Trek biker chick talks sense about women’s saddles

March 26, 1:09 PMNY Cycling ExaminerGrace Lichtenstein

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Is your saddle a pain in the butt? If so, Chris Garrison has some smart solutions, which she shared with a very attentive crowd at Bicycle Habitat in Manhattan last evening.

Chris, originally a Jersey Girl (nicknames: Biker Chick, Shop Girl), is a member of Trek’s WSD (women’s specific design) demo team. She delivered terrific and funny advice on why Trek WSD actually works, on getting a proper bike fitting, and especially on how to keep your bottom happy.

“Asses are a lot like snowflakes; every one is different,” she began, saying that’s why she hates giving advice about saddles. Nevertheless, they are among the biggest issues for women cyclists.

First, get yourself decent shorts with at least 8 panels of Spandex and with no seam right down the middle. “The higher number of panels, the less like a sausage you’re gonna feel,” said Chris. Each panel works ”to contour to the shape of your body,” and the more panels, the less each one has to stretch.

Underwear? Fugeddaboudit.

Next, lose that underwear. Riding shorts are “a technical piece of equipment” designed to be next to your skin. Wearing underwear prevents shorts from doing their job.

Then, invest in a chamois cream such as Chamois Butter,Udderly SMOOth or Assos. “This stuff will change your life,” she promised, even if it does initially give you that “full diaper feeling.” The goop enhances the protection that the chamois part of the shorts provide.

On to saddles: wider is not better! Chris said.

A wide saddle doesn’t necessarily support your riding pressure points. Did you know that on a bike you don’t sit on your sit-bones, but rather higher, on your public arch? I sure didn’t. Demonstrating with a skeleton of a pelvis, she introduced the Bontrager bench, a Trek gismo with a memory-foam seat that measures what size saddle you need.

Saddles are in the category of “if it’s not broke don’t fix it.” So if you love the one you've got, keep it. And when you find a saddle you love, buy two, Chris suggested, since manufacturers have a nasty habit of discontinuing models just when you’ve found the perfect one.

I'll write more soon about Chris Garrison’s talk and the Hot Velociti jerseys presented by Jen Benepe last night. Meanwhile ask Bicycle Habitat for a copy of Trek’s booklet “Ride,” all about women’s biking needs. And if you didn’t hear Chris last night, hopefully she’ll make another in-store appearance. Kick-awesome program, Charlie!
 

Photo of Chris Garrison from Trek (perhaps taken when someone mentioned "underwear")