The bike seat is an integral part of the overall mechanism of the bicycle. This part of the bike plays an essential role in keeping the biker convenient and comfortable during the bike ride. However, bike seats can also be improved or upgraded, which means it also needs to be replaced depending on the bike owner’s need. For this reason, the biker needs to learn how to replace a bike seat as the need arises.
Replacing a bike saddle is a skill that a bike owner needs to learn. As a biker myself, this skill is easy to do and can be learned by any biker regardless of age and experience. For this reason, we made this content for sharing information on the proper ways to replace a bike seat. Our team is doing this because we desire that all bikers are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed in maintaining and taking care of their bicycle.
Contents
How to Replace Bicycle Seat
Replacing a bike seat can be divided into two parts. The first part is removing the old bike seat, and the second part is the mounting or the installation of the new bike saddle. Please check on the overall process below:
Removing the Old Bike Saddle
Find the Proper Working Place and Make your Bike Stable
The first step you need to do is find an appropriate place to make your bike stable and make the bike seat easy to install. It should be an open area where distraction is minimal, and you can work freely without interruption. You can lean your bike on a tree or a stable post where you can do the installation process willingly. You can also use the bike stand to make the bike more stable and provide easy access to the bike seat.
Look for the Bike Seat Clamp
The seat clamp is a part of the bike which secure the bike seat in terms of its connection to the bike post. It is usually located beneath the bike seat and is attached to the post. The clamp will be the one securing the saddle into the post with the use of bolts and nuts. Most current clamps use one or more bolts, while standard seat clamps will fit over the end of the bike seat post.
Once you find the location of the seat clamp, you need to look at the right tools you need in loosening the nuts and the bolts. Most of the new bike seat product package includes a mounting tool that should help make the installation easy. Most of the new bike seat post uses an Allen wrench or hex keys as the mounting tool while the more tradition bike seat uses a regular wrench for its installation process.
Loosen the Screws to Remove the Seat Clamp and the Old Bike Seat
After finding the bike seat clamp, the next step is to start loosening the bolts and nuts using the right tools. The technique is you do not need to loosen the screws all the way. You only need to loosen it until the clamp lets the rails pass through. You can now remove the seat by lifting the seat off the post or let the rails pass through the clamp if your bike is the modern one.
Installing the New Bike Saddle
Get your New Bike Seat
After removing the old one, it is now time to get the new bike seat for the installation process. Most of the bike seat now comes with a universal fitting and should fit any standard bike post. If you have a traditional seat, it is only proper to look for a new conventional bike seat for replacement. If you own the new bike seat style, get the new bike seat style for replacement. After all, you need to get the right fit when it comes to replacing the bike seat.
Install the New Bike Seat
Once you have the new bike seat in your position, it is time to mount it into the bike post. But first, make sure that all of the things you need are complete. Check your tools, the bolts and nuts, and the bike seat clamp. But before installing it officially, make sure to study the seat post and the new bike seat. Make sure to familiarize all the details during the installation process.
The next step is to tighten the seat clamp by ensuring that the rails are aligned while the pivot is centered. Then, check the seat angle, whatever is your preference is, and then slide the rails into the same position as your old seat. After that, it is now time to tighten the screw until it is firm using the appropriate tools. You can try to wiggle the seat to check if the screws were all tightened securely.
After securing the screws tightly, the new bike seat is now ready to use. You can test the seat and see for yourself if the installation process was perfect. The seat angle can also be tested and can be adjusted if you find it uncomfortable.
How to Adjust Bike Seat Angle
Speaking of bike seat angle, adjusting the bike seat angle is essential to make the rider comfortable during the ride. Failure to do it will mean lower back pain, numbness, and other physical issues resulting from the discomfort. But adjusting the seat angle will depend on the biker’s preference and should be an isolated case.
Moreover, the seat angle is related to the seat height and the position of the handlebar. Once the correct position of the handlebar and the seat height is established, that is the right time to adjust the seat angle. The key is to find the angle where the sit bones support most of the rider’s weight on the bike seat.
Conclusion
Learning how to replace a bike seat is an essential skill that any bike owner can understand. There will come a time that you will replace your original and old bike seat and look for a suitable replacement. Knowing to remove the old one and replacing it with a new bike seat is an excellent skill to have for any bike owner. After all, it is your primary responsibility to take care of and maintain the bike all the time.