Part 9: User-Friendly Seat Adjustments
Uncovering More Seat Improvements: Making a User Friendly, Adjustable Seat
The last issue showed up on a ride with my wife, Anita. About halfway through, she took a hydration break and adjusted her seat. She noticed one half in the mid position and the other in the wide position. You could see it when you looked straight down, but it was not obvious enough when she adjusted it at the previous stop. She had not consciously felt a difference while riding, but I thought we were taking a break a little earlier than we usually do.
On my rides, when I changed width, I had been putting my fingers under the seat halves to feel the locking holes and make sure both sides matched. That method works, but it is not ideal.
We wanted the adjustment to be easy and obvious. We needed a way to see the position from the saddle. I added laser-engraved markings on the top of the guide rail so they are visible when you look down at the seat. Instead of plain vertical lines, we labeled the three positions as Cruiser (widest), Casual (middle), and Sport (narrowest). The labels are engraved vertically. From a distance they read like clean lines. Up close you can see the words.
We are happy with where we ended up. The seat is truly easy to adjust.
Why this helps on real rides
- Match left and right at a glance
- Return to a favorite width quickly
- Confidence that what you feel in the clicks matches what you see