IOWA CITYBICYCLE SEAT REPLACEMENT

Bicycle Seat Replacement in Mobile Auto Truck Repair Iowa City

Bicycle Seat Replacement Service near Iowa City IA: Replace your bicycle’s seat (officially known as a saddle) and upgrade your bike riding experience with this simple tutorial. Whether your seat has been mangled by a squirrel, is making your ride uncomfortable, or if you are just ready for a change, this guide will walk you through how to replace and position your new seat for maximum comfort. Mobile Auto Truck Repair Iowa City, You can purchase a new bike seat from your local bike shop or online retailer.

A good bike seat in the correct position will not only provide a more comfortable ride, but also encourages good posture while minimizing unhealthy strain.Mobile Auto Truck Repair Iowa City, it is important to make sure you have the best possible seat set-up for you, whether you are racing in the Olympics or just racing to class.

The Importance Of A Good Saddle Seat And Why You Have To Change It

Pain from your bicycle seat doesn’t have to come with the territory. Pain in the saddle can be an indication of many things, including an incorrectly sized seat, inadequate padding and poor positioning. Diagnosing your saddle pain and correcting it can help you enjoy your ride without worrying about potentially damaging any sensitive tissue. A correction to your saddle position could also improve your pedaling efficiency, giving you more power on those tough hills.

Sizing Up Your Seat

Eliminating saddle pain starts with a correctly sized seat that properly distributes your weight. More padding isn’t the solution; you want your contact point with the saddle to be directly on your sit bones, which jut out from your pelvis underneath the flesh of your buttocks. To find your sit bones, try sitting on a table or other flat surface. The two points that contact this surface most firmly are your sit bones. Find a saddle with a width that matches these contact points. Most bike shops have an accredited bike fitter on staff that can assist you in finding the exact measurement.

Less Is More

With too much cushioning, you may be distributing your weight between your legs, where pressure and vibration can damage sensitive tissue. A good bicycle seat uses high-density foam that matches your sit bones and provides good cushioning without improperly cradling your weight. A channel down the center of some bike seats eliminates contact altogether, which can relieve saddle-related pain or numbness. Finding the right balance between cushion and support is key to eliminating your pain, so don’t be afraid to ask to try a few saddles at your local bike shop.

Sitting Pretty

The proper position in your bicycle seat can make a big difference in your comfort. With your bike leaned up against a wall, mount your seat and rotate the pedals so that one crank is pointed straight to the floor. While seated, your knee should be just slightly bent and you shouldn’t be straining to reach the pedals. Now that your seat is correct, lean forward, grab the handlebars and adjust your stem height until the position is natural and your neck isn’t craning. If you can’t get your positioning right, check that your bike frame is the correct size by matching your inseam to the manufacturer’s sizing chart. If it isn’t correct and you do a lot of cycling, it’s worth your time to try and get a properly sized bike.

Finding a Short Solution

A pair of cycling shorts is a necessity for rides further than a few miles. All professional cyclists use them, and they come in a wide variety of price ranges, styles and materials. Cycling shorts have a chamois pad built in that provides extra cushion when you’re in the saddle and can relieve a lot of issues associated with cycling such as soreness, chafing and numbness. If you want to get the most out of your ride, coupling your seat with a pair of cycling shorts is the safest and most comfortable way to ride.

How to Choose a Bike Seat

Bicycle Seat Replacement Service near Iowa City IA: If you’re considering a new bike seat (more properly known as a saddle), it’s likely because the one you’re currently riding on is uncomfortable. Comfort is a common issue, especially among new cyclists, and one solution is to get a new saddle that’s better suited to the type of riding you do and your body mechanics.

Choosing a new seat can be a daunting task, though. There are lots of options and comfort is often very subjective, which means the saddle that works for your friend won’t necessarily work for you. This article will help you understand how things like bike seat materials, cushioning, design and size, as well as the type of riding you do, can influence your choice of bike seat. If you’re headed to a bike shop, see if you can test ride a seat to check the comfort. Many stores, even if they don’t have the exact one you want to test, will have something comparable that you can try. While you’re riding, vary your position, ride quickly and more slowly and hit some bumps.

Consider the Type of Riding You Do

Bike seats are frequently placed into one of these five categories:

• Recreational cycling: If you sit upright while pedaling a cruiser, urban or commuter bike and prefer short rides, try a saddle designed for recreational cycling. The saddles are often wide with plush padding and/or springs, and sometimes sport a short nose.
• Road cycling: Are you racing or clocking significant road miles? Road cycling saddles tend to be long and narrow and have minimal padding for the best power transfer while pedaling.
• Mountain biking: On mountain trails, you alternately stand up on the pedals, perch way back (sometimes just hovering over or even off your saddle) or crouch down in a tucked position. Because of these varied positions, you’ll want a mountain-specific saddle with padding for your sit bones, a durable cover and a streamlined shape that will aid your movement.
• Bike touring: For long-distance riding, you’ll want a saddle that falls between a road and mountain saddle. Saddles for bike touring typically provide cushioning for your sit bones and a fairly long, narrow nose.
• Bike commuting: A lot like saddles for road cycling and bike touring, saddles that are good for commuting have some padding, but generally not too much. Bike commuters who ride rain or shine may want to consider the weather resistance of the cover materials.

Decide What Type of Cushioning You Want

There are two broad categories for bike saddles: performance saddles which have minimal cushioning and cushioning saddles which tend to be plush.

Performance saddles are typically long and narrow and have minimal padding to create maximum power transfer and minimal chafing while pedaling. They are commonly found on road bikes, mountain bikes and touring bikes.

An illustration of a cushioning bike saddle

Cushioning saddles tend to be wide with plush padding and/or springs to absorb bumps in the road. They often have a short nose. They are typically found on bikes designed for recreational cycling and cruising.

The two most common types of cushioning are gel and foam.

Gel cushioning molds to your body and provides the plushest comfort. Most recreational riders prefer this for its superior comfort on casual rides. Its downside is that gel tends to get compacted more quickly than foam.

Foam cushioning offers a pliable feel that springs back to shape. Road riders favor foam as it provides more support than gel while still delivering comfort. For longer rides, riders over 200 lbs. or riders with well-conditioned sit bones, firmer foam is preferred as it doesn’t compact as quickly as softer foam or gel.

No cushioning: Some bike saddles have zero cushioning. These saddles often have leather or cotton covers. Although a no-cushioning saddle may be uncomfortable for some riders when it is brand new, it will break in with frequent riding and eventually mold to your weight and shape. Some riders say that the “custom fit” you can get from leather or cotton saddles makes them more comfortable despite them not having any cushioning. Another plus of saddles with no cushioning is that they tend to stay cooler, a definite advantage on long, hot rides. Choose this option if a saddle with cushioning hasn’t worked well for you and if you’re drawn to the classic look of a leather or cotton saddle.

A saddle pad is an optional add-on that can be placed over any saddle for additional cushioning. Though plush and comfortable, its padding is not as contained as is a saddle that’s already padded, so it may migrate where you don’t need or want it. This is not an issue for recreational rides, but it could be for fast rides or for longer distances. If that’s your riding style, a pair of padded bike shorts or underwear may be a better investment.

Decide Which Saddle Materials You Prefer

Bicycle Seat Replacement Service near Iowa City IA: Saddles are made with a variety of materials that can affect things like weight, flex, break-in time, weatherproof ness and cost. The two main parts of a saddle to pay attention to are the cover and the rails.

• Synthetic: Most saddles are made entirely of synthetic materials, from the molded shell to the foam or gel padding and saddle cover. They are lightweight and low maintenance, and require no break-in time, making them a popular choice for most riders.
• Leather: Some saddles substitute a thin leather covering for a synthetic one but are otherwise very similar in materials used. Other leather saddles, however, are made solely from a leather cover that’s stretched and suspended between the rails of a metal frame. After a break-in period of about 200 miles, the leather molds to your weight and shape. Like an old baseball glove or a trusty pair of leather hiking boots, the initial period of use may include some discomfort, but the end result “fits like a glove.”

One downside of leather is that it is not waterproof, which means you may need to treat it with a leather conditioner on occasion. This can protect against moisture and against drying of the leather through UV exposure. Note: Check the manufacturer’s care instructions before using a conditioner or waterproofer on a leather saddle, as some manufacturers recommend against it.

• Cotton: A handful of saddles feature cotton as the cover material. Cotton covers are designed to stretch and move just a little while you ride, offering excellent comfort and control while pedaling. Another plus is that cotton requires a much shorter break-in period than leather.

Saddle Rails

The rails on a bike saddle are the connection points to the bike. Most saddles have two parallel rails that run from the nose of the saddle to the back of the saddle. A bike seat post clamps to the rails. Differences in rail material affect things like cost, weight, strength and flexibility.

• Steel: Steel is strong and reliable, but quite heavy, so if weight is a concern, consider other options. Most saddles REI sells have steel rails.
• Alloy: Alloys, like chromoly, are used in rails for their strength. They tend to be lighter than steel.
• Titanium: Titanium is very light and strong, and it does a good job of absorbing vibrations, but it’s expensive.
• Carbon: Like titanium, carbon has a very low weight and can be designed to absorb some vibrations, but it’s generally only available on very expensive saddles.

Make Sure Your Saddle Is Properly Adjusted

Bicycle Seat Replacement Service near Iowa City IA: Before you buy a new saddle, consider whether your current saddle simply needs an adjustment. (Or, when you get your new one, avoid introducing unnecessary problems).

• Saddle height: If your saddle is too high, it can cause you to shift your weight from side to side, which often results in irritation to your sensitive perineal area. For road bikes and hybrid bikes, the right saddle height will result in your leg having just a slight bend (roughly 80–90 % of full extension) when your foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke. To check this, have a friend hold your bike upright while you hop on the saddle and position the pedals. Mountain bikers may choose this position for flat, smooth trails, but if there are obstacles in the way or long descents, then a lower position is often preferred. An adjustable seat post that allows you to make quick adjustments with the press of button can be a good investment for mountain biking.
• Saddle fore/aft position: When your right foot is at the 3 o’clock position of the pedal stroke, your knee should be aligned over your forefoot. If your knee is too far forward or back, then you need to adjust the fore/aft position. Simply loosen the saddle binder bolt at the top of your seat post and underneath your saddle and slide the saddle forward or backward as needed.
• Saddle tilt: In most cases, it’s best to position your saddles so it’s parallel to the ground. To make saddle tilt adjustments, simply loosen the saddle binder bolt and adjust as needed.

Tips to Improve Your Comfort in the Saddle

Even with the right saddle, lots of bumps or long days in the saddle can lead to perineum compression. So, finding the most comfortable bike seat may require you to adjust your riding style. Here are some things you can try:

• Stand up briefly on your pedals every 10 minutes or so.
• Stand slightly over bumps, using your legs as shock absorbers.
• Get a full-suspension bike (best for mountain biking) or a suspension seat post (found on some recreational and commuting bikes).
• Wear padded bike shorts. They can help minimize friction, wick moisture and cushion bumps.