What is a saddle really?

[ishaw]

I ask possibly a silly question, but after buying one based on colour to suit a build, I started thinking, sometimes a dangerous past time.

Boiled down to basics, a saddle is generally somewhere comfortable to place your backside right?

So why are there road saddles, MTB saddles and in my mind, oddly e bike specific saddles.

Yes, I get that you might want lightweight and sacrifice comfort for grams, but will the world end if day you find a road saddles really comfy and use it on an MTB and vice versa?

In my case, I've bought what is probably a road saddle to use on a mountain bike, purely for looks and build aesthetics, but if it turns out to be comfy, am I breaking some unwritten rule and will burn in hell?

Arguably a road rider will spend more time in the saddle than a mountain biker, so surely they will be built for comfort? I know road bikes are looking to be lighter so that's a win too if the saddle is light and designed for miles with an arse planted on it.

I've got a favourite saddle, I have a few of them on builds, don't care if it's period or not on the build or even if designed for road or MTB, it's just right for me comfort wise (use carbon pro if anyone cares), just wondering if anyone has opinions on saddle use and cross contamination of disciplines and whether there are any pros, cons or even trade secrets on saddles and their use.
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I did say me thinking was not always a good idea, but my grey matter is curious.

 

[rwm1962]

Never thought about it. My main saddle, a SMP Lite 209 is multi discipline. My other most regularly used, a Brooks Cambium Carved C17, covers a range of disciplines too. Wouldn't swap either for a dozen Flites!

 

[KermitGKona88]

Well with this being Retrobike, lets look back to the good old days... Pace RC100 was fitted with a Selle Italia Turbo, as used by one Bernard Hinault to win the Tour de France... Then we have the Flite Titanium a saddle designed almost exclusively for road bikes, which ended up on nearly every high end mountain bike... So to answer your question no world ending consequences will ensue from using a road or even an e-bike saddle on a mountain bike. In general road bike saddles will be made to be lighter and probably less durable than a mountain saddle, but if it doesn't catastrophically fail all is good...

 

[Russell]

If it’s comfy and it works, it works.

There is a difference in ergonomics on the bike that are taken into account on road or MTB specific saddles though.

 

[Spankyfart]

I mainly use them to not get a stick up me bum.

On another note, my fav saddle is the Brooks Conquest, have never used it on an MTB though.
I have one on my '91 Carbolite, and had one on a 2010 Cube ATB.
Very comfy saddle.

 

[greencat]

I used to run Brooks saddles on every bike I owned. I don't any more as I didn't find them terribly good value (too many failures of one kind or another) and most modern saddles are pretty good. I've got a sit up and beg bike with a comfy cushion of a saddle, various bikes with charge spoons, others with whatever came with it etc. Strangely, the only one that feels uncomfortable is the original that was on my 93 team marin. Perhaps this is another area where innovation has actually made a difference.

As the OP has pointed out, there can be differences. An MTB saddle, you might consider something that will get out of the way easily (cf trials in particular), a road one - people seem to be willing to sacrifice comfort for weight.

But I tend to think a lot of bike stuff is just marketing. If you find something that works, just ride it.

 

[tintin40]

They can be art now

 

[foz]

San marco rolls on everything! Just use what is comfortable for you, there can be differences between road and MTB, padding, strength, scuff resistance, also shape, etc. But ultimately it's just a thing to sit on, so make sure it works for you and anything else is not really important

 

[clubby]

Totally personal choice and nothing works for everybody. Ride what’s comfy to you.

I think a lot of the variation in shape is also to cope with different riding positions. You sit very differently on a road bike than you do on a modern mtb.

Well with this being Retrobike, lets look back to the good old days... Pace RC100 was fitted with a Selle Italia Turbo, as used by one Bernard Hinault to win the Tour de France... Then we have the Flite Titanium a saddle designed almost exclusively for road bikes, which ended up on nearly every high end mountain bike...

This is very true, but high end mtbs of those era were designed for racing and very much copied the head down, arse up position of road bikes. Makes sense that those saddles worked well for both.

I used to be very agnostic when it came to saddles. On my newest modern bike I really struggled. Stock own brand saddle only stayed a few rides, the one that was fine for 6 years on my previous bike didn’t fair any better. Tried a well regarded Ergon and didn’t like that either. After a recommendation from a mate I tried a SDG Bel Air 3 and it’s been perfect. Looking at the shape, this one has a definite scoop up at the back. I’ve came to the conclusion that the 78° seat tube angle of the bike puts me in a position sitting more at the upper part of my arse cheeks and need extra support there, especially when climbing. Flatter saddles just cause me extra pressure in that point on longer climbs.

Unless you are doing a catalogue spec or garage queen build then don’t worry about it.

 

[Frankenorange]

Have had various saddles over the years but am back to my roots with a Rolls. Very interested in trying a Titanio to see if the rails make any difference and also interested in trying a stripped Rolls. The base is boingy and would be about 200g lighter than a full fat version.
I have found that if a seatpost has some flex, the saddle base has some give, and combined with tyres around 2.2 you can have a comfy perch with stripped/minimum padded saddles on road or mtb.