THE RIGHT SADDLE FOR MORE POWER

Cyclists are suckers for tradition. We’re also suckers for aesthetics. And we’re really suckers for aesthetic traditions, which is why socks should hit the right height, why caps should loft just so, and why, for decades, many of us accepted riding with numb junk because saddles were supposed to look long and lean, much like the pro road racers perched upon them.

We know better now – at least about the saddles. Seats come in dozens of shapes and sizes to support your weight without crushing your undercarriage. But the right saddle isn’t just about comfort; it will also improve bike control, minimise overuse injuries, and put more power into your pedal stroke.

“Your saddle is essential for proprioceptive feedback when you ride,” says Dr Sonja Stilp, a spine and sports specialist based in Boulder, US. “It’s the part of the bike that makes you feel one with the bike, that tells you where your body is in space as you corner, descend and climb. If that connection is impaired, your performance will suffer.”

So will your power output, because your saddle is where you plant yourself to generate force through the pedals. “A powerful pedal stroke depends on the optimum firing of your muscles, which depends on proper alignment of your hips, knees, and ankles. Your position on your saddle dictates that,” Stilp says. Your seat also has to allow you to change position for climbing, sprinting, and descending.

Of course, riders can – and do – adjust to ill-suited saddles, but often at a price, Stilp says. “Riders will assume poor riding posture to adapt to a saddle, even sometimes sitting crooked on the bike.” This poor posture can cause muscle imbalances that lead to pain and injury in the shoulders, wrists and neck from weight shifted too far forward; or the hips, knees, and back from a faulty bike position, Stilp explains. When people don’t like to ride long, it’s often because they’re on the wrong saddle, she says.

I learned that the hard way when I raced the seven-day BC Bike Race years back. I flew to the race with a new bike. The saddle had proved to be fine for my first few short test rides, but it was much less fine for four- to five-hour days. By stage four, I had rubbed a raw outline of the saddle into my nether regions as I forced myself into the positions required for max power and control over technical terrain. Yes, it was as uncomfortable as it sounds.

Fortunately, I (and saddle design) have come a long way since then. There are shapes, widths, and designs to accommodate every cyclist and how they ride, says integrative physiologist Garrett Getter, product manager for saddles, grips and tapes at Specialized Bicycle Components. “It’s well worth the time and effort to test different saddles to find one that supports your sit bones and soft tissues so you can maximise muscle recruitment and ride your best for as long as you want to ride,” he says.

And it’ll help you with the best cycling tradition of all: loving every ride.