We’ve seen a variety of wild saddle ideas in our days, however this SaddleSpur may take the cake. Its secret lies within the “coccyx connection“. By extending a novel ‘Spur’ up from the rear of the in any other case regular saddle design, SaddleSpur guarantees extra rider consolation and effectivity by lowering 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 help
Developed by John Downing to make using a highway bike extra snug, this SaddleSpur saddle is the conclusion of virtually a decade of improvement to make biking “higher”. Downing has patent purposes relationship again to 2016 describing varied iterations on this identical idea.
“You like using. We love using. However we don’t adore it when using 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 drag 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 traditional 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 identical time, the expanded floor space of the spur removes stress and friction from the sitting bones.“
However why?
Usually bicycle saddle improvements fall into a couple of fundamental classes to enhance the person expertise. Extremely-lightweight development satisfies weight weenie cravings. Or different ergonomic designs remove 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, personalized shaping takes benefit of 3D-printing for a bespoke match. Possibly essentially 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 ensure you 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 purpose of enhancing rider consolation & effectivity. It final confirmed up on Kickstarter in a failed 2022 crowdfunding marketing campaign for a carbon fiber model.
One large hurdle to SaddleSpur’s adoption is the truth that it can severely 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 “using 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 power by way of 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 type saddle, appropriate for women and men. A slim 130mm vast x 236mm lengthy, with a claimed weight of 310g. The polyurethane padded saddle contains a snub nostril, a beneficiant stress reduction cutout, and a “versatile base” for consolation.
The ‘sturdy’ padded rear Spur is comparatively slim. However is claimed to be formed to comfortably cup the coccyx for snug energy switch.
SaddleSpur – Pricing & Availability
Downing’s SaddleSpur is out there consumer-direct now as a pre-order for £125 together with VAT and delivery 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 crammed earlier than the tip of this yr.
Are you courageous sufficient to provide it a attempt? Tell us within the feedback!
Wish to know much more about saddles? How they’re made, how they differ, and choose the fitting one for you? We wrote a 5-part sequence on The whole lot You Want To Know About Saddles. Test it out right here.
