Your bike is most likely the first thing that gave you your first experience of driving. Having your own set of wheels enables you to go wherever you want. This gives us the absolute luxury of liberation.
However, what could hinder this exhilarating moment is your bike’s uncomfortable seat. Bicycle seats haven’t changed much over the years, and are just as hard as the metal parts of your bike.
To make things easier on your rear, the fine folks at Cyclemate have created a slip-on cushion that fits onto almost any bicycle seat. Featuring an inflatable seat and a design that makes you immediately think of a comfy pillow, the seat solves multiple problems that have been plaguing bike riders’ bottoms for rear – I meant “years”!
Soft Cushions and Air Bags
You and I know it: the biggest problem with bicycle seats is that they’re as uncomfortable to sit on as a piece of cardboard (and even then, I might still take the cardboard). By slipping on and inflating the Cyclemate, you effectively add a layer of cushioning to your bike, translating to instant comfort.
The seat is made of lycra fabric, which is a durable and elastic material perfect for seats. Once inflated, the seat’s air bags will allow air to circulate inside and to adjust to your bottom’s position.
According to the Kickstarter page, this creates a feeling of “anti-gravity” which cushions your body’s vertical pressure and alleviates the pain in your rear and groin areas – two places you really don’t want to feel pain.
To show just how capable these air bags are, the design team actually put them through rigorous stress tests to prove that they can handle weights of up to 200kg without popping or deforming.
Air Bag Ergonomic Spacing
If you’ve ever been on a lengthy bike ride, you’ll find your seat tends to absorb the sweat from your nether regions – making your rides more uncomfortable as you go on.
The functional design of the Cyclemate allows the crevices in between the airbags to provide proper air ventilation and heat dissipation. If you want to get technical about it, there is a 6 mm spacing between each bag, giving your bottom room to cool down while you’re working on your fitness.
A Bigger Contact Area With A Non-Slip Bottom
One large factor contributing a lot to uncomfortable bike seats is the low contact area. Though this leaves more space for your legs to pedal, it does little favors for your buttocks.
While most bike seats have a contact area of 90 cm², the Cyclemate has a larger area of 125cm². This gives you more room to relax and move as you’re cruising the outdoors or on your way to work.
And just in case you’re worried the larger surface area might cause the Cyclemate to slip off, the bottom of the seat cushion is actually made of grade A silicone with non-slip particles.
Design And Production
As of now, a small batch of Cyclemate seat cushions has already been produced, tested, and is ready to go. Once the Kickstarter project has finished (it currently has funding of USD $20,814 – way more than its initial USD $3,870 goal), full production can begin on making these soft, breathable bicycle seat cushions.
