Photo: Longform Development Group
If you’re more than just a casual, occasional rider, you know the deal: no matter how much padding you use or how much money you spend on a bike saddle, chances are you’re going to get a very bad case of sore butt after longer rides.
That’s because most designs use the same form factor, and it’s that which causes pain, discomfort and numbness to your nether regions, the butt included. At least, that’s the theory coming from the Longform Development Group, headed by Dennis Bell, the inventor of something called SmartSaddle.
Despite what the name might make you think, this isn’t a smart product like other smart products. It is smart in the most basic sense: it’s a product that aims to revolutionize an old and widely popular design by using a different form factor, to achieve supposedly unprecedented results and improvements.
Dennis Bell is a former cyclist turned engineer who also invented the MoonSaddle. This one is an older design that did away with the nose on the traditional saddle. The crescent-moon shape, Bell says, removes pressure on the perineum and shifts the weight to the “sit bones,” which are tougher.
The SmartSaddle is the latest iteration of the MoonSaddle and it’s “smart” because it uses new materials like carbon fiber and polymer, instead of regular plastic, and features extra heavy padding where the sit bones come in contact with it. It comes with standard rails, which makes it compatible with most seat posts, even though it appears to be wider than the traditional saddle.
The SmartSaddle is currently crowdfunding on KickStarter and, while making bold claims like the promise to deliver completely pain- and numbness-free rides, it doesn’t seem to register very high with the biking community. Still, if you’re desperate enough (and sick of enduring constant pain in your butt) to be looking for solutions outside the usual array of choices, maybe giving this a look won’t hurt.
Pledgers can get the SmartSaddle for $149, with plans for it to retail widely at $175, assuming all goes well with the campaign.
Despite what the name might make you think, this isn’t a smart product like other smart products. It is smart in the most basic sense: it’s a product that aims to revolutionize an old and widely popular design by using a different form factor, to achieve supposedly unprecedented results and improvements.
Dennis Bell is a former cyclist turned engineer who also invented the MoonSaddle. This one is an older design that did away with the nose on the traditional saddle. The crescent-moon shape, Bell says, removes pressure on the perineum and shifts the weight to the “sit bones,” which are tougher.
The SmartSaddle is the latest iteration of the MoonSaddle and it’s “smart” because it uses new materials like carbon fiber and polymer, instead of regular plastic, and features extra heavy padding where the sit bones come in contact with it. It comes with standard rails, which makes it compatible with most seat posts, even though it appears to be wider than the traditional saddle.
The SmartSaddle is currently crowdfunding on KickStarter and, while making bold claims like the promise to deliver completely pain- and numbness-free rides, it doesn’t seem to register very high with the biking community. Still, if you’re desperate enough (and sick of enduring constant pain in your butt) to be looking for solutions outside the usual array of choices, maybe giving this a look won’t hurt.
Pledgers can get the SmartSaddle for $149, with plans for it to retail widely at $175, assuming all goes well with the campaign.
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