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2nd Edition

Finding the
Perfect Bicycle Seat

Your Guide to Safe and Comfortable Seat Design

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By Joshua Cohen PT, MS

 

 


 

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89 pages

119 photos & illustrations

PDF file size: 7.13 MB

 

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The updated 2nd edition includes . . .

  • all the key information from the first edition, rewritten & expanded
     

  • detailed information for women cyclists as well as men
     

  • major new studies investigating saddle design and its effects on the human anatomy
     

  • 119 photos & illustrations (4 times more than the first edition)
     

  • answers to these key medical questions:

Can bicycle seats really cause erectile dysfunction in men?

What types of injuries can women have from bicycle saddles, and what should they look for in seat design?

Do holes in saddles and gel padding help or hurt?

Can riding position and style increase risk of genital injury?

Which riders are most at risk for injury from bicycle seats?

 

and much more!

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Reader Reviews for the highly acclaimed 1st edition:


  • "Finding the Perfect Bicycle Seat has been a blessing to me . . . it makes the science and selection process so precise that it sets the standard for serious bikers to follow." – Robert L.

     

  • "I have been cycling for six months and having problems. Your in-depth information is well worth the money!" – Richard A.
     

  • "I found Finding the Perfect Bicycle Seat very helpful and to the point. After starting to read it I couldn't put it down." – Stephen F.
     

  • "My wife just read a couple of chapters and was impressed with how understandable you made such a complicated subject." – Carl S.
     

  • "This is just what the bicycle community needs. Finding the Perfect Bicycle Seat is very informative . . . I really like the way it shows the rider spine and pelvis. Superb! Just the photos helped a lot." – Gary A.


The 2nd edition is new and improved in every way!



A seat can be the most difficult bike component to choose correctlywhich is why so many cyclists are never able to ride comfortably and some suffer injuries in the genital area.

 

Saddle companies have responded with dozens of ergonomic seat designs. But all the shapes and sizes tend to raise more questions than they answer. Are these seats really more comfortable? Can they prevent potential injury to genital nerves and blood vessels? And how on earth does a rider know which saddle is the best one for his or her personal anatomy?
 

In the first eBook of its kind, Joshua Cohen details exactly what to look for when choosing a bicycle seat. His extensive research in ergonomic seat design and his personal cycling experience allow him to clearly explain . . .

  • The history of seat design

  • Common problems that seats cause for women as well as men

  • Human anatomy that you need to know when choosing a seat

  • The facts about the relationship of bicycle seats and erectile dysfunction

  • New seat designs that address the key risks

  • The fallacy of noseless saddles

  • How to position your seat to maximize riding efficiency and comfort

This eBook WILL NOT tell you that one seat is perfect for everyone.

It WILL teach you how to evaluate any seat objectively to find the best for you. It contains 119 photos and illustrations to make the process as easy as possible.


Author Joshua Cohen is a physical therapist and lifelong road cyclist. He holds a master's degree in human movement with a specialty in biomechanics and orthopedics with a supporting area in product design. In the following except from Chapter 7 of Finding the Perfect Bicycle Seat, 2nd Ed., he looks into a question that is as old as the bicycle itself.

 


EXCERPT: Why do some people hate saddles that other people love?

There are many reasons why a perfectly well-designed seat still might not work for everyone. First, every rider tends to sit on the saddle a bit differently. This may be due to riding style, geometry, flexibility, and many other factors. The figure below shows the pressure distribution from five different riders using the same saddle.



This also highlights the importance of averaging the results of multiple
subjects versus studying only a few when drawing conclusions about a saddle’s design.

Comfort levels with bicycle seats are based on each individual’s preferences. The perceived discomfort caused by a bicycle seat can be compared to an individual’s perception of pain caused by a small pinch. One person may scream “ouch!” and another may not feel discomfort at all.

Many different aspects factor into a person’s perception of a pain stimulus including; accommodation over time, prior experiences with the stimulus, duration and frequency of the pain stimulus, level of alertness, levels of concurrent (other) stimuli, attention to the stimulus, as well as others factors. This is why it is generally so difficult for any person to guarantee that another person will like any particular seat design.

Almost any local bike shop will tell you that saddle selection is extremely personal and that each person needs to try many different saddles to find the right one. Unfortunately, all those factors that affect how an individual perceives a particular stimulus can change from day to day, hour to hour, or even less – you get the idea. So the same saddle you liked yesterday may become intolerable today because of any multitude of factors that have very little to do with the saddle itself.

So how in the world is anybody supposed to pick out a seat?

To use an analogous example, people do not choose a rear derailleur because it feels good on any particular day; they choose a rear derailleur because it serves a particular function. The function of the rear derailleur is to shift quickly and cleanly between any of the cogs on the rear cassette when the cable is lengthened or shortened by the shift lever. If the rear mechanism is not able to perform that function, I would assume you would not want to use it.

A bicycle seat is very similar to a rear derailleur. (OK, they do very different things – but hear me out.) Bicycle seats also have very specific functions that they must accomplish. The function of a bicycle seat is not just to support your bottom on the bicycle – a flat piece of wood stuck on the end of the post could do that. The function of the saddle is to:

1. Distribute pressure over the pelvis in a manner that minimizes compression of the arteries, nerves, and soft tissues in the perineum in any riding position.

2. Allow complete range of motion of the legs while pedaling in any riding position without excessive chafing due to material between the thighs.

3. Prevent the rider from slipping sideways off of the seat during turns and allow the rider to use the seat to maneuver the bicycle when needed. This is generally accomplished using a nose section on the seat.

4. Support the rider’s weight over a great enough surface area to avoid areas of high pressure that could cause skin breakdown.

5. (and for those who care) Not add so much weight in accomplishing the above goals that you are left wondering why you paid so much for your super-light frame when the seat makes the bike feel as heavy as your first ten-speed.

With recent advances in bicycle seat research, and the application of existing biomechanical knowledge to bicycle seat design, these goals are achievable and measurable. Subjective comfort level will always have its place when selecting a bicycle seat, but you should at least make sure that the seat meets these functional requirements before you rely on the “feel” of a seat on any particular day.

(Joshua Cohen goes on to examine bicycle fit and seat positioning, essential elements for creating proper weight distribution and correct biomechanics when sitting on a saddle.)

  $19.95 eBook

 


TOC: Finding the Perfect Bicycle Seat, 2nd Ed.

Forward

Introduction
 

Chapter 1:

Origin of the Bicycle Seat

Chapter 2:

Understanding Anatomy to Optimize Design
    
Female Anatomy
     Male Anatomy

Chapter 3:

When Saddles Go Bad: Clinical Syndromes

Chapter 4:

Can Cycling Really Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
    
Noseless Saddles

Chapter 5:

Possible Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
    
Sticky Balloon Theory
     The Plastic Straw Theory

Chapter 6:

Ergonomic Bicycle Seat Testing
     Penile Blood Pressure Cuffs
     Pressure Sensitive Sheets
     Pressure Mapping / Kinematic Movement Analysis
     Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI)
     Direct Arterial Sampling
     Transcutaneous Oxygen Monitoring
     MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
     The Making of a Bicycle Seat Study


Chapter 7:

Finding / Designing the Best Seat
    
Rear Support Surface
     Transition Region
     Nose
     Base
     Why Do Some People Hate Saddles Other People Love?

Chapter 8:

Bicycle Fit and Saddle Positioning
     Saddle Height
     Saddle Setback
     Saddle Tilt
     Saddle Rotation
     Importance of Addressing Biomechanical Factors

Chapter 9:

Additional Seat Considerations
    
Gels and Inserts
     Stitching

About the Author

References

 

Excerpt

  $19.95 eBook


 

 

 

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