Saddles
Browse used city bike saddles for sale from riders across the UK. An upright riding position rotates the pelvis back and puts weight on the sit bones, so city saddles run wide, typically 160 to 200mm across the rear against 130 to 155mm for a road saddle, and often add coil springs or a gel top. The category covers leather tourers, sprung comfort saddles and shorter city designs for commuters and utility riders.
How wide should a city saddle be?
Measure the spacing between your sit bones and add roughly 20 to 30mm, which for most riders on an upright bike lands somewhere between 160 and 200mm. The same rider tipped forward on a road bike would want 130 to 155mm, because the contact point moves forward onto the narrower part of the pelvis. A saddle that is too narrow for an upright position puts pressure onto soft tissue, and no amount of padding fixes that.
Sprung, gel or leather?
Sprung saddles use coil springs at the rear to take the sting out of kerbs and potholes, which is the traditional roadster answer. Gel and foam saddles are lighter, cheaper and need no breaking in. Leather saddles such as the Brooks B17 and the sprung Brooks B67 have no padding at all, and instead form a hammock that takes 500 to 1,000km to shape to the rider. Leather needs proofing and must not sit out in the rain, which rules it out for a bike parked outside all week.
What should I check on a used city saddle?
On a leather saddle, look at the tension bolt at the nose first: if it has already been wound most of the way out, the leather is near the end of its adjustment and will sag permanently. Check the leather for cracking around the rivets, for a dished stretched profile, and for water staining on the underside. On foam saddles, press either side of the centre line, since hollows where the sit bones land mean the padding is finished. Then check the rails for bending and rust, the springs for corrosion at the coils, and the cover for splits at the nose and rear corners where a dropped bike lands.
City saddle or road saddle?
A road saddle is narrow, flat and often cut away through the middle for a rider stretched out over the bars, and it becomes uncomfortable quickly once you sit up. A wide sprung saddle goes wrong in the other direction, chafing the inner thighs as soon as you lean forward and adding a lot of weight. Match the saddle to the position rather than to the bike, and the rest of the city components section follows the same logic.
What is a used city saddle worth?
Leather saddles hold their value better than anything else here, and one that is properly broken in is a real advantage as long as it has not sagged, so check the tension bolt before paying extra for the miles already in it. Own-brand foam saddles that came fitted to a bike are worth very little regardless of the price claimed for the original. Buy new when you want a return window to test a width, since fit is the one thing photographs cannot tell you, then look through city components for a post and clamp to suit.