Tips Archive:

Hot Tip of the Month- July 2005: "Gel Saddles and Seat Covers"

This topic has been requested and brought to my attention numerous times. Many clubs swap out saddles, sometimes when the bikes are new and sometimes because of a few member complaints. I think gel saddles are fine as long as the saddle has a vinyl cover and NOT Lycra. Lycra permits body fluid from the rider to seep into the pad, and then another rider comes along and contributes their sweat, this goes on and on, until the saddle is a glowing blob that should only be addressed by a HAZMAT crew. Come on people, we love to spin; we love getting off the bike and not having our behinds throbbing from the pain of an uncomfortable saddle. But for gods sakes, think about how many rear ends have been on that warm gushy saddle before you get there. The advantage of vinyl is it generally doesn’t absorb sweat and it can be effectively cleaned after each class or at least once per day. The same goes with those gel pads you can usually find lying around the spin room. They shouldn’t be passed around for anyone to use, major bio hazard. I think I’ve got your attention, right?