So findest du den richtigen Sattel! - Alpensattel.de

How to Find the Right Saddle for You!

February 8, 20233 min read

If you want to buy a new bike saddle, the right size is crucial – especially for longer rides. An uncomfortable saddle leads to pain, numbness, and pressure points. The good news: you can determine your saddle size at home in five minutes. You only need corrugated cardboard, a ruler, and a hard chair.

Why the right saddle size is so important

Your pelvis has two bony protrusions at the bottom – the sit bones. These are exactly what should rest on the bike saddle and support your weight. If the saddle is too narrow, your sit bones slide off to the sides and the weight lands on sensitive soft tissue. If it’s too wide, your inner thighs rub with every pedal stroke.

The distance between your sit bones is individual. For men, it typically ranges from 10 to 14 cm, for women from 11 to 16 cm. A saddle that fits your neighbor perfectly can be a source of pain for you.

Measuring sit bone width – at home in 5 minutes

You don’t need a bike fitting or an appointment. With corrugated cardboard and a ruler, you can measure your sit bone width yourself.

Step 1: Prepare materials

You need a piece of corrugated cardboard (about 30 by 30 cm, for example from a box), a hard chair or stair step, a ruler or tape measure, and a pen.

Step 2: Sit on the cardboard

Place the cardboard on a hard surface. Sit on it in a normal posture, feet flat on the floor. Lean slightly forward, about as you would on a bike – this shifts the pressure to where it lies when cycling.

Step 3: Sit still for 30 seconds

Stay still for 30 seconds. Don’t wiggle, or the impressions will become blurry. Tip: If you place a book under each foot so that your knees are slightly higher than your hips, it increases the pressure on your sit bones and makes the impressions clearer.

Step 4: Measure the impressions

Stand up and look at the cardboard. You will see two clear impressions – these are your sit bones. Measure the distance from the center of the left impression to the center of the right. This is your sit bone width.

Step 5: Derive saddle width

Add a margin to the measured value depending on your sitting position. Upright (city, e-bike): plus 3 cm. Sporty-moderate (trekking, MTB): plus 2 cm. Road bike: plus 1.5 cm. For a 12 cm sit bone width and sporty posture, this results in a 14 cm saddle width, i.e., 140 mm.

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Sattelbreite je nach Sitzposition

Dein Sitzknochenabstand allein reicht nicht. Die Sattelbreite hängt zusätzlich von deiner Sitzposition ab. Je vorgebeugter du sitzt, desto weniger Aufschlag auf deinen Messwert.

Aufrecht (City, E-Bike, Hollandrad): Sitzknochenabstand + 3 cm
Sportlich-moderat (Trekking, MTB, Gravel): Sitzknochenabstand + 2 cm
Rennrad (stark vorgebeugt): Sitzknochenabstand + 1,5 cm

Beispiel: 12 cm Sitzknochenabstand bei sportlich-moderater Haltung ergibt 14 cm Sattelbreite, also 140 mm. Beim Komfort-Modell für aufrechtes Sitzen wären es 150 mm.

Sattelgrößentabelle – dein Ergebnis richtig lesen

Hinweis: Frauen haben anatomisch bedingt einen größeren Sitzknochenabstand und greifen meist zu breiteren Sätteln. Erst messen, dann wählen.

9 bis 10 cm Sitzknochenabstand: 130 bis 140 mm Sattelbreite – typisch für Race+
11 bis 12 cm: 143 bis 155 mm – typisch für Sport+
13 bis 14 cm: 155 bis 165 mm – typisch für Komfort+ oder Sport+
15+ cm: 165+ mm – typisch für Komfort+

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Welcher Sattel passt zu dir?

Mit dem gemessenen Sitzknochenabstand und deiner Sitzposition kannst du jetzt gezielt das passende Modell auswählen. Unsere drei Hauptmodelle sind nach Sitzposition kategorisiert:

Alpensattel 3.0 Komfort+ – für aufrechte Sitzposition (City, E-Bike, Hollandrad). Memory Foam, breite Auflagefläche, Aussparung für Druckentlastung im Dammbereich.

Alpensattel 3.0 Sport+ – für sportlich-moderate Haltung (Trekking, MTB, Gravel). AIR-Federung, Entlastungskanal, mittlere Breite. Der Allround-Sattel.

Alpensattel 3.0 Race+ – für stark vorgebeugte Haltung (Rennrad, Gravel-Performance). Schmal, leicht, mit gezielter Druckentlastung vorne.

Alle drei Modelle gibt es in mehreren Breiten und sowohl in der Herren-Variante als auch in der Damen-Variante.

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Häufige Fragen

How do I measure my saddle size at home?

With a piece of corrugated cardboard on a hard surface. Sit down, lean slightly forward, and sit still for 30 seconds. You will see two impressions – these are your sit bones. Measure the distance from center to center. Depending on your sitting position, add 1.5 to 3 cm to the sit bone distance; this gives you your saddle width.

What is the sit bone distance and why is it important?

The sit bone width is the distance between the two bony protrusions on the pelvis – where you should rest on the saddle. For men, it typically ranges from 10 to 14 cm, and for women from 11 to 16 cm. It determines the saddle width you need so that your weight rests on the sit bones and not on the sensitive soft tissue.

What saddle width do I need for a sit bone distance of 12 cm?

With a 12 cm sit bone width, a saddle width between 143 and 155 mm fits. For an upright seating position (city, e-bike), rather 155 mm; for a sporty position (trekking, MTB), rather 143 mm. On the road bike, you go a bit narrower because less weight rests on the sit bones.

Do women need a wider saddle than men?

On average, yes. Women anatomically have a wider sit bone distance and therefore usually need wider saddles. But: There is no general women's or men's model that fits everyone. What matters is always your individual sit bone distance. Measure first, then choose.