General Cycling Discussion - Need a comfortable seat...

Hello everyone,
I am total newbie when it comes to biking. I just bought a Schwinn bike from Wal-Mart because I didn't want to spend over $150 for a new bike. Maybe if I get into this more I will a good bike.

Anyway, what are some comfortable seats that I could buy for my bike? I have a feeling my butt will get very sore very quickly with seat that came with the bike.

Thanks for your help.

I don't know the brands in the US, but here in Holland, Selle Royal is very popular. I use them on my bikes. They also come standard here on several bike brands.

http://www.selleroyal.com/

Try what you have first. You might be surprised. Give it several rides before deciding. Being new at the game your butt is going to get sore just because you haven't ridden much. The same would be true if your saddle cost as much as your bike. You have to break in your butt just like you have break in anything else. So give what you have a chance before you move on.

The next step I would suggest is to drop by your LBS (find a larger one) and see what they have as 'take off' saddles. Those are saddles that come new on bikes that are more expensive than yours, but are taken off without any use because the buyer all ready has one or knows exactly what they want. You can generally pick up a decent saddle for about $20--30. Most popular saddles today are Italian. Specialized also is pretty popular, as is Terry. But getting a saddle that is comfortable under your butt is a matter of trail and error. Just have to keep trying until you get one that fits.

Saddles are very specific to your anatomy. In other words, everyone's posterior is shaped differently. Therefore, I would try the saddle that came with the bike first - it very well may be a good fit. Then, if it doesn't work out, look for another. There are saddles in an almost limitless variety of shapes and sizes.

Understand that your butt will need to get conditioned to ANY saddle. Therefore, the first several rides of each season, you will be a bit tender in the lower areas regardless of how well your saddle fits you.

Good luck!!! :)

Pretty much what everyone else said, but I would also look into some padded baggy shorts. You should be able to find a pair at an LBS or over the net for pretty cheap and they will improve your comfort trmendously. You also need to realizem (especially if this is the first bike in a while) that most bikes seats do look uncomfortabley skinny or hard. The reality is that while you're riding, they turn out to be just right because they allow for you to move around over the bike, etc. If, after several rides, the seat still isn't comfortable, going to your LBS or ordering over the net is the best bet. You can check out www.mtbr.com for reviews to find out what saddle seems to be the most comfortable for the majoirty of people, but you have to keep in mind that a seat might fit you completely different. I went through two before I found the third that I bought, which is what I ride now, and will be transfered to my next bike as well. Good luck!


-Moab

I would sugest getting a suspension seat post. I do this with ALL my bicycles and get good results with it. An alternative would be to buy an expensive Brooks saddle. Unfortunatly, that saddle would cost almost as much as the bike so forget it.

A suspension seat post is cheap ( about 20-25 USD) and it works. Try that.

Thanks everyone for your help! I went ahead and purchased a WTB Speed-V comp saddle off of ebay today. Hopefully my butt won't be sore with this one!

Don't bet on it.