How to Choose the Right Saddle
Could Your Saddle Be The Problem?
Numb hands. Sore feet. Constant shifting. Pressure in areas you would rather not mention.
A lot of riders assume these things are just part of cycling. But more often than not, they are signs that your body is trying to escape pressure from the saddle.
The tricky part is that saddle problems do not always feel like saddle problems.
Sometimes the discomfort shows up in your hands because you are pushing more weight into the bars. Sometimes it shows up in your feet because you are bracing through the pedals. Sometimes you keep sliding forward, shifting backwards, or moving from side to side without realising that your body is trying to find support.
Before buying another saddle, or assuming you simply need something softer, it helps to understand what a saddle is actually supposed to do.
A saddle is not just a cushion. It is a contact point that supports your pelvis, stabilises your position, and relieves pressure in the areas that need it most.
When it is doing its job, you should feel supported, stable, and able to hold your position comfortably. When it is not, your body starts to compensate.
Understanding The Anatomy Of A Saddle
A saddle may look simple, but every part of its shape affects how you sit, move and feel on the bike.
This is why choosing the right saddle is about more than just width, softness or whether it is labelled “men’s” or “women’s”. The important question is how your body actually interacts with the saddle when you ride.
The Widest Part Of The Saddle
This is usually where riders assume most of the support comes from. It is also where saddle width is often measured.
But width alone can be misleading.
A saddle may measure wide on paper, but that does not always tell you where your body will actually settle, how much support you will feel, or whether the saddle shape suits the way you ride.
The Midsection Of The Saddle
The midsection is one of the most important areas of the saddle.
It affects how stable you feel and where your body naturally settles. If the saddle is too narrow through this area, you may keep searching for support further back. If it is too wide or too abrupt through the transition, it may push you forward onto the nose.
This is where many riders start to experience discomfort without realising the saddle shape is part of the problem.
The Cutout Or Channel
The cutout, or relief channel, runs through the centre of the saddle. Its job is to reduce pressure through soft tissue areas.
Dave very rarely recommends saddles without a cutout, because pressure relief is significant for most riders.
But the cutout needs to be properly supported. If the saddle is too soft and collapses into that space, the pressure relief becomes far less effective.
The Nose Of The Saddle
The nose is the front section of the saddle.
It can become a problem if the saddle shape pushes you forward. If you are constantly ending up on the nose, you may be putting pressure exactly where you do not want it.
This is often a sign that the saddle is not supporting you correctly through the rear or midsection.
The Transition Area
The transition area sits between the wider rear section and the narrower front section of the saddle.
It matters more than most riders realise.
If this transition is too abrupt, too wide, or poorly matched to your body, it can interfere with how your thighs move and push you forward while riding.
A good saddle gives you enough stability to stay supported, while still giving you enough freedom and relief where you need it.
That balance is the real goal.
One Of The Most Common Misconceptions In Cycling
More padding does not always mean more comfort.
A very soft saddle might feel comfortable when you press it with your hand or sit on it in the shop, but that does not always translate once you are riding for an hour or two.
When a saddle is too soft, it can lose its structure under load. That matters because the shape of the saddle is doing a job.
The cutout or channel is there to create soft tissue relief. But if the foam or gel collapses into that space, you lose the structural integrity of the gap.
Long-term comfort is not about softness alone.
It is about support, stability, shape, width and pressure relief working together.
How To Choose The Right Saddle
1. Pay Attention To Where You End Up
One of the simplest ways to understand whether your saddle is working for you is to notice where you naturally sit while riding.
Do you keep sliding forward?
Do you keep shifting backwards?
Do you move from side to side?
These are all clues.
Riders on saddles that are too narrow often sit far back because they are trying to find support. Riders on saddles that are too wide or too abrupt through the transition may end up being pushed forward onto the nose.
Neither position is ideal.
You want to feel stable in the right part of the saddle, not like you are constantly searching for a comfortable spot.
2. Don’t Choose Based On Gender Alone
Men’s and women’s saddles can be useful categories, but they are not the full story.
Anatomy varies from person to person.
At Gear Change, we often prescribe women’s saddles to men, and sometimes men’s saddles to women, because the right choice depends on the individual rider, not just the category printed on the box.
The difference between one rider and another can matter more than the difference between “male” and “female” saddle categories.
3. Think About Pressure And Friction
Pressure and friction are two of the biggest contributors to saddle discomfort.
Pressure happens when too much load is placed in the wrong area.
Friction happens when you move around too much on the saddle, or when the saddle and bibs do not work well with the way you move.
This is where stability becomes important.
If the saddle is not supporting you properly, you may keep shifting to escape pressure. That movement can create more rubbing, more irritation and more discomfort over time.
The right saddle should help you feel supported enough to stay stable, while still allowing you to move naturally when you need to.
4. Remember That The Saddle Isn’t Always The Only Problem
This is especially important if you have already tried a lot of saddles and nothing has worked.
If someone has been through 10 or 15 saddles and still cannot find relief, the problem is often not just the saddle. It may be how the rider is moving around the saddle.
Pelvic rocking, poor foot stability, crank length, riding position and overall bike fit can all affect saddle comfort.
In other words, you should not always try to solve a movement problem with another saddle.
Sometimes the right saddle is part of the answer. Sometimes the bigger issue is how your body is being positioned on the bike.
This is where a proper bike fit can make a big difference. A bike fit looks at how your body interacts with the bike as a whole, rather than treating the saddle as an isolated problem.
5. Consider How Often You Ride
Not every rider needs the same level of firmness.
If you only ride once a week, you may benefit from a saddle with a little more give. Your body may not build the same tolerance as someone riding five days a week.
But more give does not mean overly soft or gel-like.
You still need structure, support and a cutout or channel that holds its shape under load.
If you ride more often, you may be able to tolerate a firmer saddle. That said, Dave is clear that he does not believe most riders need to be on a hard plank anymore.
Comfort has real benefits.
It can improve your posture, stability, power and ability to hold your position for longer.
Understanding Different Types Of Saddles
There are a few broad saddle categories worth knowing about.
Cutout Saddles
For most riders, Dave recommends starting with a saddle that has a cutout or pressure-relief channel.
The goal is to reduce soft tissue pressure while keeping the rest of the saddle stable enough to support your body.
The cutout needs to be well designed and properly supported. If the saddle is too soft and collapses into the cutout, the pressure relief becomes much less effective.
Short, Wide Saddles
Shorter, wider saddles have become popular, especially in road and performance cycling.
They can work very well for some riders, but they are not automatically better.
If the transition from the wide section to the nose is too abrupt, it can push some riders forward. That may leave them sitting on the nose and creating soft tissue pressure anyway.
So the question is not only:
“Is this saddle wide enough?”
The better question is:
“Where does this saddle make me sit?”
3D-Printed Saddles
3D-printed saddles have a place, but they are not for everyone.
They can offer clever support and pressure relief when prescribed correctly. But if someone has a lot of pelvic movement or instability, the textured surface can sometimes hold the shorts while the rider moves against them, which may create friction.
So while 3D-printed saddles can be excellent, they still need to match the rider.
The technology alone does not guarantee comfort.
Softer Saddles
Softer saddles can be helpful for riders who ride less often or need a bit more give.
But there is a difference between soft and unstable.
A good saddle can feel comfortable without becoming squidgy. The moment the saddle collapses too much, you can lose support, stability and pressure relief.
Dave’s Saddle Picks
There is no single saddle that works for everyone, but these are two ranges Dave often comes back to.
Terry Saddle Range
Terry saddles have been one of the biggest success stories at Gear Change.
They work well for a wide range of riders because they offer a strong balance of comfort, stability, length and pressure relief.
Why Dave likes them
- They have a very good cutout
- They offer a stable platform
- They are soft enough to be comfortable, but not so soft that they lose support
- They have a longer profile, which allows riders to move naturally
- They tend to work well for both recreational and performance riders
Aeolus PRO Saddle Range
The Aeolus PRO saddle range is a strong option for riders looking for something more performance-focused.
The range includes different shapes, widths and versions, including standard options and the 3D-printed AirLoom model.
Why Dave likes them:
- Multiple widths and shapes available
- Standard and 3D-printed options
- Updated wing profile for better comfort and support
- Good option for riders in a more aggressive riding position
- Strong balance between performance and comfort when matched correctly
The key is choosing the right version for the rider, not simply picking the most advanced or expensive option.
The Best Test Is Still A Real Ride!
You can read reviews for hours. You can compare widths online. You can ask five different friends what they ride.
But saddle comfort is personal.
That is why we prefer to fit the saddle to your bike and let you ride it around the block.
In most cases, you will know very quickly whether it feels right.
Pop into one of our stores and chat to the team. We will help you look at how you ride, where you are experiencing discomfort, and which saddle shape is most likely to suit your body and bike.
Because riding comfortably is so important to us, our comfort warranty gives you the freedom to return a saddle within 30 days.
The right saddle should not just feel better. It should help you ride better!