bicycle saddle

I acquired an aged street bike in questionable condition early this summer and I absolutely love it! It's green, it's made of steel, it's got two wheels and all the other bicycle stuff. Only thing left to complain was this torture device, which once was used as a saddle - the saddle from hell!

When products are so bad that it literally hurts, I start thinking "can't get much worse" and try to figure out a way to 3d print an alternative. Which is what I did; and after a few iterations (see picture gallery - black one is original) I've obtained a surprisingly comfy and robust saddle which at least feels much better that the steel-framed real thing.

I tested the final version for a few years now (just riding around in the city; no demanding trips) and I feel confident about it to release the files. Riding it can be a bit unsettling first, specifically when you have some experience with the typical toughness of 3d printed parts, but yet I didn't experience anything breaking, not even with the earliest prototypes made of PLA. However: don't print it in PLA! You don't want brittle material that shatters like glass anywhere near your balls/ballerinas.

All you need additionally to the filament are 2 screws (M8x20, M8x60), 2x M8 nuts and wide washers to distribute the pressure. Another optional M8x30 screw (with a flat head; 2,5mm max) can be used for the bottom part to give it some more resistance to unintentional rotation. Also prepare to re-tighten the bolts a few times after the first few rides, so better bring your wrenches.

Seat post diameter is a rather unconventional 22mm but probably there are some other bikes which would fit too. The seat angle is adjustable in 15° steps.

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no clue about bicycles and saddles in specific. So there's a good chance, this saddle is actually pretty bad and dangerous. In my opinion it's great, but I'm just some random person from the internet who lived without a bike for ~20 years and has absolutely no experience in saddle design. Not the best example of a person to trust your genitals with if you ask me.

13.08.2025: Just released an updated version with some fine adjustments and a hole in the middle. This one's also a bit more gentle to your butt cheeks. I'm riding this one for about ½ a year and it's really nice so far.

Notes:

Unfortunately it's a tough print again. Let's start with the easiest:

The bottom part is straight forward and just requires good layer adhesion and barely any support. 100% infill and some tough but not too brittle material like PA12+GF is a good idea.

For the middle part you need a lot of support to get it look decent and I recommend printing it upside down. I made this in PA12, PA12+GF16 and PA6+GF20, all of them were fine.

Both, the bottom and middle parts should be printed absolutely dry, slow, hot and without a fan; layer adhesion is top priority here. Only the very last top section of the middle part can benefit from a slight breeze. Otherwise it will melt. Best case would be to print it on a SLS printer which I did for the final versions; but FDM works too.

The top part must be flexible and looks best when printed at about 45° with tons of support. Filament used was filaflex 82A TPU. You can adjust the saddle hardness with the amount of infill you choose. For me 30% gyroid infill gave a good balance of softness and damping. I gave it 2 walls to make it watertight enough.

Don't tighten the bolts with all of your strength, especially when you didn't print it with 100% infill. Also give the nylon parts some time (days) to saturate with humid air; acclimatization makes PA softer, tougher and less brittle.