The Seat of Change

Do you remember the Perils of the Stock Seat? If not, let me fill you in. Debbie has a stock seat on the old Scott, which has been a source of much discomfort.
We rode our bikes down to the Saturday Market yesterday. We were there to help promote the Be Outside initiative (yes, you should check out the link). And while you are downtown (8th & Main), you need to check out the cool mural created by Girl Scouts and Ward Hooper that runs along Main Street as part of Be Outside. After we had lunch, and generally goofed around, we decided to take the trek to Idaho Mountain Touring (IMT) in search of items we did and didn't need.

Upon walking through the swoosh of sliding doors we took a direct left to the bike seats, er . . . saddles. Now, if you have never bought a specialized saddle for your ride, know that there a few different varieties. And if you don't know what you are doing it could be a little overwhelming. Luckily, we had a knowledgeable salesperson [cycling guru] who came to our rescue to set us straight on the saddle situation. He first had Debbie sit on what looked like flat, milky Etch-a-Sketch. (Yes, just a little awkward.) This little doodad showed the impression of where her sit bones were, which allowed him to offer her a more comfortable and appropriate seat suited for her.

She walked away with a slim, women specific saddle. The biggest thing to note is that the slim design will be much more comfortable than a larger, seemingly more padded kind of seat. There will be a lot less friction with the smaller version. At a price tag above $60, it isn't cheap, but definitely worth it. And IMT put the new saddle on her seat post for her, too.

How worth it is the new seat? Debbie instantly felt a difference in the new saddle. We'll check in with her in a couple months, as she racks up some mileage and see how she feels then.