9 Ways to Make a Bike Seat More Comfortable | Why are Bike Seats So Hard?
Did you stop riding your favorite bike because it doesn’t feel comfortable or easy to ride on? Do you feel that your seat saddle is not the right one to make your rides more enjoyable?
If you are going through these situations and searching ways for enjoyable ride, then you have come to the right place- in this article.
We have not only listed all the reasons your bike seat feels utterly uncomfortable but also tried to give several solutions about how to make a seat saddle comfortable so that you can find the problem easily and fix it right away to enjoy your riding sessions to the fullest.
Why Are Bike Seats So Uncomfortable
Ever thought why your friend’s bike seat is so comfortable and yours is not?
There are several reasons a bike seat might feel painful for you. Let’s find out the reasons and discuss them so that you know why your bike seat hurts you whenever you try to ride your bike. Some prominent reasons for discomfort bike seats are:
It’s a Saddle, Not a Seat
Even though we always think “seat” and “saddle” of a bike are the same things, in reality, there are some differences between them, and when you choose the wrong one, it might cause uneasiness and unrest for you.
While a bike seat is meant to carry your full weight, a saddle is narrower and carries only your partial weight. The rest of the weight falls on your feet and might often make it extremely uncomfortable to pedal, especially if you are a new rider.
It’s Not the Right Size for You
One of the most common reasons your bike seat feels discomfort is because you are not using the right size according to your body structure. If you have a wide back and are riding on a narrow seat, it will undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on your legs and be super dicomfort.
The Fit and Height Is Wrong
Even after having the right seat size might not ensure comfort- if the seat fit and the height of the bike are not perfect, it can make you discomfort during your rides.
A seat saddle that is not in line with the handlebar position will not offer you the right posture during the rides and therefore, will put stress on the back and won’t be comfortable enough.
Moreover, if the seat is too low or too high, it is going to hurt your body severely and might be the reason for un-comfort and unease during cycling.
Not Adequate Padding
The comfort of a bike seat largely depends on the level of padding it comes with. When the seat saddle is not adequately padded or cushioned according to your taste, there are high chances that you would feel not so comfortable on it regardless of its size, shape, and fit.
Doesn’t Have the Right Cover
The cover material also matters when it comes to the comfort of the bike seat. If the cover is not right, it would take a lot from the saddle's comfort and make it super painful to ride on.
Small Adjustments Do Matter
Even when everything is right, your bike seat saddle might still feel discomfort due to some small adjustments. A loose nut here and there might cause severe unease for you during your riding sessions.
9 Steps to Make Bike Seat More Comfortable
All the causes of an painful seat don’t mean that you cannot make it as comfortable and easy as you want it to be. There are more than a few ways to make your seat saddle more comfortable and convenient so that you can enjoy your rides to the fullest.
1. Set Up Your Bike Properly
An expensive seat saddle or a plushy padded one won’t ensure the comfort you seek if the bike is not set properly.
Everything starts with a properly set bike, and when you put it together to a “T”, the bike would not only offer extraordinary comfort but at the same time, it would also ensure maximum safety of the riders.
For this very reason, put together your bike precisely. If you feel it hard, then don’t hesitate to help a professional enjoy the best of your ridings afterward.
2. Adjust the Handlebar Height
When setting up your bicycle, make sure that its handlebar height is adjusted right. Otherwise, there are high chances that your ride won’t be as comfortable as you expected it to be.
As the handlebar height has the potential to influence the comfort, it is the best decision that you raise it from a typical road position but not too high that might put on too much pressure on your butt and cause pain while riding.
Also, make sure that the bike handlebars are not too low- in such case, you ought to suffer from back pain during the riding sessions and won’t enjoy your riding a bit.
3. Get the Right Saddle
Even after setting up the bike perfectly and adjusting the handlebar height, you are still not comfortable on your seat. It can only mean that the seat saddle itself is not the right one for you.
To get rid of such uncomfortableness, it’s the best idea that you try out different saddles to find just the right one for you according to your riding styles as well as comfort level.
Read Also -> Top 6 Gel Bike Saddle
4. Check Saddle Height & Angle
In addition to getting the right saddle, you must install it at the right height and angle to enjoy utmost comfort during riding. It is essential to mount the seat at the right distance from the handlebars and pedals to reduce your body's uneasiness while cycling.
If the height, distance, and angle are not right, there are high chances that you would feel uncomfortable on your bike and risk yourself to various pain, injuries, and stress.
5. Sit Correctly on the Saddle
One reason your seat saddle might feel downright uncomfortable is that you are not sitting correctly on it. One thing you must keep in mind before riding your bike is that you should never rest your full weight on the saddle to enjoy pain-free, comfortable riding.
While you put 70% of your weight on the saddle, you should let the handlebars support the rest 30% for a perfect ratio. When you distribute the weight, you can go on any adventure without experiencing any pain, ache, or uneasiness in your body.
Read Also -> Top 7 Comfort Bike Saddle
6. Avoid Wide Seats
Even though wide seat saddles help distribute pressure evenly, they also cause uneasiness and un-comfortableness in the riders’ bodies.
As wide saddles are often heavily cushioned, there are high chances that you would sink in it right after you start riding- this acts will put more pressure on your body, especially on your private parts, making your ride not only painful but at the same time hazardous for your health.
7. Buy a Padded Seat Cover
It doesn’t matter if you are using a gel cover or a foam cover, a padded seat cover matters in making the saddle comfortable. An adequately cushioned seat cover will mold your hips like a glove and distribute the pressure evenly so that you don’t feel any pain or uncomfortableness in your backs and buttocks.
8. Wear Appropriate Cycling Shorts
Cycling shorts, especially the padded ones, are there for a reason, ensuring maximum comfort while you ride. The padded shorts provide adequate cushioning in your hips for a comfortable ride and make sure not to insert any additional pressure from the saddle to your private area and cause unrepairable damage.
9. Don’t Sit All the Time.
Even when your seat is extremely cushioned with all the right adjustments, it still might feel uncomfortable when you hit the hills.
When you get on the rough terrains, there are high chances that your butt will start bouncing because of the ups and downs of the road resulting in severe pain and uncomfortableness in the given area.
However, if you stand up instead of sitting on the saddle in such riding conditions, your back won’t suffer from such bouncing on the seat and won’t cause uneasiness.
How to Treat Saddle Sores
One of the most common problems cyclists, especially regular ones, suffers from is saddle sores. Even though it’s not a “big deal”, it causes unrest in the riders.
Let’s talk about how to treat saddle sores so that you don’t have to go through this uneasiness for an extended period.
Take Time Off
Once you get saddle sore, the most immediate thing you can do is to take time off from your riding sessions and allow yourself to get some rest before the sore is appropriately cured.
This time off from riding would make sure that the sore gets enough time to go away and help to heal you faster than otherwise. Riding the bike with saddle sore would definitely worsen the situation.
Keep the Area Dry and Clean
To avoid the spread of the sore, it is an excellent idea to clean the affected area properly on a regular basis so that instead of spreading, it heals quickly. Also, after washing, don’t forget to pat it dry completely for even faster results.
Find a Good Antibacterial Cream
One of the easiest and most effective ways to get rid of saddle sores is to use an excellent antibacterial cream like Chamois cream in the affected area.
This amazing cream not only helps to eliminate friction in the affected area but at the same time also reduces the bacteria attack to cure the affected area as early as possible.
Wrapping Up
This article is all about comfort. From making a seat saddle comfortable to finding ways to relieve yourself from saddle sores, you would learn all the basics to make your rides even more enjoyable on your seat regardless of the terrain or the bike you are riding on.
