Our Story, Condensed

This is the short version. For the full journey, head to our From Sketch to Seat blog for every step along the way.

Our Story: A Ride That Sparked an Idea

We never set out to reinvent the bike seat. We just wanted to ride longer, with less pain.

For us, that journey began on the trails. My wife, Anita, and I have ridden thousands of miles together — usually for enjoyment and exercise, often along the beautiful Rails-to-Trails systems across Minnesota and beyond. Some of our favorite rides include the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin — considered by many the first rail trail in the U.S. — and the George S. Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Those long rides — and the discomfort that came with them — sparked an idea. What followed were countless test rides, sketches, and prototypes. That process continues today, as we dial in the final details — getting it ready for the riders we built it for.

The more time we spent on the trails, the more we came to appreciate what made a ride feel effortless — and what didn’t. Anita and I ride upright, in casual clothes, without tracking time or speed. Before e-bikes, 20 miles felt like a solid ride. But after getting pedal-assist bikes, our average ride stretched to 30–50 miles, sometimes even close to 70. E-bikes helped us power through hills and wind, but not through pain. The longer we rode, the more the discomfort set in — specifically pelvic pain that no amount of padding seemed to solve.

Changing the Game: Relief Through Rotation

We tried everything: gel seats, memory foam, soft padding, firm padding, wide and narrow options. Some were okay at first, but they all turned painful by the end of the ride.

That’s when a simple idea hit me: instead of chasing the perfect seat, what if we brought multiple seats along and swapped mid-ride to shift the pressure points?

The First Mid-Ride Seat Swap

So, I packed extra seats in our bike carrier. On one of our longer rides, about 20 miles in, we started feeling the usual soreness. We stopped, switched seats, and immediately noticed some relief. It didn’t eliminate the pain completely, but it helped enough to keep going. After another 15 miles, we swapped again — and finished a 50-mile ride with far less discomfort than usual.

That experience was the spark. I realized the key wasn’t necessarily better foam or a clever shape — it was the ability to change the seat width during a ride and reset the pressure points. I started researching adjustable-width seats. What I found were either fixed-width designs or ones that required tools to adjust. Nothing quick. Nothing convenient. Nothing meant to change mid-ride.

From Sketch to Seat

With a background in engineering and decades of experience in manufacturing industrial products, I decided to design the seat I couldn’t find. I worked with a patent attorney, reviewed more than 40 existing patents, and quickly saw that most adjustable designs were overly complex, required tools to adjust and not built for casual riders.

A Simple, Tool-Free Solution

So I sketched something simple: two seat halves that pivot at the front and slide independently at the back, locking into place with spring-loaded plungers. No tools, no fuss. Just pull, slide, click. Repeat.

That sketch became the starting point for a long process of testing, refining, and listening.

Designed for Real Riders, by Real Riders

After dozens of sketches, test rides, and feedback from riders and shop owners, we’ve built a prototype that’s finally starting to feel right. We’ve logged real miles, felt the relief mid-ride, and seen just how much potential this idea has to help more people ride longer, without pain.

But we’re not done yet.

🔗 Want the full journey? Follow Jack’s real-time build and testing log: From Sketch to Seat Blog.

After 500 miles, prototype testing of the seat is complete. We rode it, refined it and gathered input from the people who matter most: everyday riders and local shops who know what works and what doesn’t.

If you’ve ever had to cut a ride short because of discomfort — or skipped one entirely because of seat pain — we are confident our seat will help. 

Here’s to more trails, more miles, and more moments that make the ride worth it.

Adjust. Ride. Repeat.