Okay, we all know that the male and female body is created differently. Therefore, it only makes sense that a woman would need a different type bike saddle than a man would yet many bikes are geared toward the male behind. If you love to ride but hate the discomfort that goes along with it, good news – today, a number of manufacturers are making bike seats (saddles) specifically for the female body so now, you can ride in comfort and style.
Interestingly, hundreds of thousands of women have ridden on a male saddle for years simply because they had no idea other options were available. However, as more and more doctors began to see women for problems relating specifically to the bike saddle, a light bulb went off. This means that instead of riding in pain or not riding at all, you can enjoy this form of activity, riding longer and further. Trying to say this delicately, the female genital anatomy is sensitive. Therefore, the bike seat should be molded to her external and internal body design.
Through years of study, researchers worked with various women of various body types, searching for an answer to the perfect female bike saddle. In all, eight specific seats were tested with incredible results. These studies revealed that the majority of women are hesitant to make comments about their anatomy when buying a bike. Therefore, they buy whatever is on the bike, hoping for the best.
The female bones that she sits on, called the ischial tuberosities, along with the ischium bones are joined by the symphysis ligament. Through various studies, it was found that the area between the ischium bones or vulvar tissue is what suffers from the bike ride most. The result from a typical ride includes numbness, boils, swelling, blisters, bruising, and abrasions. Obviously, that does not make for a very fun activity. Because of this, a special saddle was created that supports that particular bone structure while not interfering with the vulvar tissue.
The interesting finding is that for a woman to be comfortable riding, the saddle does not need more padding but a different shape. The bottom line, the bone structure, and the saddle should work together as one. This means the Ischia and ischial tuberosities need to be positioned squarely on the bike seat, bearing the majority of the woman’s body. Keep in mind that anatomically speaking, a woman’s pubic bone structure is much the same from one woman to the next. However, the vulvar tissue is not.
Therefore, purchasing a bike saddle designed to support the bone structure will automatically take unwanted pressure off the vulvar tissue. Additionally, the shape of the bike saddle will help determine how much support you are given. Although there are many wonderful choices now on the market, the number one choice among testers and daily riders is the Avocet 02 Air 40. Another decent option is the Serfas although it did not rank as high.