How to Choose a Bike Saddle, From a Professional Bike Fitter

Written by:

Renee Eastman

CTS Premier Cycling Coach

Updated On

September 9, 2025

CTS Premier Coach Renee Eastman has been a Retül Bike Fit professional for more than 10 years and a cycling coach and phsyiologist for more than 25 years. This is her bike saddle guide to comfort, clarity, and finally sitting on your bike without suffering.

Saddle discomfort is one of the most common issues I see in the fit studio and one of the easiest to fix with a little information. A little pressure? That’s normal. But pain, numbness, pinching, saddle sores, or that deep ache in your sit bones? Those are your body waving a red flag.

You don’t need to toughen up. You need a saddle that fits your anatomy and your riding style.

The good news is there are patterns that help identify the problems you’re experiencing. Once you know what to look for, most saddle issues can be solved with a combination of a saddle that has the right shape and width, and a few smart adjustments.

Quick Start: What Kind of Saddle Pain Do You Have?

Not sure where to start? Here is a quick guide to match your saddle pain to a likely culprit and what to try next.

Remember these are starting points, not absolutes.

A Reality Check on Bike Saddle Comfort

Cycling is a challenging sport and you’re not going to eliminate all discomfort, especially if you are pushing yourself or riding for several hours at a time. But with the right saddle, high quality cycling shorts, and a good bike fit, any saddle-related discomfort should only last as long as long as your ride. A few things to keep in mind:

• A bike saddle isn’t meant to feel like sitting on your favorite recliner, but it also shouldn’t leave you numb, bruised, or dreading long rides.
• Persistent discomfort means the saddle shape or width doesn’t match your body or riding position.
• What works for your riding buddy, or a pro with a totally different fit, might be completely wrong for you.
• Saddle comfort starts with understanding your body, flexibility, and riding style. Not with marketing or guesswork.

Understanding Bike Saddle Fit: What Actually Matters

Saddle fit doesn’t need to be purely trial and error. A better starting point is to match your body, flexibility and riding style to the right shape and support. Here’s what you need to know:

Sit Bone Width

Your saddle should support your sit bones. Not the soft tissue between them. You can tell if your saddle is too narrow or too wide by evaluating the type of discomfort:

• Too narrow = soft tissue pressure
• Too wide = chafing or inner thigh interference

Most riders benefit from a saddle ~20-30mm wider than their sit bone width. Many shops have tools to measure this. At home, you can sit on a piece of cardboard and measure the distance between the impressions.

Pelvic Tilt & Flexibility

Your ability to rotate your pelvis forward affects where and how you sit on the saddle.

If you’re not sure where you land, notice where you feel pressure and how often you shift positions. A bike fit can often pinpoint this quickly.

Riding Position

Handlebar drop, and posture directly influence saddle needs.

• Upright riders (e.g., gravel, MTB): Tend to need more support in the rear and often prefer saddles with a flatter profile and more stability.
• Aggressive riders (e.g., road racers, TT): Often need soft tissue relief in the front and prefer waved or short-nose saddles.

Do men and women need different saddles?

Some saddles are labeled and marketed for men or women, but individual fit and position matter more than what’s on the box. Females have wider hips than males, but there is considerable overlap between females with narrow hips and males with wider hips. Specialized developed their Mimic technology for female-specific saddles, but many of my male bike fit clients choose Specialized Mimic saddles because the width, fit, and shape works well for them.

Bike Saddle Shapes & Features: What They Actually Do

Once you understand how you ride and where you feel pressure, the next step is choosing a saddle shape that matches your body and position. Many online tools will steer you towards one of these shapes, but it’s important to understand why they are recommending it. This will help you interpret the suggestions and make better choices if the first try isn’t quite right.

Let’s break down key design terms, what they mean, and why they matter:

Additional Bike Saddle Considerations

Beyond the overall shape, these additional features can make or break comfort depending on your position and preferences:

Cutouts and Relief Channels

• Reduce soft tissue pressure and improve blood flow on the front end of the saddle.
• Full cutouts offer relief but can feel uncomfortable if shape doesn’t match anatomy.
• Relief channels are shallower and provide milder, more consistent support.

Saddle Length

• Short nose (240-255mm): Reduce pressure in aggressive, forward positions like TT and aero road.
• Traditional length (280-300mm): Offer more room to shift fore aft and better suited for long rides with varied terrain or position changes. Often preferred by MTB and gravel.

Padding and Shell Flex

• More padding doesn’t equal more comfort. Too much can deform under pressure and create hot spots.
• Some riders prefer a firmer saddle that holds shape and offers consistent support.
• A flexible shell can reduce vibration and improve comfort over rough surfaces but may feel too soft without structure.

Final Takeaways

A saddle is something that should disappear beneath you, not because you’re numb, but because you’re properly supported. It should match your position, mobility, and how you ride. Your saddle choice should not necessarily be governed by your gender, favorite brand, or whatever’s trending online.

Pay attention to where you feel pressure. Learn what shapes support your body best. And when shopping, skip the hype and focus on fit. Choose retailers with demo options or good return policies, and don’t be afraid to try more than one. Your local bike shop is often the best place to start.

If your saddle used to feel great and now it doesn’t, it might just be worn out. Most saddles last 2-5 years, depending on ride volume and conditions.

And if no saddle has ever quite felt right, that’s not a personal failing. It means you haven’t found the right match yet. A professional bike fit is often the fastest way out of saddle roulette. Fitters understand how position, anatomy, and equipment interact. They can help you get it right without all the guesswork.