My mom bought a stationary cycling for the house, cause we get most of our physical activity by walking, and we live in Canada so winter makes that much harder. But we’ve run into one main problem.
The seat is such a pain to sit on. It came with a cushion, but even with that using the thing hurts your bum after like 20 minutes tops. She added a towel and was able to go much longer today, but still it was unpleasant enough for her to ask me to find a better solution. So that’s why I’m posting here
Any advice would be appreciated greatly
by codblad
19 Comments
https://preview.redd.it/jfcyki9jbkrf1.png?width=450&format=png&auto=webp&s=b400bd1f2529523da252e926596a4dcaceaab164
if the clamp (the thing grabbing the saddle rails from below) looks like this one, then you might be able to install any bycicle saddle to it, those wide ass saddles are always complete garbage
show us a picture from below the saddle to confirm the clamp type there
Generally speaking they use a bicycle seat mount. So you can typically fit a lot of different seats on them. Mine just unscrew with 1 bolt and I put a wide seat with no middle crotch triangle.
Seats like this have too much cushioning, so adding more doesn’t really help. What it essentially does is putting too much pressure on your muscles that need blood flow. Racing saddles are narrow for a reason, they distribute all the pressure on different hip bones, which can handle it well with a bit of training. If you can’t change the saddle, the only way is to do a lot of pedaling standing up. With a bit of practice and enough resistance on the pedals, it can work quite well when you alternate standing and sitting during your exercise.
Everyone’s shaped differently and saddle size / shape is highly personal. That one prob doesn’t fit.
Also, counterintuitively, squishier saddles are *not* more comfortable but quite the opposite. Your weight is fully supported by your “sit bones” (the bony bumps under your butt that determine what size saddle you need) and you want just enough padding to not cause those bones to dig into your skin (aka keep your butt from going numb). But the bigger/more padding your saddle has, the more it spreads your weight around- *off* of your sit bones and *onto* your more sensitive bits. Those big squishy saddles are the absolute worst because you’re spreading the weight load all kindsa places that shouldn’t be bearing weight.
Think more like a road cycling saddle- thinner, couple mm of padding, add cycling shorts if you need anything more than that. Stay away from those big squishy types
The cushion and towel seem like they would help but they’re actually worse. It makes it too soft in the wrong places. Try using cycling shorts with built in padding. It makes a huge difference. If that doesn’t work then you should look if the company sells a replacement seat that looks more like a proper bike saddle.
Looks like it needs to be adjusted
Have someone video you from the side while you pedal
https://youtu.be/lpTYp9Me2lk?feature=shared
Go to a bike shop while wearing thin shorts and ask to sit on their seat sizer. Get your sit bone width, select a seat that’s not so cushiony. Seats with padding push up against your bits and make it uncomfortable
like the other guy said, most normal bike saddles will fit if its the clamp style one
i went through a similar problem a few years ago and i still use the same cheap indoor bike now after changing the seat, the orginal one was similar to this one and was torture for me after 5 mins. even with my current saddle, i wont say its comfortable as a first impression, but its not uncomfortable and doesnt make me uncomfotable or sore while im on it, though i do still ache after a long ride from being sat for so long.
you’ll probably want a saddle with a pressure relief channel, even the cheapest saddle with a channel should be an improvement.
/r/ladycyclists might be a better source of info on that
its a saddle, not a comfy armchair, big and soft usually isnt the way to go. they take alittle getting used to but you shouldnt be miserable or sore on it.
chamois/padded shorts work for indoor bikes too
having the bike set up right, roughly you want the height you want your knee to still have a slight bend at 6o’clock and the front of your knee over the ball of your foot at 3o’clock (someone else could give better advice)
also stand every 10 mins or so. when im out on my bike i do it regularly without thinking because of curbs or a rough patch of road but indoors i forget. you dont even need to pedal, just take a min to have a quick stretch
It won’t take long to acclimate to a firmer saddle. Generally you want one that your sit bones are on rather than your full butt.
There’s lots of comments about there on here now. It is also important to get the right type for her current body. If she’s very overweight a wide saddle might be helpful. If she’s not then get a normal one that fits. Honestly a $30-50 one could be totally great.
how long have you been using it? usually your butt toughens up after a few weeks and doesnt hurt as much
Try adjusting it to different angles, heights, and forward-aft. Even a hard saddle can be made more comfortable if you can find a sweet spot, specific to her. Have her mark her positions w/ dab of paint.
Honestly, wide “comfortable” bike saddles are usually worse than regular ones. You’re not meant to sit on them in the classic sense, they’re supposed to support your sit bones. Look into higher quality, regular bike saddles (for road bikes) and definitely cycling shorts with padding. It will take a little pain initially, but in the long run it will help a lot.
You don’t need to spend a lot, even cheap Amazon bike shorts (spandex type) with padding will make a HUGE difference when you’re starting out. If you’re on a budget, find a cheap road bike saddle on Amazon too, one meant for road bikes specifically and with a relief or cutout in the middle. Make sure it has a lot of good reviews though. Good luck!
Simple solution.
Selle Respiro Moderate Saddle.
The nose of the saddle should be slightly down
where are the handlebars? If they’re too high and she’s not leaning on them at all, they should be lower. Also, she probably needs to pedal harder. If she’s sitting there totally upright just spinning the pedals, there’s no weight anywhere except the saddle, which is never going to be comfortable. A little weight in the hands, much more in the feet will make a world of difference.
Aside from the terrible saddle, which everyone else has addressed switching…. These bike generally have terrible geometry. Unless you are the size they made the bike for, which IME is 6’ tall, then the bike will remain horribly uncomfortable no matter what saddle you put on it.
Can she raise the handlebars? That tends to work better with big padded seats.
It may not be comparable to her normal bike it will be more comfortable. The big padded seats are meant for more upright riding
Those saddles are just awful as a whole. Also, you can reverse the clamp with some work for less setback
The more padding the worse it’s going to be
It’s the shape not the cushion. For a trainer, you need something that looks like a Shimano Pro saddle, with a snub nose and a cut out. Too wide, and your ass goes numb.