this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2025
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Yeah, sure, that was my point. The most uncomfortable shoes are usually fine once you've worn them in. But the non-washboard saddle on my e-bike was not uncomfortable to start with. It didn't hurt after the first 3 hours and it doesn't hurt 1500km later.
Unlike uncomfortable shoes the saddles have a point, not chafing/ allowing for the pedalling movement while also supporting part of the riders weight.
Wide/cushiony saddles prioritize comfort of the latter point over the former. They will support more of the riders weight more comfortably, while neglecting the comfort of the movements of the rider. So on shorter and easier rides the cushion saddle is fine, the longer you go the more such a saddle will cause discomfort.
If your saddle works for you by God keep using it, im just trying to explain why other people use different ones.
Fair enough. But as you concede, this is all pretty subjective, which is why I objected to the "razor saddles are actually better for you" talking point which always comes from (coincidentally washboard-habituated) serious cyclists. I too am a serious cyclist, I've ridden all kinds of saddles, from razor washboards to recumbents. And as it happens, the most comfortable yet (recumbent aside), on which I've ridden 1500 km this year, including a bunch of 80 km stages, was what you dismiss as a "cushion saddle" that "will cause discomfort". It just doesn't. So this is all just anecdote.