City bike seat Black Friday: comfort discounts

What to check before buying a saddle?

First, the posture. Sitting upright on a Dutch bike, you carry most of your weight on the back of the saddle, which should be wide and well-padded; leaning forward on a sportier bike, a narrower saddle allows your thighs to move freely. The width then depends on the distance between your sit bones, the two bony pressure points of the pelvis. The padding comes last: gel, memory foam, springs or elastomers under the shell.

Finally, check the attachment. A rail saddle tightens into the clamp of a standard seat post; some city saddles come with their own clamp, the collar that mounts them on a straight post. The posts and collars for this operation can be found with the saddle posts in Black Friday.

Saddles at reduced prices: version, size and cut

Manufacturers offer the same model in several versions that need to be identified in the name. At Selle Royal, the mention Athletic, Moderate or Relaxed indicates the intended posture, from the most leaning to the most upright. At Selle San Marco, the City or Trekking comes with Gel or Biofoam padding, and in an Open-Fit version with a central opening. Ergon offers the SC Core Prime in men's and women's cut, available in two sizes. Two offers can only be compared with identical version, size and cut. The crossed-out price of a Freeway Fit Relaxed tells nothing about the discount on the Athletic: check it on the version that matches your posture.

What the page brings together

Wide and padded city saddles are alongside trekking models, leisure saddles with springs, leather saddles, and children's saddles. The listing also includes road, triathlon and MTB saddles, which are narrower and designed for a bent-over position: they have their place on a sporty city bike, much less on a bike with an upright position.

Which saddle brands during the event?

Selle Royal classifies its saddles according to three postures defined by the back tilt, Athletic, Moderate and Relaxed, and indicates it in the name of the model, as seen on the Freeway Fit, offered here in the three versions.

Selle San Marco pads its city and trekking saddles with either gel or Biofoam, a lightweight memory foam, with a progressive central opening on the Open-Fit versions.

Selle Montegrappa offers here vintage-style leather saddles, such as the Old Sporting or the Oxford Club, and wider leisure saddles, like the Ventura with springs.

Ergon builds the SC Core Prime, designed for city and electric bikes, around two shells separated by an Infinergy foam core and an elastomer, which filter vibrations from the road.

The other saddles and pages of the event

For sporting use, check out the road saddles in Black Friday and the MTB saddles in Black Friday; all the saddles in the catalogue are in the saddles in Black Friday. On the city bike, the pedals in Black Friday enhance comfort, within the wheels and components of the event. After the event, clearance items remain visible at clearance, and new saddles at new arrivals.

Frequently asked questions

When can you find discounted saddles?

Around the Friday after Thanksgiving, on Black Friday, and well beyond: Vélo-Store applies its discounts on saddles throughout November. Take the time to compare the same reference in the same version: a discount never compensates for a saddle that doesn't suit your position, which will end up at the back of a cupboard.

How can you find the width of your sit bones?

Sit upright on a piece of corrugated cardboard or a foam placed on a hard chair, feet on the ground, then stand up: measure the distance between the center of the two impressions. Compare it to the brand's size guide.

Is a wide saddle always more comfortable?

No. It is comfortable in an upright position, when the pelvis rests on the back of the saddle. As soon as the torso leans forward, a saddle that is too wide rubs the inside of the thighs and hinders pedaling.

Gel, foam, or springs: what to choose?

Gel absorbs pressure on short rides, memory foam adapts to your shape, springs and elastomers filter bumps from the road. On a bike with a straight position and thin tires, springs make the biggest difference.

How to maintain a leather saddle?

Protect it from rain with a cover when the bike is left outside, and regularly nourish the leather with a product designed for saddles. Leather that dries out cracks, while soaked leather gets deformed.