Many different sorts of ground vehicles are used around the world today, and most of them are motorized, such as trains, taxis, buses, and even RVs. Meanwhile, bicycles are among the few vehicles, alongside skateboards and leg-operated scooters, that use human power rather than a fuel source, and bicycles have proven popular around the world. First invented over 100 years ago, bicycles are still the same simple but effective design: two wheels on a frame, complete with a saddle (seat) and pedals for power input provide by the rider. Bicycles can be used for leisure, commuting, sports, or competition, and a bicycle’s designs and features may reflect its intended use and the rider’s preferences. Riders may choose a leather road bike seat for a comfortable and durable saddle, and these leather road bike seats may be reinforced with carbon rails underneath for support. Other bike parts such as toe clips or baskets may be put on the bicycle as well. What different types of bike saddles might be used, and why?
On Bicycles
There are reasons to use a wide leather road bike seat or a narrow, synthetic foam-padded seat, but either way, bicycles may be a common sight around the world. These lightweight, inexpensive vehicles are easy to produce and purchase, and 100 of them can be made with the materials and cost for just one car. Even developing parts of the world and low-income communities can afford many of them, and in some parts of the world, bicycles largely take the place of cars and trucks as a major mode of transportation. Bicycles are also easy to transport and store, since they are very light and narrow. Two of them can be put on a bike rack on top of a sedan, or put on the transport rack on a bus. They can even be stored indoors, from the garage to a living room or the basement.
Bicycles of all sorts, and their accessories such as leather road bike seats, make for a large industry today. In the United States alone, the bicycle industry earned $6.2 billion in direct sales back in 2015, and around $1.2 billion worth of bicycles were sold in that year. What might all these bikes be used for?
Leisure is a common reason to use them, more typically in developed parts of the world where bikes aren’t urgently needed for transport. Many bikes for kids and adults alike are stylish and built for casual riding on paved or gentle wild terrain, such as a dirt path, and these bikes tend to have wide wheels with a lot of grip on them. Many people ride bicycles both for the fun of it and the good cardio that it provides, and they may be ridden along the street, along a park path, or elsewhere.
Bicycles are also sometimes used to commute, and it’s a lifestyle choice in the United States and other developed nations. Riding a bicycle to work means that the rider not only avoids heavy motor vehicle traffic, but they can get some cardio done and they don’t create any emissions in the air. This may be a fine option if a worker’s office is fairly close to where they live.
Bicycles are also ridden for competition, and these bikes have narrow, light bodies and large wheels with smooth rubber tires, strictly for use on paved surfaces. These bikes may not have features such as a basket on them, because they’re racing bikes rather than a personal expression. And on the subject of bike saddles, the saddle’s very shape and material may reflect the bike’s intended use.
The Right Saddles
For leisurely riding, leather road bike seats may be wide and soft, designed to accommodate the sitting bone during use. Leisurely riding means sitting more directly on the bike rather than leaning forward for more speed. By contrast, racing bikes have narrow and hard seats, so the riders’ legs don’t rub against them and slow down. Either way, leather road bike seats may be a fine choice, as leather is comfortable, looks attractive, and may last a long time. This is a more costly but more long-term alternative to foam-padded synthetic bike seats, which may only be sufficient for budget bikes.
