Make it fit: female saddle adjustment

Make it fit: female saddle adjustment

Saddle discomfort is something that affects a lot of women – it can even be the reason some women decide that cycling is just not the hobby for them. It doesn’t have to be that way, though – with a little careful analysis you can hunt down the right perch and turn painful rides into a thing of the past.

The difficultly in the saddle hunt is that no two women are created the same – so because one model is perfect for your friend, it doesn’t mean it’ll work for you. That also means that we can’t review saddles and say ‘this seat is excellent and will meet your needs’, because what works for our nether regions might be very different.
Many saddles are labeled ‘male’ or ‘female’ based on generalized anatomical differences between the sexes: Men typically have narrower sit bones and longer (from front-to-back) pelvises and thus ‘male’ saddles have slimmer rears and longer noses, while women’s bodies typically have wider sit bones and shorter pelvises, and thus ‘female’ saddles are usually wider in the rear with shorter noses.
That said, some women have narrow sit bones, some men have short pelvises, and not all people fit nicely into categories. We’re all unique creatures and saddle fit is very personal. The ‘sex’ of a saddle alone isn’t enough to tell you whether or not it will fit your body. That’s why we encourage you use our Saddle Library to try out a variety of saddles; putting a saddle on your bike and taking it out on a ride (or two, or three…) is the absolute best way to test if it’s the one for you.   

Some people ride their bikes up the mountain every day. The bikes seat is rusty and makes holes in my shorts. These experiences have taught me a lot about the possible problems of bike saddle position and bike fit. I have little experience in high-end bike parts or top equipment. But over the years, I have developed a positive attitude towards troubleshooting, which enables me to move forward, learn and take risks on any rolling bike.

However, like many women riding bikes, I have experienced a certain degree of saddle pain. Only recently did I find a suitable saddle and saddle position, which made me realize.

When you ride a bike, your crotch – your vulva, your woman’s Garden – should not be hurt.

If you are a novice cyclist or a long-distance cyclist, some pain is normal（ If you sit on a hard object for a long time, it is normal for you to have a certain degree of pain.) However, persistent and severe pain and soft tissue swelling are not. Cycling should not cause such pain. If so, you will encounter a problem, which can be solved by troubleshooting saddle adjustment and saddle selection. The following is the method of female saddle adjustment.

The sitting bones at the bottom of your pelvis are where you should rest.

Why does riding a bike cause crotch pain

For women, crotch pain is usually caused by excessive pressure on the soft tissue of the vulva. When you sit on a bike saddle, your weight should be placed on the sciatic bone, which is the two bone points at the bottom of the pelvis. If you put too much weight on the vulva itself (your labia and its neighbors), these soft tissues will become painful, swollen or numb.

Excessive vulvar pressure is often caused by incorrect saddle height, inclination and front and rear positioning; The saddle adjustment related to the overall bike coordination is incorrect; Or incorrect saddle selection. However, it is important to remember that there is no exact “right way” that works for everyone. Proper adjustment means adjusting the bike to suit your personal body and riding style. It’s all about you and how you feel when you ride.

The saddle height has a great influence on the three main contact points.

Saddle adjustment: height

The height of the saddle balances the weight between the three main contact points: feet, hands and crotch. If the saddle is too low or too high, it will force the weight from your feet or hands to your crotch. Generally speaking, when fully extended, your knees should have a slight bend. Adjust the saddle height in small increments until you feel a balance between the three contact points while riding.
Explain the effect of tilting the bike saddle up or down too much. Tilting your saddle up or down too much can quickly lead to pain points.

Tilting the saddle up or down too far can quickly cause pain.

Saddle adjustment: tilt

Adjust the saddle to the neutral position. The nose should not be significantly up or down. If the nose is up, it may go deep into your soft tissue; If it points down, you can slide forward to the narrow end of the saddle. Tilting down can also cause excessive pressure on the opponent and cause wrist pain. Explain the technique of setting the front / rear position of the bike saddle. Check that your spindle / kneecap alignment is in good front / rear saddle position.

Check the alignment of the spindle / kneecap to ensure that the saddle is in good front and rear position.

Saddle adjustment: front / rear

Usually, when you press the pedal so that the crank arm (the metal part connecting the pedal to the rest of the bike) is level with the ground, your kneecap should be directly above the pedal shaft (the central part of the bike). Pedal rotating on the bearing).
You can measure this by placing the bike on a flat surface and suspending a plumb from the kneecap to the pedal shaft. I’ve spent hours tying up homemade plumbs and hanging them on my lap in the parking lot. Some people swear by this method – when I try this method, I mostly just swear.

For most beginners, it is important to understand that the front / rear position is adjustable and will affect your saddle comfort and overall bike fit. If you are not sure how far forward or backward to place the saddle, start in the middle and make a small adjustment from there.

If you don’t know how to set your saddle height, you can go to this place to see how.

Saddle height guide: How to set your saddle height？

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