The Rido Saddle, launched in the UK back in 2004, features a unique monocoque sculpture for the shell and a no slip surface, offering localized flexibility and give in vital regions of the saddle. Its a one size fits all design, comes in different colors, and those who have used it clearly seem to love it. The company claims their design is the result of countless studies and trials.
It is an interesting idea that has been conceptualized and maybe tried before : Poke a lot of holes in your super stiff saddle shell, keeping a good distance between each hole so it flexes wherever you want it to.
In the Rido, notice the wide sitting area and the bigger holes in the middle portion, where the sit bones seat (ischial tuberosities) .
From their website :
The RIDO saddle's construction is a unique monocoque sculpture TM, a patented technological manufacturing revolution in itself, specially developed to fulfil the design's requisite combination of localised flexibility and rigidity and doing away with the need for any superfluous upholstery.
As opposed to a solid frame upholstered with foam or gel pockets where once the padding is crushed the rider is impacting on an inflexible core, the RIDO saddle comprises a specially designed skeleton moulded together with an upper 'skin' which together not only offer localised flexibility in key areas across the sitting surface but a vital degree of 'give' throughout the length of the saddle.
The result is a firm, tough (no upholstery to tear), relatively lightweight (360g) saddle, no larger than today's conventional sports saddles (for dimensions, click on file below) that we can produce in all kinds of exciting colour combinations, is affordable to everyone and, most of all, provides a new and unrivalled level of improved rider comfort with a completely free pedalling action.
The result is a firm, tough (no upholstery to tear), relatively lightweight (360g) saddle, no larger than today's conventional sports saddles (for dimensions, click on file below) that we can produce in all kinds of exciting colour combinations, is affordable to everyone and, most of all, provides a new and unrivalled level of improved rider comfort with a completely free pedalling action.
2 comments:
I'm still questioning my current saddle. Feels OK but I wonder if it could be better. I don't know what to think about the Rido.
I agree it looks like a lot of hype but I cannot really find anything obviously untrue. The saddle does move the pressure to the sit bones and then spreads it away from the points of the sit bones by placing them in 2 little 'hammocks'. The saddle is arranged so that the pressure on the perineum (and rectum) are much reduced - not zero but certainly not at all uncomfortable and no numbness.
It is not perfect - on my bike I cannot get the saddle as far back as I would like - but it is good enough to forget about when I am riding.
As an engineering solution it is really elegant and at sub £10 a real bargain.
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