How To Measure Your Sit Bones For A Bicycle Saddle (Quick & Easy!)

You know how you get measured for a bra, and it’s 1,000% better than the bra you picked out for yourself? That’s how a bike saddle is too.

To pick the right saddle, you should know how wide your sit bones are. A good bike shop will have a special seat you can sit on that will measure your sit bones. Alternatively, you can measure yourself at home.

In this video, I show you a quick and easy method using tin foil.

[bradford_shaun_murray]

People tend to lean forward when they sit on a saddle especially on a road bike, so the sit bone width you are actually sitting on (with the pelvis tilted forward whilst on a bike) is a few centimetres less based on the triangular shape of the pelvis. Sitting vertical upright is only a rough guide.

I'd take off a couple of centimeters to take forward pelvic tilt to the narrower part of the saddle sit bones into consideration then add 20 mm, or simply just not add 20 mm at all to the upright sitting measurement.

[TROOP]

Question…..and yes this is absolutely genuine…..is this the same for a male? I struggle with finding the right seat and every bike shop I know won’t let me try one!

[suzspurr]

Thank You! A VERY HELPUL video. Got a new ebike & the seat is killing my “sit bones”. This will help me in a new seat purchase!!

[smouvemouves]

This was super helpful, thanks for the walkthrough!

[Lollygagger-kp]

Sitting on a stack of two of three cardboard layers - the thick corrogated type - also shows the indent clearly. Knees slightly raised in critical.

[darkeyess]

Very helpful, I was looking for an alternative to cardboard because it is not easy to find everywhere.

[litamtondy]

Just to be sure, this works both for women and men, right?
Thank you and happy women's day!

[DebHerzog-mpjk]

This did not work for me-any other suggestions?

[ms.karihart]

Question:
I get the measurement, but as you sit where does the sitbones position on the saddle or just before wide part of the saddle ?
Is the wide part the saddle to support you butt and the sitbones before the curve part of the saddle ?

[jasondoust]

Aluminium foil on a towel..! (Obvious, now that you've pointed it out.) Thank you!

[shawnmetts]

Wish they explained the random extra 20 added at the end?

[baconblaster]

doesn’t work at all for me. no noticeable indentation in the tin foil. 260 pound powerlifter . makes no sense