Bike care

Bike tune-ups & Finding the tools and parts

To learn how to tune up your bike and fix everything, check out Jeff Napier's Bicycle Repair site for instructions on everything from Tuning Up Your Bicycle to Painting Bicycles and a lot of things in between.

Saddles

For Women: Choosing the Right Saddle, excerpt from the Endurance article.

Saddles are a more important issue with women than with male riders. Due to anatomical differences (not the least of which are wider pelvic bones), a female rider will find most men's saddles to be uncomfortable, but you must realize that discomfort is not simply an integral attribute of cycling.

Saddles designed to fit women are available, and there are some important points to keep in mind about a saddle.

Design
... It is essential to choose a saddle designed especially for women: men's saddles, and many unisex saddles will not suffice.

An anatomical "cutout" or "padded spot" is a key feature of a suitable saddle. However, some cut-outs are more effective than others, and some are not at all. Further, just because the cut-out fits in one riding position does not mean it will remain comfortable if you slide back on your seat for extra leg extension, work your torso back and forth, or sit up on your bike to stretch. Racers especially will want a saddle with lots op options, with a soft nose.

... Get it Dialed
Nearly as important as the saddle itself is getting it properly adjusted, rendering an uncomfortable seat perfect. My saddle, albeit an expensive racing saddle for a guy, is designed to be used as exactly level as possible. I set it with a carpentry level, and I find it great, but before it was leveled I kept sliding uncomfortably.

... Try it out
Just as when choosing a bike, it is especially critical for women to try out a saddle to be sure that it fits and is comfortable. There is really no way to determine if a saddle, or bicycle, is comfortable to your particular anatomy, or is even anything other than a men's model painted pink.

Many women riders report their dislike for a saddle after only one ride. Saddles, especially the hard, "uncomfortable" ones, must be worked in, like a good pair of shoes. Use a seat for at least a few days, preferably a week or more, after it has been dialed in. Many of the riders who chuck a saddle after one day might have been surprised at how comfortable it might have been.