We’ve seen quite a lot of wild saddle ideas in our days, however this SaddleSpur would possibly take the cake. Its secret lies within the “coccyx connection“. By extending a singular ‘Spur’ up from the rear of the in any other case regular saddle design, SaddleSpur guarantees extra rider consolation and effectivity by decreasing decrease again ache and “bum ache” by providing you with one thing to push up in opposition to.
SaddleSpur distinctive ergonomic saddle design with rear assist
Developed by John Downing to make driving a highway bike extra snug, this SaddleSpur saddle is the conclusion of virtually a decade of improvement to make biking “higher”. Downing has patent functions relationship again to 2016 describing numerous iterations on this similar idea.
“You like driving. We love driving. However we don’t like it when driving hurts. Decrease-back ache, saddle sore, bum ache – no matter you name it, it slows you down and sucks the enjoyment out of biking. That’s why we created SaddleSpur.“
How does it work?
With a ‘spur’ extending up from the rear of the saddle, the rider doesn’t have to tug on the bars and pressure their shoulders and decrease again to push down into the pedals. An extension of the 7mm spherical aluminum rails from the standard entrance half of the saddle transfers forces to the seatpost clamp, taking pressure out of your decrease again.
“The distinctive spur design helps anchor the rider and offers them a floor to push in opposition to, enabling extra energy to switch to the pedals. On the similar time, the expanded floor space of the spur removes stress and friction from the sitting bones.“
However why?
Typically bicycle saddle improvements fall into just a few fundamental classes to enhance the consumer expertise. Extremely-lightweight building satisfies weight weenie cravings. Or different ergonomic designs eradicate stress factors with standard or radical cutouts, pressure-mapped becoming. Or dialed-in sizing at residence, and even distinctive noseless designs. And extra just lately, custom-made shaping takes benefit of 3D-printing for a bespoke match. Perhaps probably the most out-of-the-box ergonomic answer we’d seen had been the Essax Shark saddle, that caught a fin in your butt crack to be sure to had been evenly balanced on the seat.
SaddleSpur has been making the rounds for fairly some time. As Downing has tried to deliver his ergonomic saddle idea to market with the aim of bettering rider consolation & effectivity. It final confirmed up on Kickstarter in a failed 2022 crowdfunding marketing campaign for a carbon fiber model.
One massive hurdle to SaddleSpur’s adoption is the truth that it would critically restrict the rider’s capability to shift their weigh again over the rear wheel. Both to easily change weight steadiness of reply to a panic cease. Downing admits {that a} new “driving expertise does contain a change in physique dynamics. In an [sic] scenario the place the intuition is to shift backwards on the saddle, with SaddleSpur the intuition shifts to switch the pressure by the arms – to arrest the physique from projecting ahead“.
That sounds a bit scary to me.
Tech particulars
Downing describes the SaddleSpur as a flat profile, short-fit model saddle, appropriate for women and men. A slender 130mm vast x 236mm lengthy, with a claimed weight of 310g. The polyurethane padded saddle includes a snub nostril, a beneficiant stress reduction cutout, and a “versatile base” for consolation.
The ‘sturdy’ padded rear Spur is comparatively slender. However is alleged to be formed to comfortably cup the coccyx for snug energy switch.
SaddleSpur – Pricing & Availability
Downing’s SaddleSpur is offered consumer-direct now as a pre-order for £125 together with VAT and transport within the UK (~$150 or 140€). No official assertion on precisely when these saddles will ship. However phrase is that some pre-orders are anticipated to be stuffed earlier than the top of this yr.
Are you courageous sufficient to provide it a strive? Tell us within the feedback!
Need to know much more about saddles? How they’re made, how they differ, and the right way to choose the fitting one for you? We wrote a 5-part sequence on Every little thing You Want To Know About Saddles. Test it out right here.
