The Right Saddle for Mountain Biking – A Guide

The saddle on a mountain bike is actually somewhat of a paradox. When the going gets tough on your mountain bike, your fears for discomfort are allayed at the touch of a thumb thanks to dropper posts, making way for a good time. However, the saddle can ruin your entire ride if it doesn't fit. Our guidebook gives you tips for choosing the right MTB saddle, so that even the path to the trailhead is chock full of fun!

Often overlooked: The saddle length

On a mountain bike, you continuously change your riding position depending on the terrain and your riding ability - even when riding uphill. This is where mountain biking differs from road biking or touring. A long saddle with a pronounced nose helps you put a lot of weight on the front wheel while riding steep uphill by sliding far forward onto the saddle tip. This way you prevent the front wheel from climbing without having to get out of the saddle – which would lead to a spinning rear wheel. So that the extreme sitting position on the saddle nose is not so ridiculously uncomfortable, manufacturer SQlab has developed its Ergowave and Ergolux saddles with a slight stepped shape and a level seat surface. The saddles thus offer two almost-independent seating positions for flat ground and moderate climbs or steep uphill angles.

Light or stable? Take two! Saddle Rails

On mountain bikes, the market is dominated by classic rounded seat stays (rails) with a diameter of seven millimetres, which fit into the clamps of any commercially available seatpost. The best known exception is the i-Beam System from SDG , where a single so-called monorail is clamped. The system allows simple angle adjustment, but is not compatible with modern telescopic seatposts and is therefore predestined for downhill or bike park use. Pivotal seatposts like on BMX bikes or oval rails like on road bikes are not a factor on MTBs.
The material is exciting: on the one hand, carbon rails enable lightweight saddles with a good mix of material stiffness and high self-damping. On the other hand, the material is expensive and relatively sensitive. When mounting, you should always follow the torque specifications of the manufacturer and use carbon assembly paste. Nevertheless, a hard fall or a botched landing can spell the end for carbon rails. Steel is also very comfortable, robust and inexpensive, but it does not break any records in terms of weight. In terms of price and weight, titanium and special aluminium alloys for the saddle rails lie exactly between the two so-called extremes. Many manufacturers offer their most popular models in several rail variants. This way you can also ride your favourite saddle on different bikes with different areas of use. Our filter “Rail Material” will help you with your search.

Natural or artificial: the right upper material

It is best to follow your personal experience and preferences in this case. There is no right or wrong answer. Natural leather saddles are very pleasant to the touch for many people and are easy to clean because of their usually smooth surface, but they do need some care in the form of a leather conditioner or treatment (just like a leather shoe), especially in dirty, muddy, wet or sandy MTB use. If you don’t want an animal product or don’t want to hassle with maintenance, faux leather, polyester or microfibre materials are a common alternative. Basically, the smoother the surface, the easier it is to clean. The more textile and rough the surface, the less you slip.

With a hole or without: The recess

We can clear up one misunderstanding right away: The assumption that a saddle with a recess is automatically a woman's saddle is wrong. Such models are available from a wide range of manufacturers for both sexes or as unisex. Otherwise, the question of the "hole" in the saddle is a similar contentious issue as the gender distinction. It should be noted that the recess is not a simple hole, but a precisely calculated relief opening designed to keep pressure away from particularly sensitive areas of the body. Opponents of the recess, on the other hand, argue that while the inhomogeneous surface would relieve certain regions, others would be all the more stressed due to punctual pressure peaks, and that an even distribution of pressure over a larger area would therefore be preferable. A compromise is the stepped shaped previously mentioned. In football, one would say: The truth is on the pitch. You can only try it out.

A straight story: The right settings

The correct saddle setting on a mountain bike is a hotly debated topic. Personal preferences play just as much a role as your discipline, seat height, seat angle, handlebar height, pedal system, etc. That’s why we take a closer look at the topic in our broad-ranging ergonomics and saddle texts. If you don’t want to delve too deeply into the subject, here are a few quick tips that get to the point:

Angle
Ideally start with the saddle surface parallel to the ground. Consider the change in your real seat angle due to the negative suspension travel (sag). A slightly lowered saddle nose is recommended for very steep seat angles. A slightly raised saddle nose helps you to guide the bike in the air or in extreme cornering positions with your thigh.

Horizontal Position
Markings for the permitted clamp range are usually printed or laser-etched on the saddle rails. Stick to it, otherwise you risk damage or breakage! Within this clamp range you can influence your posture relative to the handlebars and thus the real seat angle by moving the saddle forwards or backwards. For example, you can compensate for a flat seat angle by pushing the saddle far forward.

Seat Height
As a starting point, with the knee extended and the pedal in the lowest position (6 o'clock), your heel should be flush with the end of the pedal. In pedalling position (pedal under the ball of the foot) your knee should not be extended in the same situation. From here you can optimise millimetre by millimetre. Note that different pedal systems (clipless pedals / flat pedals) or shoes will affect your seat height.