Bike Saddles for Women – How to Sit Happily on the Saddle All Day Long

The daily commute to work, longer tours at the weekend or a short ride to your nearest park – it doesn’t matter how or where you ride your bike: the be-all and end-all is always comfort. Because whether it's a short or long tour – cycling is only fun when it's comfortable. The saddle therefore plays a crucial role in ensuring both men and women feel comfortable on their two-wheeler. After all, a significant part of the body weight is borne on a relatively small (seat) area. The result is high pressure on the buttocks, genital and perineal areas, which can quickly lead to pressure sores and numbness. A bicycle saddle for women is a bicycle saddle that is specially designed for female anatomy – and is intended to prevent precisely these problems.

But what makes bicycle saddles for women so special? While for men the pressure is often on the perineal area when cycling, women often sit more on the genital area. The pressure therefore starts a little further forward. This is also reinforced by the fact that female cyclists tilt their pelvis slightly more forward than male cyclists due to their anatomy. Unisex or men's saddles therefore often provide too much pressure at the saddle tip due to their design. For this reason, many women's saddles have a lower saddle nose that reduces pressure at the front. In addition, bicycle saddles for women are often slightly wider and flatter than bicycle saddles for men. This design distributes the pressure over a larger area and thus reduces it at certain points. Women's saddles are also often a little more padded.

Bicycle saddles for women are available in the same wide array as saddles for men. For example, you can choose from city bike saddles for women, trekking bike saddles for women, mountain bike saddles for women and also road bike saddles for  women. The distinguishing features of the different types of saddles are basically similar as well. A city bike saddle for women, for example, is significantly more padded than a road bike saddle for women. The crux of the matter lies in the detail: since you usually sit more upright on a city bike or trekking bike than on a sporty bike, you need a saddle that is somewhat wider and somewhat softer. At BIKE24 you will find a large selection on the theme of women’s bicycle saddles, which covers the entire spectrum of women’s saddles. At the same time, the various saddles’ product descriptions provide explanations of their respective intended use and design.

So-called gel saddles play a special role in the women's saddle range. These bicycle saddles for women are equipped with a special gel padding that is particularly soft and cushioning compared to conventional bicycle saddles. On longer tours or cycling over uneven terrain, this padding can make the difference between continued discomfort once the tour is over or not. Some bicycle saddle manufacturers now also offer saddles that are padded with a combination of gel and foam. These bicycle saddles are considered to be particularly non-slip and can therefore also be used for sporty cycling tours.

You now know what types of bicycle saddles there are for women. However, before you decide on the bicycle saddle that best suits you and your bike, you should consider the following buying criteria:

• Intended use: On which bike will you mount your bike saddle especially for women? Do you need a saddle for a city bike, a trekking bike, a mountain bike or a road bike?
• Seating position: When cycling, the correct sitting position is particularly important. If you sit upright, the bicycle saddle needs to be in a different position than when you are cycling for sport. So take note of your preferred cycling position.
• Saddle width: The saddle width depends on the seat bone distance. Therefore, pay attention to the manufacturer's specifications when choosing your saddle. At BIKE24 you can also find tools to measure your seat bone distance.
  Saddle shape: Does the saddle come with a deeper nose that is better suited to female anatomy or with a more padded front? Does the saddle have a recess in the central area?
• Padding: How much padding should your saddle have? Do you want a saddle with gel padding?
• Personal experience: Which saddle is right for you depends on your personal preferences and previous experience.
• Price: How much do you want to spend on your saddle? At BIKE24 you will find a large selection of women's saddles in different price ranges.

Once you have bought your preferred saddle, correct mounting and position adjustment also play a major role. Only when the bicycle saddle is adjusted to your bike and to you personally can it offer its full effect. On the one hand, the seat height is important, which depends on your leg length and the length of the pedal crank installed on the bicycle. On the other hand, the saddle position is also crucial. In principle, a horizontal saddle position is recommended, but some women prefer a slightly downward sloping saddle angle. The saddle position also includes the position of the saddle – for example, whether the saddle should be mounted further forward or further back. Your body measurements and the geometry of the bike play a role here. And don’t skip saddle care either: to ensure that your bicycle saddle remains beautiful and comfortable for a long time, you should regularly wipe it down or – if it is a leather saddle – treat it with a special care product.

As you can see, there are many different factors to consider when choosing the right saddle. This is especially important for a bicycle saddle specifically for women. Before you decide on a bicycle saddle, you should therefore think carefully about the requirements that your women's saddle needs to fulfil so that you can have maximum cycling enjoyment and comfort on your tours. What’s more, there are also unisex saddles that are perfectly suited to women. The right choice of saddle therefore depends entirely on your personal needs.