Written By: Jonathan
Fact Checked By: Caroline Dezendorf
Reviewed By: Matt Tanner
If you feel that you are feeling discomfort and pain after cycling for a few miles then you need to make some changes in your bicycle seat.
Plus, this is the complaint that’s most common among cyclists.
Not only that, studies have shown that bike seat-related pain is one of the main reasons why many people give up cycling altogether, would you believe it? Shocking, right?
Additionally, plus, 68% of the riders surveyed actually reported that bicycle seat pain was caused by a poorly fitted design, so yes this does matter a lot because it literally feels like pain or numbness.[¹]
Therefore, most of the time this pain is not caused by cycling but is a result of wrong bicycle seat, lack of proper gear and poor fitting of the bicycle.
Having only a padded seat is not the right way to go, as is a popular belief, but it is not always better either.
The shape of the bicycle seat, your body structure, your clothing and riding position can also cause pain or soreness.
So, the good thing here is that you can easily neglect this problem by just making some simple adjustments and upgrades, as this can improve your riding experience to a great extent so that you can really enjoy long and yes, completely pain-free rides.
Now, this is the guide in which we have specifically talked about How To Make a Bicycle Seat More Comfortable which basically includes everything that can make your bicycle seat completely comfortable so that you can cycle with confidence all the time.
Understand Why Your Seat is Actually Uncomfortable
Firstly, understand why you experience pain while cycling as there are many factors involved such as choosing the wrong cycle seat, wrong riding posture or even your clothes can be factors that can impact your comfort.
1. Poor Bicycle Seat Fit or Wrong Seat Type
Yes, this is one of the biggest causes of bicycle seat pain, which is using a seat that doesn’t actually fit your body, as everyone’s seat bone width is different, if you find that the seat is too narrow or too wide, it can literally cause pressure in all the wrong places.
For example: if the seat is narrow it can really press on the soft tissues, and furthermore if the bike seat is wide it can really rub on more tissues.
Not only that, research done by a bike fit specialist has shown that if you choose a bike seat that correctly matches your seat bone width, it actually reduces discomfort by up to 70%.
Also, not all bike seats are the same, as racing bike seats are usually hard and thin as you might say and whereas comfort bike seats are really wide and padded and designed for riding the bicycle upright.
Furthermore, studies actually show that selecting a bicycle seat that is approximately 1cm wider than your seat-bone width significantly reduces pressure and improves comfort while riding.[²]
2. Poorly Padding or Support
While you might think that more padding means more comfort, it actually doesn’t.
In fact, if your bicycle seat has too much padding, it can actually cause your body to sink into the seat and this will subsequently put more pressure on the soft tissues and provide less support to your bones.
Therefore, a well-designed bike seat actually distributes your weight properly and supports your bones without pressing on sensitive areas.
Gel and memory foam seats can help in this way, but you must make sure they match your riding style and body shape.
3. Incorrect bike Fit
Even if you have the best bike seat, it can be uncomfortable if your bicycle isn’t set up correctly, as a seat that’s too high can actually push your hips, which can then lead to rubbing and pain.
Therefore, a seat that’s too low can cause pain in your knees and poor weight distribution.
Similarly, if your handlebar is too low you will have to lean forward more, which will put pressure on the front of the bike seat and also on your hands.
Now, a professional bicycle fitting can fix this problem, but you can start by checking your leg extension at the bottom of each pedal stroke, if you notice your knees are slightly bent, not locked then that’s great.
4. Clothing & Riding Posture
Yes, what you wear also has an impact on the comfort on the bike seat, as regular shorts with seams can actually bunch up and that is why it causes friction, and furthermore padded cycling shorts can actually reduce the pressure and rubbing.
Additionally, if you ride in the wrong manner such as: if you bend your back, don’t sit properly or keep your arms too tense, this can also cause your weight to be transferred incorrectly, resulting in more pressure on the bike seat than necessary.
So, just relax, move around straight and change your positions during long journeys, which actually helps you relieve the pressure points quite efficiently.
Choose the Right Bicycle Seat
This is the step that has the most impact, which can alleviate or cause pain, so it’s important to make sure you follow this step carefully to make your bicycle seat more comfortable.
1. Wide vs Narrow Bike Seat
Bicycle seat height actually matters more than people realize, as a wider bike seat actually provides more support to your sitting bones, making it ideal for upright riding, such as when you commute around the city or cycle for leisure.
And on the other hand, if your bike seat is designed really narrow, meaning it is meant for a more aggressive, forward-leaning position, like when you cycle on the road or for racing purposes, there will be less need for contact with the bike seat.
Therefore, you must use the correct width otherwise it may cause discomfort, pressure in soft tissue areas or even numbness.
Plus, according to bike fitting experts: Your seat bones should actually rest on the widest part of the bicycle seat for optimal support.
2. Cut-Out Designed vs Solid Bike Seats
Yes, there are many bicycles available that come with a bike seat that includes a center cut-out or groove feature to actually reduce the pressure on sensitive areas, and especially you will find that this feature serves the purpose for longer rides.
This feature actually improves the blood flow so that it can easily prevent numbness in the perineal area.
Plus, it’s great for riders who spend more time in a really aggressive, forward-leaning posture, who benefit from this design.
However, some riders may prefer a solid bike seat design if they have the means to sit really upright or don’t experience pressure issues.
3. Gel vs Foam Padding
There are two types of bike seat padding available: gel or foam padding.
Gel bike seats are very soft, providing instant comfort and are very popular among common riders.
Moreover, the thing is that they can be compressed over a period of usage and time and then it is seen that they cannot provide long term support as well.
Now, foam bike seats are really those with higher density foam that really offer better durability and support making them really ideal for medium to long distance riders.
So ultimately the important thing is to find a balance, as too much padding can cause pressure points and the same goes for a bike seat with too little padding.
4. How to Measure Your sit Bone Width
To get the best bike seat that supports your body, it is important to measure your seat bone width, which is as follows: The distance between the bones that support your weight when you sit is the actual way to measure your seat bone width.
You can do this at home too by taking a piece of cardboard or foil and then measuring the marks left after sitting on it.
So, you have to add about 20 mm to 30 mm to you measurement to find the right bike seat width.
5. Men’s vs Women’s Bike Seats
Essentially there are real physical differences between male and female cyclists, and this is why bicycle seats are often designed to better suit either men or women.
In fact, women’s bike seats tend to be wider at the back to support their wider sitting bones, and may also include deeper cut-outs to provide soft tissue relief.
Otherwise, men’s bicycle seats are typically narrower and longer.
So, the point is, gender-separated bike seats are a good start, but the most important factor is how the bicycle seat actually feels to you, regardless of its label.
In fact, research shows that men and women distribute pressure on a bicycle seat differently. Women actually experience more pressure in the pubic region while men actually experience more spinous and posterior ischial pressure.[³]
6. Suspension Seatposts & Comfort Bicycle Seats
If you are a casual rider or frequently cycle on rough roads, a suspension seatpost may be beneficial to you as it can absorb shocks and vibrations that would otherwise come through the bicycle seat.
Plus, if you pair it with a comfortable bicycle seat, it also reduces the pressure on your lower back and hips: which is actually wider and often has springs or extra padding which can really make a huge difference in the ride quality and you’ll particularly see this for older riders or riders recovering from injuries.
Adjust the Bicycle Seat Position
If the bicycle seat is not aligned correctly, it does not matter whether you have bought a new bicycle seat or even the correct bicycle seat can cause you to feel roughness in your body while riding.
1. Height of Bicycle Seat
Bicycle seat height is the most important adjustment for both comfort and efficiency, because if the bicycle seat is too high your hips can rock from side to side, which unfortunately causes friction and can even cause pain in your lower back.
And if the bicycle seat height is too low, it will not be beneficial at all as it will cause your knees to bend too much, which can lead to joint pain and even fatigue.
So, the point is that you need to place the bicycle seat in the correct position, and this is the simple way to adjust the bicycle seat properly:
First you need to sit on your bike with your heel at the bottom of the pedal which is like the 6 o’clock position depicted, as your leg should be fully extended but your hips should remain level.
And when you come back onto the ball of your foot during normal pedaling, it actually creates a slight bend in your knee that ranges between about 25 to 35 degrees, which is ideal for both comfort and power.
Plus, research into cycling biomechanics actually shows that proper bicycle seat height not only improves comfort, but it also reduces the risk of injury and ultimately increases pedaling efficiency.
2. Tilt of Bicycle Seat
The inclination or you can say angle of your bicycle seat actually determines where the pressure actually goes when you sit on it.
Therefore, a neutral/flat bicycle seat is the starting point that is recommended by most bike fit experts, which simply means that the bicycle seat is completely level from front to back.
If you really feel like there is pressure on your soft tissues or numbness in your back, you can tilt it down a little bit, but make sure it is not more than 1 to 2 degrees on the nose to relieve the pressure.
Additionally, you need to avoid tilting the bicycle seat too low, as this can cause you to literally slide forward while cycling, which can also put pressure on your hands, wrists, and shoulders.
Also, you should not tilt it upwards either, as this can literally increase the pressure on the perineum, which can also cause numbness or discomfort.
So, basically small adjustments go a long way, so just use a level or angle app for the precision needed to get the right angle.
3. Fore-Aft Position
It is the fore-aft or you can say front-to-back position of your bicycle seat that actually affects your centre of gravity on the bicycle.
So, if it is too far forward, it will obviously feel tight and otherwise pedaling too far back can make pedaling inefficient and also put pressure on your lower back.
To adjust it properly, you can do the following:
First you have to use the knee-over-pedal-spindle also known as the KOPS method, as when sitting on a bicycle with the cranks horizontal that is the pedals at 3 and 9 o’clock, simply drop a plumb line from the front of your knee, and make sure it’s lined up with the center of the pedal axle/spindle.
This is actually the position that ensures a balanced weight distribution that is optimal for pedaling so that you can avoid putting less stress on your knees and hips.
Read More:
Wear Proper Cycling Gear
In fact, your choice of clothing also plays a bigger role in feeling comfortable on a bicycle seat than most people actually realize.
1. Padded Cycling Shorts or Bibs
When you need to modify the bicycle seat to make it more comfortable you can simply modify it by wearing padded cycling shorts or bib shorts, it really helps a lot.
Since these are specially designed, they reduce pressure on your sit bones and also prevent friction in sensitive areas.
Not only that, but the pad inside is known as chamois which is strategically placed to act like a cushion to provide comfort to contact points and reduce vibrations from the road or trail.
You should consider high-quality chamois because they are made of multi-density foam or gel and they are shaped to support your anatomy without being bulky.
Plus, according to Cycling Ergonomics research: Padded shorts can actually reduce pressure on the perineal area by up to 60% which really helps prevent numbness and soft tissue pain.
Additionally, bib shorts have shoulder straps instead of a waistband, which is preferred by many long-distance riders because they stay in place better and they also eliminate pressure on the stomach more easily.
2. Seamless, Moisture-Wicking Fabric
If you wear normal clothes like: cotton shorts or underwear which are not made for cycling, they too will rub against your skin while pedaling as their seams move which will literally cause friction, irritation and even sores on the bicycle seat on long rides.
Plus, cycling-specific gear is actually made with seamless or flat-seam construction that really reduces friction to a minimum.
Even more, it actually uses moisture wicking fabric that pulls sweat away from your skin and dries quickly which really helps you stay cooler, cleaner, and more comfortable which is very helpful especially in hot or humid conditions.
What’s more, the moist environment between your skin and clothing is a great way to actually cause skin irritation and bacterial growth, so staying dry is important for comfort and hygiene.
3. Chamois Cream
If you go on long trips or really struggle with skin irritation, you can use chamois cream which can really be a game-changer, as this cream literally helps reduce friction and heat build-up and you have to apply it directly on your skin or chamois pad, it is also the main cause of bicycle seat sores that you can easily eliminate.
Because most chamois creams actually contain antibacterial ingredients that prevent infection and soothing compounds like aloe or shea butter that soothe irritated skin.
Plus, it’s especially helpful in areas where your body rubs against the bike seat while you’re pedaling, such as the inner thighs and groin.
Therefore, many professional and endurance cyclists actually carry these with them for their benefit on long weekend trips.
Conclusion
You have to make sure what your body actually needs and then adjust your bicycle seat and gears properly, such as: choosing the right bicycle, adjusting its nutrition and position, as well as wearing proper cycling clothing, as this also plays an important role in improving the comfort of the bicycle seat.
So, this is a simple yet powerful guide on How To Make a Bicycle Seat More Comfortable and now you can easily improve the comfort of your bicycle seat to the maximum level and enjoy riding for a longer period as you will not suffer from knee pain, fatigue and roughness as well.
We are always available to solve your doubts so feel free to ask any unanswered questions in your mind and let us know by commenting in this guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How do I know if my bicycle seat is the wrong size?
Answer: If you feel pain or numbness during short rides, or if your seat bones don’t really feel properly supported, you should have your bicycle seat checked; it may be too narrow or too wide. Besides that, you need to measure your seat bone width and then choose the right type of bicycle seat that suits you, which can really improve the comfort a lot.
Q2. Can adjusting the bicycle seat position really reduce discomfort?
Answer: Yes it really works if you make some small changes in the bicycle seat height, tilt and front-back position it will actually balance your body weight and pressure points, as it actually prevents pain and numbness while riding, so yes it does work.
References:
[1] CyclingNews. (2024). Why saddle discomfort is a silent barrier.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/cyclings-most-sensitive-issue-why-saddle-discomfort-is-one-of-the-most-pressing-and-silent-barriers-to-entry-for-female-cyclists/
[2] The Effect of Bicycle Saddle Widths on Saddle Pressure in Female Cyclists
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10499128/
[3] Saddle pressures distribution at different pedaling intensities in young off-road cyclists: focus on sex
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12042230/
Jonathan, the passionate owner of Bicycle Time, brings a lifelong love for bikes and automotive craftsmanship, that reflects into every corner of the shop. With deep passion in both cycling and automotive accessories, Jonathan is more than just an expert.