE perfect MTB saddle does not exist. Bikers always sit individually. That's why only a test ride will get you there. We asked bike fitting expert Franziska Schmidt how to find the right saddle. Specifically on the topic: Which bike saddle is particularly suitable for women? Janina Haas from Ergon / Terry and Sarah Seckler from SQlab Firstly, however, the following three points provide a general selection guide when choosing a saddle - for both sexes. A current MTB saddle test shows you our favourites.

3 crucial points for finding the perfect MTB saddle:

Sit bone distance

Sit on a stool with gel foil or corrugated cardboard and press the sitting bones into it. The measured distance helps to categorise the pelvic width - but this is only meaningful in an upright sitting position. Choosing a saddle based solely on this value is not enough.

Sitting position on the mountain bike

Bikers can be broadly categorised as ischial or pubic leg weight-bearers. In sporty riding positions, the pelvis rotates forwards. The load shifts from the ischial tuberosities to the pubic bones. The saddle can therefore be narrower, but should provide better relief for the perineal area.

Upholstery hardener of the saddle

The hardness of the padding should always be adapted to your riding habits. This means that the longer you sit in the saddle, the harder the padding should be. Sit bones get used to the pressure load. A soft saddle that seems comfortable at first can sag on longer tours and cause pressure pain.

Pressure measurement facilitates the saddle search

Bike fitter Franziska Schmidt from Gebiomised explains: "To find the right saddle, we recommend taking a pressure measurement on the bike. Then you can see the position of the pelvis and the loaded area and can quickly conclude which saddle shape suits you best. We know from our experience: Many women cope slightly better with V-shapes. Most male riders find a T-shape with a cut-out comfortable. But of course this is totally individual and depends on your position on the bike. Incidentally, women don't necessarily need a special women's saddle. However, we have found that most women need a wider saddle centre."

Saddle width and seat bone distance

The saddle width is one of the most important sizes when choosing a saddle, especially if you tend to sit upright on the bike, and is always measured at the widest point. The saddle must be at least wide enough so that both ischial tuberosities rest completely on it and you are not sitting on the edge of the padding. With a more sporty riding position and a good pelvic tilt, the saddle width is not quite as important. In this case, the pubic bone runners, which run forwards to the pubic bone, are more likely to make contact with the saddle. This is also more common in women - more on this below. In this case, the saddle should be slightly wider in the centre section to provide sufficient contact surface for the pubic bones. The width and shape of the saddle should therefore always depend on the riding position and not just the distance between the sit bones.

Padding firmness for MTB saddles

The hardness of the foam depends very much on subjective perception. In general, however, it can be said that the bone structures on a soft pad sink into the saddle over time, which can lead to chafing and pressure points. In addition, the blood flow in the perineal area can be restricted if the padding is too soft. A saddle that is too hard can also cause pressure pain. However, the body can get used to this with regular use. If the saddle is optimally adjusted and the pressure distribution is right, it is usually only a matter of time before the initial pain caused by the harder surface has disappeared.

The sitting position also plays a role in the pad hardness. If it is more upright and the ischial tuberosities bear the main load, the saddle can also be harder. If the pelvis tilts more and the more sensitive parts towards the pubic bone also have contact with the saddle, a softer model is usually a good choice. Gel saddles or gel covers are not really recommended for mountain bikes. The body sinks in too much and becomes unstable.

Sofa or carbon board? Your own riding habits are important when it comes to cushion hardness | Photo: Angel King / Hersteller

T- or V-shape of the saddle

A basic distinction is made between T-shaped and V-shaped saddles. Which shape suits the rider better depends on the position of the pelvis on the saddle. The T-shape is characterised by a slightly narrower, long nose and a relatively wider seat. It is the classic saddle shape that is often fitted to bikes ex works and often works particularly well in an upright riding position where the ischial tuberosities are in contact with the saddle. It also offers a little more legroom, especially for more muscular thighs. If the pelvis is tilted (as is the case for many women) and the ischial tuberosities are in contact with the saddle, a V-shape is recommended. The slightly wider saddle nose offers the pubic bone runners significantly more contact surface from the centre section onwards.

Contour of the saddle

Saddles with a flat seat offer the rider good stability. However, a laterally sloping shape can be quite relieving because it can reduce the pressure. Again, it depends on the subjective feeling, but also on the position of the pelvis. If you hit the edge of the saddle with your thigh when pedalling, a laterally sloping saddle can be the solution. A sloping rear is particularly suitable for riders who feel a lot of pressure in the pubic bone area. If the ischial tuberosities rest on the raised part of the saddle, the front part is relieved. A saddle with a curved design is particularly recommended for an upright position in which the pubic bone runners have no contact with the saddle, as the front part rises slightly.

Mountain bike saddle with hole

A saddle with a so-called cutout is mainly used to relieve soft tissue and thus prevent numbness. This is particularly important for men. One disadvantage of the cutout can be that the pressure is no longer distributed over the entire surface, but rather lies on the relatively narrow edges next to the cutout. There are also saddles with a "channel", i.e. a slight indentation. In principle, it has the same function as a cutout, but offers a little more contact surface and is generally the more sensible solution. However, completely closed saddles can work just as well with an upright pelvic position.

The saddle nose

The saddle nose also has an influence on the feel of the seat: a wide saddle nose has the advantage that you can put a lot of weight on the saddle in different places. When riding uphill, many riders like to slide forwards. If there is a little more surface area there, you sit more stable and more comfortably. A narrow nose usually offers a little more legroom, as do the so-called short-fit saddles. As the foremost part of the saddle nose is usually not loaded, a long saddle nose is not absolutely necessary, but can be an advantage, especially in technical terrain. Riders with strong thighs in particular find a short saddle very comfortable. Many short-fit saddles have a pronounced V-shape, which does not suit every pelvic position on a mountain bike, but can be particularly useful for a sporty riding position.

The saddle frame

Steel, titanium or carbon? In percentage terms, a lot of weight can be saved here: While the frames of inexpensive saddles are usually made of CrMo steel tubing and can weigh around 100 grams, you can save up to 60 per cent weight with a carbon frame. Thinner-walled steel tubes, as permitted by higher-quality alloys, are exactly in between in terms of weight and roughly at the level that can be achieved with solid titanium struts.

However, a carbon frame also raises the saddle into a completely different price category - but it does not fit into every seat post. In order to be break-proof, carbon struts are usually highly oval. They have cross-sections of 7 x 9 or 7 x 10 millimetres. On most high-quality seat posts, there is a hidden indication of the type of frame they are suitable for.

What does a bike saddle need so that women can cycle without pain?

For all the joy that women and men share in mountain biking, there are physiological differences between the two. This also has an impact on the choice of MTB saddle. We have worked with two experts However, they do not agree on all points - which makes the different approaches all the more exciting.

Interview with Janina Haas, Head of Ergonomics at Ergon / Terry

BIKE: What is the difference between saddles for men and women?

Janina Haas: With our saddles we distinguish between Ergon and Terry basically two areas. One is the bony structure of the pelvis. The second is the soft tissue. For the bony structure, we have made the centre area of the saddles for women wider, which suits the physiognomy of most women. On average, women have a pubic bone angle of over 90 degrees, which means that the pubic bone runners are wider towards each other. They therefore also need a wider support in the centre of the saddle, which can accommodate the pubic bones. In men, the bones run at a smaller angle to each other at this point.

Secondly, our women's saddles rise slightly more at the back than men's saddles. Women tilt their pelvis slightly more forwards on the saddle - they tend to have a very slight hollow back - so that we support the ischial bones more.

And the so-called soft tissues?

Exactly, we either have a cut-out for this - especially in our sportier MTB saddles. In the city and touring segment, where you sit more upright, our saddles have channels. The reason for this is that there is simply less space in the female pelvis for the soft tissue between the saddle and the bone structure - the soft tissue is therefore squeezed more quickly. To prevent this, women's saddles have a slightly different shape to those for men. The position of the relief channels is therefore different for men's and women's saddles. In addition, the female genitals are not mobile. The woman sits on the genital area, so to speak. To prevent irritation here, the edges of the cut-outs are also specially designed with gentle transitions - so we achieve an equally gentle increase in pressure towards the robust sit bones.

What should women pay particular attention to when buying a saddle?

For the reasons mentioned above, women should make sure that the centre area of the saddle provides good support. We therefore advise against T-shaped saddles, especially in the mountain bike sector. Y- or V-shape, on the other hand, are good.

The first step is to ensure that the saddle width fits. Our specialist dealers measure the seat bone distance precisely with our digital seat stool. The sitting position on the bike determines how the sit bones sit on the saddle. In other words, bent far forwards on a sporty MTB or more relaxed and upright. That's why we develop special saddles for every cycling requirement that take the sitting position into account. Local specialist retailers are an advantage because you can try out whether a saddle really fits and get advice.

Do men's saddles also fit a woman?

Our studies and experience show that an absolute majority of men and women find that men's and women's saddles fit them very well. Although there are always women who tell us "I prefer to ride on this men's saddle!" - but most of them get on better with a saddle for women. In general, we support dynamic seating for both sexes. We know from feedback from our team riders and customers how important a slightly variable position on the saddle is. Especially on long rides, bikers don't want to be forced into a static position. That's why our saddles are designed with full-length shock absorbers that allow more freedom of movement. All saddles have smooth transitions so that you can change your sitting position a little during the ride to get away from a one-sided load. After all, if something really hurts somewhere, you relieve that area - but sooner or later it will hurt in the area that is now overloaded. We take this into account from the outset.

What do women need to consider when combining bib/bike shorts and saddle?

Not only women, but everyone should make sure that the bike trousers fit both the saddle and the body. This means: no seams in the seat area. The bib should not crease anywhere when you sit down, as this can be very uncomfortable in the long run. The padding must cover the entire seat area - i.e. more than the width of the seat legs. We recommend thin to medium padding thicknesses. The sit bones sink into the thick padding of a bib or bike shorts, you literally swim in it and it eventually pinches. Trousers pads can even become unnecessary, especially for saddles with gel inlays - especially on tours of up to 3 hours. In this case, we recommend special bike underwear.

And while we're on the subject of trousers: The best saddle is useless if the entire triangle of saddle, handlebars and pedals is not right. As already mentioned, if something pinches somewhere, the first thing you do is adopt a different or relaxed position on the bike. But this usually leads to further problems. The solution is a professional bike fitting, or we support bikers at home with our Fitting boxes.

Interview with Sarah Seckler from SQlab

BIKE Magazine: What is the difference between saddles for men and women?

Sarah Seckler: At SQlab, all saddles are unisex products, because it is not necessary to differentiate between a men's and a women's saddle with the SQlab saddle width system. The decisive factor here is the sit bone distance and the saddle shape. The correct saddle width guarantees that the sit bones are in full contact with the saddle. This is the only way to relieve the sensitive perineal area in men and the usually lower pubic arch in women.

Thanks to its wave-like shape and raised rear, the saddle provides rearward support and optimum pressure distribution down to the deep structures of the body, which also significantly improves power transmission to the pedals. At the same time, the lower saddle nose in combination with the recess in the centre creates more space and clearance for the perineal area for women and men.

But men and women are different: what is the physiological difference between men and women when it comes to choosing a saddle?

What is interesting for us, however, is the support on the bike saddle - and here the difference is smaller than often assumed. There is a high variance in the sit bone distances of both women and men. It cannot be said across the board that women always have a wider sit bone distance and men a narrower one. For this reason, the most important thing is and remains the sit bone measurement to determine the correct saddle width.

The anatomical difference in a bicycle saddle, which has hardly been considered to date, is the pubic arch, which is usually significantly lower in a woman's pelvis and often leads to unpleasant pressure points on the saddle nose. With the stepped saddle concept and the additional lower saddle nose, the sensitive perineal area in men and the usually lower pubic arch in women can be relieved.

So what should women pay particular attention to when buying an MTB saddle?

Special curved (gel) saddles for women or even perforated saddles are not recommended. There are also various studies that prove this. With a perforated saddle in particular, there is a belief that it solves the problem of excessive pressure in the genital area. However, this is not true, as a hole in the saddle merely shifts the problem. The saddle with a hole distributes the pressure over a smaller area, with high pressure on the sides of the hole. Therefore, the perforated saddle does not have a positive effect on the overall pressure, but centralises the pressure in an area where the blood flow and lymphatic vessels of the woman's external genitalia are potentially at risk.

Women often have tailbone pain, which is less common in men - why?

Coccyx pain when cycling is a common problem for women, as the female coccyx is more flexible and often more sensitive than the male coccyx. With a very upright sitting position, the coccyx comes very close to the bicycle saddle. The main causes of this are usually bicycle saddles that are too narrow or too soft. To avoid a painful coccyx - especially in women - the right saddle width and a stepped saddle are recommended!

What do women need to consider when combining bib or bike shorts and saddle?

With a very soft pad you "build" yourself a soft saddle, which in turn leads to high pressure. If a saddle is too soft, this causes the sit bones to sink in. This irritates sensitive tissue as well as muscle and tendon attachments. As with a saddle, the thinner and harder the trouser pad, the more sporty it is!

The SQlab trouser pad are universally suitable for all seat bone distances. Accordingly, the pad protrudes slightly on the right and left for smaller seat bone distances. With a 4 - 8 mm thin Trouser pads these are just two small pieces of foam that mould to the anatomy of the body. The slight extra width ensures that the sit bones rest firmly on the padding even when pedalling and do not push it inwards.