Customer Reviews

Planet Bike Men's A.R.S. Anatomic Relief Bicycle Saddle (Black/Black)

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Length:: 3:44 Mins

Like many of you I researched different types of bike saddles hoping to find a good mix of comfort and performance. I created this video to share my experiences with this seat so others could make a more informed decision before buying. I've added specific measurements and my overall thoughts on the seat. You be the judge if this saddle is right for you. Happy riding!

Over the years, I've owned everything from Selle San Marco to Specialized Body Geometry, and this seat is seriously the most comfortable seat I've ever owned. If you're looking for the lightest seat around, this isn't it; mine weighs 390 grams. But if you want to be comfortable for hours on end, buy this seat. I can't recommend it enough. I do my best to keep my mountain bike under 20lbs., so I've saved weight elsewhere to make up for the extra grams of this seat and it's totally worth it. I plan on buying the women's version for my wife soon, too.

I'm a big guy, and I've been looking for a saddle that relieves pressure in "that area" for some time. Now that I have put 150 miles on this saddle, I can say I found it. Cheap, too! Unfortunately I think the materials are a bit on the cheap side as well. I don't expect it to last years and years, but at these prices I can afford to swap it out of the fabric splits.

Like others, the decals are peeling off of mine quickly, but that's OK. I would rather it didn't have big bright logos against the black material. The important thing is, my big wide butt fits on this saddle just right: it tucks up and supports the sit bones without pressing in on "that area" and making things sore or worse, numb.

If they made this in a more durable material I would never buy another saddle ever.

After miles of bike riding, there were no numb spots. The deep channel made huge difference. Seat was slightly wider than I'd like, but the trade off was worth having no numbness.

Over the last 10 years, I've ridden about 1,000 miles a year. Most rides are 20 to 40 miles with a few up to 60. Last year I did 2,000 and developed a lot of pain on the points of my sit bones (where presumable you are suppose to put your weight). I was riding a Koobi Enduro for about 2 years (which previously worked OK). Before that, I road a basic Serfas gel saddle (and really liked it until I started using aero bars due to stressed muscles in my left hand). The Serfas was not split and did not allow riding with bars without undue pressure on the prostate. In any event, every bike store I talk to and every article I read talks about the importance of a firm saddle. Well, maybe that's generally true but this saddle has been a great change for me (more cushion than the average serious bike seat). My sit bones are almost back to normal and the split allows me to keep pressure away from "important areas". No problems there. I ride about half in the aero bars and half sitting up, frequently shifting positions and weight to avoid injury and discomfort. When in the bars, I try to keep no more than 40% of my weight in the saddle, maybe 40% on pedals and 20% in bars. When sitting up, probably 50%, 40%, 10%. Seems to be working OK. Best advice, if it hurts, don't do it. I have a friend that just road until he was numb. Needless to say, he's got serious problems now. Seems like a duh, but apparently not. Happy riding! (oh, I'm I guy, Library Lady is my wife...lol)

I shopped around for a saddle and after seeing the prices out there, I was starting to wonder if I really needed a new saddle. Then I ran across this one, read the reviews and with the price, I figured I would give it a try. It was the right choice! I love the saddle...it has added comfort to my rides, without feeling "too big." I'm a big man, (6'3" 280lbs), so comfort is a big issue for me in a sport that is designed for people half my size. and this saddle delivered! Within a few weeks of getting this I was able to go on a 4 hour ride. I never would have survived that ride with my old saddle.

The one issue is the logos on it are a bit dorky, but the good news is that they fall off after a couple of rides!

Since this seat worked out so well, I have gone on to buy some other Plant Bike stuff (lights, etc) and I love them all. Great value for the prices they charge. Nice to see a company provide some good products in a sport where most of the stuff is so overpriced!

wasnt sure if i was just gettin old , or if my bike seat was puttin my wang to sleep. tried a bell memory foam anatomical seat cover . helped a little. bought the planet bike ars seat .problem solved. i still use the bell seat cover on it , but only cause i already had it . i ride about 15 miles round trip daily ,and this seat makes it enjoyable again.

I like this saddle. I have put about 1,000 miles on it without bike shorts in the city. I had tried two other seats until this one stayed on my bike because it works well for me so far. I am an average build, average weight, male. I use this seat for 5 mile rides, twice a day, for 5 for 6 days a week, every week.

Let's face it, bike seats are going to wear out over time. The most expensive saddles are going to break down over time, and even with a premium gel seat from five or six years ago, you're going to feel the pain in that "important area" when you take a drop with an mountain bike (MTB) or bump a curb with a street cruiser.

If you look carefully at the photos of this Planet Bike Men's A.R.S. Anatomic Relief Bicycle Saddle you'll see that it has a cut-out center relief zone in just the right area. From a personal perspective this rider found that the "love channel" section works like a champ, and after riding for a couple of hours I found that my backside wasn't sore and my crotch never felt like it was numb or falling asleep. Have been using this particular seat on my primary MTB for over a year now, and have no compelling reason to change to another.

Do keep in mind that any saddle, regardless of price, has to be adjusted to the individual rider, and it might take a day or two (or three) to do this. Carry your simple adjustment tools with you and you can do it while you're riding, and you'll find the investment of time will pay off in riding comfort.

Also worthy of consideration is the economical and well-made Schwinn Adult Ergonomic Bicycle Saddle, a similar product with a slightly different though quite comfortable feel. This is one that I've used for a couple of years on my secondary MTB with excellent results. Also had occasion recently to try a bike equipped with a Serfas Pro-Flo Men's Bicycle Saddle, but personally didn't find that one quite as comfortible as the offerings from Planet Bike or the one from Schwinn.

There are many great gel seats on the market that cost more (and some that run less) than this Planet Bike A.R.S. Anatomic Relief Saddle, and it almost seems that a bike seat of this price shouldn't be given any more than a 4-star rating. On the other hand, once this saddle is adjusted properly, it's a 5-star ride, and that's all that counts. It's well-made, durable, and highly recommended.

7/9/2009

An absolute must buy, and I'll tell you why:

Whenever I heard about a link between impotence and biking, I always had the wrong idea about what the connection was. It's actually that you're sitting on your perenium to ride, which, when crushed under average weight (which it is not supposed to bear), keeps blood from getting to your nads, over time making one impotent.

Now that I saved you an embarrassing trip to Wikipedia, you can see why these split-seat designs save (unborn) lives.

It's not about @$$ pain - I can handle that. But when I realized that pain was something else, I didn't want it anymore. Not even for a second. With this seat, I have not once thought I was doing the important part of my body any damage, and for that I recommend it.

Other great things: Price and looks (especially after you rub the labels off).