Adjust Your Saddle For More Comfortable Riding

Correct Saddle Position Can Make Your Ride 100% More Comfortable

When you're in pain, the tendency can be to make drastic changes to alleviate the suffering. But, if you change the position too much, while you may ease the pain temporarily, you'll surely create other problems and you might cause an injury to your knees, back, hands or posterior. Here are some guidelines to adjusting the seat, and a few recommendations if seat adjustments don't solve your saddle sores.
 
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Cycling Clothing Helps




It is best to wear cycling shorts when trying to find the most comfortable seat position, as they are designed for pedaling with a padded and seam-free crotch. It's the seams in regular clothing like jeans and shorts that cause most saddle discomfort. 

Keep the Seat Approximately Level

One of the simplest seat adjustments is angling the seat slightly up or down. But, never set the nose more than three degrees lower (women can prefer slightly tipped down seats) or higher (typical men preference) than parallel. Rest a level on the saddle's top while making adjustments so you can gauge the amount you're tipping it and keep it within the three-degrees range. If you tip it further, you risk injury.

Don't Move The Seat To Adjust Handlebar Reach

Another mistake to avoid is determining your seat position based on the reach of the handlebars. Sometimes, if it feels like the bars are too far away, you might be tempted to slide the seat forward to reduce the reach. This solves the reach problem, but your seat position should be based on your relationship to the pedals, which will minimize chance of injury and maximize your power when you're riding. The correct way to make size adjustments such as reach is to change the stem length (the part that holds the handlebars) after you determine your appropriate saddle position. We can help, if you need to make changes.

Try a New Seat
Something to consider if you're searching for a solution to pain and not finding it in saddle adjustment is that your seat might be the incorrect model for your anatomy. It must provide support for your pelvic bone structure along with the way you sit on and pedal your bike. If it's a poor fit, no amount of adjusting will solve the problem. The cure is to try a different seat to see if it does the trick. We have a wide selection and we can recommend models that have worked for other customers.

Bumstead's is located on 1038 W. 4th St. in Ontario. You can reach us at 909-984-9067 or check out our website: www.bumsteadsbikes.com