A Quest to Find the Perfect Saddle

Hey ABOB Family!

My name is Lucas, and I was on the 2024 Steamboat Spring Gravel Team. I'm writing to tell you about a great saddle that has helped me stay on my bike with minimal discomfort. I don't think I'll ever have a pain-free, floating cloud feeling, but Bisaddle is a game-changer. 

Lucas finishing SBT GRVL with his Bi-Saddle

I have been riding gravel for over a year and a half and have put many miles in.  About 8 months after starting my gravel journey, I began to have some issues with my saddle.  I had swapped my stock saddle out for a higher-end Brooks saddle that was supposed to be great.  At first, it was fine, but I started developing some issues. I was having soft tissue issues, and my physical therapist said it was Cyclist Syndrome (pudendal neuralgia).  I had butt pain, saddle sores, and generally a horrible time in the saddle as I was constantly trying to shift around to find the sweet spot, but I never could. I was very concerned that I would not be able to continue riding, and as the issues worsened, I rode less and less, and eventually, I stopped riding. 

I contacted my PT, who also does bike fittings, and suggested I look into a Bisaddle to relieve my Cyclist Syndrome. Side note: I highly recommend getting a bike fit. Many local bike shops will know someone who can do this for you, and it is well worth the cost. My PT said that the Bisaddle is very customizable to fit my size.  She explained how our sit bones need to be supported well to carry the weight during riding, and if the saddle is not the right size, you will eventually have issues, and that stock saddles are not designed with someone my size in mind.  I looked at a few suggested options; she gave me low, middle, and higher-cost options.  My instinct was to go for the cheapest option, but I figured I would not like the cheaper one and went with Bisaddle, and I am so happy that I did. 

Their website https://bisaddle.com/ has a quiz to help you find the right saddle; I ended up with the Bonneville Distance SRT 2.0, a shorter saddle (front to back).  

The shipping was speedy, and as I unboxed the saddle, I was excited to see a saddle that could be adjusted from a standard narrow width to accommodate my large frame. The instructions are great; you sit on a piece of cardboard on a counter, and your sit bones will make an indention.  Use a crayon sideways on the cardboard, and two circles will appear.  You put an X in the middle and that is your sit bone width.  Adjust the saddle to match that distance, and you will be in business!

The saddle has a specialized Allen wrench that will fit in the narrow gaps under the seat (keep this in your bike tool kit; I taped a bright piece of parachute cord to it so I could find it easily). The adjustment was easy; the saddle has numbers like a ruler, so you can see where to keep your saddle. 

I did have to play with the width a bit to find the sweet spot, but once I did, OH HELL YES!  Within the first ride, I had almost no numbness, soreness, or other soft tissue issues.  

My symptoms have not gone away completely, and my PT said they may not; after all, I am a large human on a bike, but I have not had to stop riding my bike because of them.  I can ride my long distances being nearly pain-free (can we ever really be pain-free on a bike?). 

I spent over 10 hours at Garmin Gravel Worlds in 100+ degree heat and had no problems (with the saddle, I had tons of other issues during that race, but that is a story for another time).  I have logged over 1,000 miles on my Bisaddle and love it, and I will be getting another seat for my second bike.  Now and then, I need to adjust the width because the seat can "float" a bit, or I just need the padding to be a little to the left or right.  The beauty of this saddle is that it has four adjustment points, two in the front and two in the rear, which allows for a custom fit. I like my saddle to be narrower in the front and almost as wide as it will go in the rear.  Another awesome thing about the Bisaddle is that on the rails that mount to your seat post, there are numbers so you can track and adjust your seat from front to back without guessing.  

Yes, they are a bit expensive, but they are worth the cost because if you are not comfortable in your saddle, you won't ride.

If you have any questions about the saddle or my experience, don't hesitate to reach out on Instagram @captain_party_pace