Road Cycling Seats
If your bicycling preference is for the narrow and sleek road bicycle, you will be looking for a long, hard and narrow bicycle seat. These narrow and hard seats actually reduce abrasion and chafing as well as reduce interference with the pedaling. There is less surface area making contact with your bottom and inner thigh as a result of the thin design. If the road cycling seats were wider, they would get in the way of the thigh as it pumps up and down.
Look for seats such as the Selle Bassano or other hard split seat. If you are a man and have prostate issues, select a hard seat that has a split pad design. These have a small gap in between the padding, which allows the sensitive male prostate to rest in the gap.
Mountain Bike Seats
Your knobby tire passion keeps you on the trails and over varied terrain, often with jarring effects on the bottom and body. As with the road cycling seat, a mountain bike seat should be narrow. A hard or soft seat depends on your body. However, using a gel-style soft seat will produce more pressure on your bones and become impractical for longer rides. If your mountain bike rides are typically less than five miles, you might be able to use a gel-style seat. Anything over this distance should be taken with a hard seat.
WTB produces a line of mountain bike seats that have a hard pad and an adjustable angle. These are recommended as you can often relieve any pressure by adjusting the angle of the seat nose.
Recumbent Bicycle Seats
Recumbent bicycles seat the rider in a more prone position, often with the legs extending parallel to the ground and the pedaling being done fore and aft vs. up and down. These bicycles are solid choices for those with back issues. Because of the prone position, recumbent bicycle seats typically have high backs and full seating areas, much like stadium chairs or camp chairs. Your seat for a recumbent should be selected based on the support it provides your back and how the bottom reduces chafing on your lower thigh.
Many recumbent bicycles have proprietary seats. However, if you are retrofitting your recumbent, look for seats that have nylon backing or mesh because these let air flow circulate through the seat, keeping you cool while wicking away sweat and moisture.
Article Written By Eric Cedric
A former Alaskan of 20 years, Eric Cedric now resides in California. He's published in "Outside" and "Backpacker" and has written a book on life in small-town Alaska, "North by Southeast." Cedric was a professional mountain guide and backcountry expedition leader for 18 years. He worked in Russia, Iceland, Greece, Turkey and Belize. Cedric attended Syracuse University and is a private pilot.
