Cruiser Contour

Even experienced, knowledgeable bicycle-shop operators have said to me, "A saddle is a saddle," implying that "one size fits all." A brief perusal of postings on the Internet will prove the fallacy of that argument, which implies that our fannies are all alike, and I doubt many of us casual riders would be comfortable for long on, say, a marathon racer's saddle. I have always been slender, with very little fat on my frame, hence my ischial tuberosities ("sitting bones") have little to no padding. Most saddles these days are designed with mounds that more or less line up with those bones, with the intent that the padding will lessen the pressure on the muscle tissue between the bones and the saddle frame. Over the last two years, I have tried about half a dozen different saddles for my bicycles, all of which were naturally touted by their manufacturers or sellers as being "the best." The implicit, but usually unspoken, question is, "For what?" As I progressed through these saddle trials, I came to realize that the load-bearing configuration in a saddle that would be comfortable for me must not have those almost-ubiquitous mounds. An argument for a rather large, bucket seat-style saddle made the point that famers can sit on an un-cushioned steel bucket seat on a tractor all day long with little to no discomfort, the reason being that the seat is sized and contoured to spread the load over the driver's entire rear end, thus avoiding pressure on the "sitting bone" pressure points. The Cloud-9 Contour Cruiser Gel Saddle embraces that philosophy. There are even larger versions of this style saddle, some of them enormous compared to conventional bicycle saddles, but most of the people who have tried them are very comfortable and pleased with them. Indeed, Cloud-9 manufactures a 16" (41 cm) wide "Contour Seat," regarding which Cloud-9 states, “The comfort of any bicycle seat is related to its size, not its softness." My bicycle is a street cruiser/semi-racer style, which provides an upright seating stance, rather than a lowered, racing-style layout. The "Contour Seat" appeals to me, but its size is awkward for my bicycle; it is better suited to a tricycle. The choice thus became the Contour Cruiser Gel Saddle, which is 11 inches (28 cm) wide, and 11 1/2 inches (29.2 cm) long. It's visibly larger than most saddles, but it's unobtrusive. For me, and for the bicycle I ride, it is, so far, the ideal saddle. [I wear a 32-inch (81 cm) or 34-inch (86 cm) belt.] You might be older, younger, heavier, lighter, more or less energetic than I, and your frame and proportions will almost certainly not be identical to mine. Selecting the "best" saddle for you is a very personal trial-and-error exercise. Be skeptical of anyone or anything that declares you "must" use such-and-such a style of saddle. Keep your mind open and your fanny free. Receiving the saddle is the tip of the iceberg; bicycle saddles are not "Plug-N-Play." Mount the saddle, and immediately perform a preliminary hight-and-position adjustment of both the saddle and the handlebars. (There are plenty of guides for the process on the Internet, or consult a bicycle shop.) Make sure the saddle is properly positioned fore-and-aft, so that the distance from the saddle to the handlebars is comfortable and effective. Then adjust the saddle's tilt so that it is comfortable and proper for your frame. The nose (front) of the saddle should usually be tilted upward. The amount of tilt depends on the bicycle's size, handlebars, and overall configuration, plus your own frame. If you find that one leg is brushing up against the saddle's nose more than the other or with greater pressure, rotate the saddle slightly away from that leg. Your pelvis could be twisted, and the saddle should be adjusted to accommodate your body. There is no rule that the saddle must be absolutely parallel to the bicycle's frame. When all these steps have been completed, re-examine them. Re-check the height of the saddle and the handlebars, and the fore-and-aft positioning and tilt of the saddle. You should be sitting toward the back of the saddle, with very little pressure on or near its nose, so that the broad seat is carrying most of your weight. Do these steps several times, if necessary, to make sure that everything "lines up" for your bike and your body. It will usually take several hours or days of riding for your saddle and your seat to adjust to each other. As they do, you might find it necessary to tweak some or all of the adjustments. Don't hesitate to do so. Also be sure to check the tightness of the nuts, bolts, and clamps every week or so for a couple months, then regularly thereafter. Comfort and safety are the objectives. I hope these comments help you, and good luck in your search for your "Ideal Saddle."

Like a Lazy-Boy for your butt (on your bike). This is for anyone who hates normal bike seats, has back problems, or anything else that's caused them to stop riding a bike because of the comfortableness or lack of their bike seat. Pros: - Extremely comfortable - Solid material holds up rain or shine - Standard attachments will work with most seat tubes Cons: - Some bike enthusiasts will tell you this is an improper style of bike seat. Summary: It's not for everyone, but if normal seats haven't worked for you this is definitely worth trying out. It's an incredibly comfortable seat and will make a biker out of anyone. -- This is how I rate my purchases -- 5 Stars: Product works exactly as advertised, is a good value at the price point purchased, and I would buy it again or recommend to a friend. 4 Stars: Product works exactly as advertised, fit/finish are what you'd expect when purchasing this type of product, but the product may leave more to be desired. 3 Stars: Product generally works but it may not be a good value at the price point or may need some improvement. I probably wouldn't buy it again. 2 Stars: Product barely works but can be made useful if you try. I would not recommend for purchase. 1 Star : Product does not perform as intended and in my opinion is probably a waste of money. That's my review scale. I also want to point out that if I receive a product that I would give three stars or below to I usually contact the vendor and let them know the problem. The vast majority of the time they are willing to replace or refund my purchase. This is why you'll see very few three or under review from me. I hope that is of some help to everyone! If this review was helpful I would love it if you could reply YES to the question below "Was this review helpful to you?" Thanks so much!

Easy to install so comfortable perfect for long rides by far the most comfortable bike seat I had by far.

I bought one of these a while back - just love it. This one was for my husband and he's so happy with it.

Good comfy seat

It's not the comfiest saddle I've ever sat in (that honor goes to an old Persons saddle that I believe came off a Whizzer motorised bicycle), but it's decently comfortable. I bought this saddle to put on my sit-down e-scooter to stop me sliding backwards under acceleration and it does the job. The springs don't have any travel whatsoever, so they're only there for show (this seems to be theme with modern sprung saddles) and I wouldn't mind it being an inch or so wider so that it feels closer to sitting in a motorcycle saddle. Maybe with slightly softer foam in it too because the foam they fill it with is more on the firm side. The main thing I don't like about this saddle though is the price. It costs £53 here in the UK. I know part of that is the shipping cost, but still, I don't feel that price is justified for what you get.

Could be better, still getting saddle soreness. Better than basic though.