Which MTB Saddle is Right for You? Find the Perfect Mountain Bike Saddle

The importance of the right saddle on a mountain bike is often underestimated, as riding is very dynamic: Sometimes you're sitting in the saddle, then you're out of it in a standing pedal position. Downhill is anyway done standing, and on flat trails you “push” while standing over small waves to keep rolling longer. Unlike road or touring bikes, you spend significantly less time in the saddle. But even in mountain biking, you'll sometimes sit for longer periods, and especially during steep climbs, the nose of the saddle can press uncomfortably if something isn't right. Therefore, you should also choose your mountain bike saddle carefully.

The Right Saddle Shape 

The most difficult factor in finding a comfortable MTB saddle is probably the right shape. Depending on the manufacturer's concept, it differs in several aspects: from a top view, a side view, and a front view. All concepts aim to enable the best (individual) compromise of comfort, pressure distribution, and freedom of movement. Here, we give you an overview of what you can look out for: 

• The top view of the saddle can resemble a “V” or a “Y”. This shape significantly influences leg freedom while pedaling, pressure distribution in the middle area of the saddle, and your freedom of movement during descent. The more Y-shaped, the more leg freedom you have, and the more the pressure rests on the sit bones. However, if you slide forward to the saddle nose, the pressure uncomfortably shifts between the sit bones. Also, during descent, a saddle with a strong Y-shape slides less smoothly along the inside of your thighs if you want to use it to steer the bike. The more V-shaped the MTB saddle, the less free your inner thighs are when pedaling, but the pressure is distributed more evenly in a sports sitting position (or when sitting on the saddle nose), and the saddle can glide better along your thighs during descent. 
• The side view of the saddle, or a longitudinal cut through the saddle, can either resemble a straight line or have a curved shape with a slightly raised rear. A straight line distributes pressure more evenly and allows small adjustments of your sitting position easier forward or backward. On the other hand, the curved shape can help to bring a little more pressure to the rear area of the saddle and relieve the front area. However, the curved shape is more prescriptive of your sitting position. 
• The view of the saddle surface from the front, or a cross-section through the seating surface, can have a rounded or flat shape. If the seating surface is rounder or more curved, it means that the surface falls off more from the center to the sides. This distributes the pressure more evenly on the saddle, which is advantageous if you have sensitive sit bones. If you frequently feel too much pressure or numbness in the perineal or genital area, this shape is not optimal for you. A flat saddle is then better as it distributes the body weight more on the sit bones and can thus relieve the sensitive soft tissue area. However, this can be too much for some riders, and especially with a harder saddle, strong pressure peaks can occur on the sit bones. 

Depending on how you ride a mountain bike and your past experiences with MTB saddles, this list may help you figure out which saddle shape could be a good fit for you. You may need to make compromises, as you won't always find a saddle model that perfectly combines all aspects for you.

The Padding of the MTB Saddle 

To find the right padding for your mountain bike saddle, there are three simple relationships: 

• If you wear pants with seat padding, you can save on the saddle padding: 
  You're better off when a soft material adapts to a harder material than when two soft materials meet. 
• The sportier and more stretched your seating position, the less padding your MTB saddle should have: 
  • If the saddle is too thick and soft, you sink deeply into the saddle, which can irritate or restrict nerve paths and blood vessels. 
  • With an ambitious riding style, the seating area is also relieved, as more pressure lies on the pedal. That’s why sporty cross-country and marathon saddles are very minimally padded – and it also saves weight. 
• On the trail, whether All-Mountain, Enduro or Downhill, a bit more padding is helpful: 
  • You mostly sit more upright and the pressure is more focused on the sit bones - a bit (!) thicker and softer padding can distribute the pressure better. 
  • If you're sitting on the saddle nose during steep climbs, want some padding for protection in case of unexpected saddle contact, or you steer the bike with the inner sides of your thighs, you also benefit from more padding at the saddle nose, the rear, and the sides. 

The Saddle Shell 

The heart of a saddle is its shell, which lies between the rails and the padding or the upper material. The shell forms the foundation and is either very stiff or specifically flexible depending on the design. In very light and high-quality saddles, not only the rails but also the shell are made of carbon. Targeted flex provides a bit of comfort for little or non-padded saddles. However, we generally recommend these saddles more for cross-country or marathon use, as they're less likely to crash. Since lightweight saddles are more susceptible to crash-related damage, the more technical your trails, the more you should accept the extra weight of a plastic shell.

E-Mountainbike Saddles 

Ever since e-mountain bikes took the scene by storm, there's been an increase in specific accessories, including e-MTB saddles. Many e-mountain bikers who are into touring have a lower seat height, sit more upright, and apply force differently to the pedal compared to riders of non-motorized bikes. So, there's generally more pressure on the sit bones. Wider saddles with more padding make sense in this case. Often, e-MTB saddles are raised higher at the back to support your buttocks, or they have a very grippy surface to prevent you from sliding off or needing to exert a lot of body tension. If you frequently enjoy technical, steep uphills, a saddle with a slightly wider and sufficiently padded nose might help. In those sections, you need to shift your body weight forward or even slide far forward to keep your front wheel on the ground. You'll be thankful to sit as comfortably as possible on the saddle nose then. 

The Right Saddle Adjustment 

Getting the saddle adjustment right on a mountain bike is crucial. The best MTB saddle is useless if the tilt or height isn't right. Personal preferences play just as much a role here as the purpose of use and other adjustments on the MTB. We go into detail about this in our Bike Ergonomics 101. 

There's a little particularity you should pay attention to when adjusting your new MTB saddle: As soon as you sit on the bike, the suspension fork and shock absorb (unless you've locked them out completely). This suspension action changes the bike geometry and thus the saddle tilt. Initially, adjust the saddle so that its surface is parallel to the ground! From this setting, you can make small adjustments depending on whether you feel too much pressure at the front or back of the saddle or if you constantly find yourself unintentionally sliding forward or backward.