I have heard many women say, "the bike just isn't made for my body type," based on the saddle discomfort they have experienced the last time they rode. They outright rejected the bicycle, citing that it must have not been designed for their body type. But it is simply not true and the only thing standing in the way between pain and enjoyment is a simple change of saddle.

Truth: Saddle Discomfort Can Plague Anyone

Saddle discomfort can be experienced by anyone, any gender, any body type, etc. Don't believe me? Just look at the cycling subreddit and search "saddle pain" and "saddle numbness" to see the diversity of folks that can experience these issues.

To be clear, I am not trying to scare you away from cycling. Quite the contrary! If you click into those reddit threads, you'll actually be reassured about the fact that there are straight-forward solutions, and most of the time it's just a matter of having a saddle that's right for you.

Understanding Gender Differences in Attributing Cycling Discomfort

So, why do we tend to blame our bodies? It ties back to psychology. Research suggests that women tend to internalize problems, while men tend to look for external factors to blame. This mindset can make us think our discomfort is due to our physique, rather than a saddle that’s simply not right for us. The reality is that with the correct saddle, cycling should not be a painful or uncomfortable experience, regardless of your body type.

Finding the Right Saddle For You

First things first: do not assume that the saddle that your bike came with is one that fits your anatomy. I have learned that lesson the hard way. I spent my first few years riding on a saddle that came with my road bike that caused me burning and pain. And all that went away instantly as soon as I changed my saddle.

Another common misconception is that you need more surface and padding to rest on. That might be so if you are going for a very leisurely and short ride, but will work against you for longer rides. The more padding and "stuff" there is in contact with your body, the more pressure and chafing you are bound to feel in all of the wrong places. Road bike saddles have very little padding and get "right to the point" to try to focus all of the pressure on your sit bones and not much else because the sit bones can adapt to having pressure for long periods of time, which is the key to your comfort. There's even a saddle maker out there that takes this to the extreme, making saddles with barely any seat at all!

Most (but not all) folks find that a seat with a cutout is more comfortable because it takes all of the pressure off of any soft tissue. I have personally found this beneficial. An added bonus is the added breathability in that area, which is especially useful in the summer when you tend to sweat a lot. Here's what my saddle looks like:

Note that there are also some people that do not prefer this type of saddle because by taking all of the pressure off of some parts of your body, you end up adding pressure to other parts. So your mileage may vary.

Something else that you should take into consideration when deciding on a saddle is the narrowness of the nose. Your thighs should not be rubbing against the saddle as you pedal. This shouldn't be happening:

Resources to Help You Find "The One"

Take advantage of the many options out there to make your saddle discomfort disappear:

• If you can afford to a professional bike fit, that is your best option. Just make sure that they will do a saddle pressure mapping or full saddle pressure analysis! Additionally, they'll be able to advise you on the style of saddle based on what type of riding you plan on doing (i.e. commuting vs road cycling vs mountain biking vs sprinting). Here's one in Connecticut that I'd recommend.

• Check with a local bike store to see if they have a saddle library that you can try. This bike store in Portland, OR has one, for example.

• Check if you have a local Selle SMP Test Center, which lets you try out a saddle before you buy it.

• For those that don't have local options or would prefer a fully-online experience, you can also try the Bike Seat Guru who will help you pick a saddle that's right for you and allows you to try three saddles at a time.

• And for those that have a super tough time finding the right saddle to fit your body (maybe your site bones are very wide, for example), some women swear by the bisaddle, which is adjustable.