Women’s reviews

“These cycle seats have allowed me to cycle where I have a physical condition preventing me from sitting : ‘Sacral Tarlov Cysts’ “
C.R, Bridge, Canterbury, UK


“The saddle makes it possible to cycle and enjoy it, rather than being tortured”

“Hi, I bought this saddle after experiencing bad coccyx pain whilst mountain biking. It was an ongoing problem (thank you childbirth), but mountain biking seem to make it worse. I didn’t seem to get it when using the road bike, but I don’t do very many miles.

Perhaps the terrain was exacerbating the problem, but your saddle seems to have almost solved it. I can still be a little bit uncomfortable later in the day or the day after, but the saddle makes it possible to cycle and enjoy it, rather than being tortured. I also think that tight fabric across my backside makes the problem worse, a lycra-based short seems to be better.

Thanks, Sarah”
S.H, Charcott, Tonbridge, U.K


“I can’t say how much I have appreciated how good this saddle is.”

“Hi, I have just ordered a black Rido saddle for my husband. I have been using a Rido saddle for the past 18 months and after the benefit of such a great saddle I am purchasing one for his bicycle.
My daughter ordered my Rido saddle from the UK when she moved over there.

“I can’t say how much I have appreciated how good this saddle is. I converted my bicycle to electric assist and was struggling to have a comfortable ride because of a tailbone injury while a teenager. When I found the Rido website and read the reviews I asked her to see if she could get me one, and always one to support a good cause she purchased the R2 white and blue Prostrate Cancer one for me.
Your service was amazing, it took less time for my saddle to arrive in New Zealand than it did for the saddle I was waiting for at a local bike shop. So, of course, I cancelled the order from them when yours arrived. It was great to be able to track the progress of my order as it came out from the UK.

“I just want to thank you again and look forward to the saddle arriving for my husband (he has a birthday coming up and I would like to surprise him with the R2 for that on 16 November).
Kind regards”
Shary D, Atawhai, Nelson, New Zealand


“How I found out about RIDO”

“I read a blog “the secret life of a dirt diva”  by a female cyclist suffering from Perineal Nodular Induration which I unfortunately also suffer from. John from RIDO responded to the blog asking if she had tried their saddle which is designed to reduce perineal trauma.

“After reading the information on your web site I purchased an Lt saddle. I have completed 3 rides on the Rido Lt so far and it is really great. The inflammation and pain is so much better, almost non-existent after rides! I am going to order another Lt for my rain bike. I shared your information with my physical therapist at Stanford and she and the staff are all very interested. I will be bringing in my road bike, with the Rido Lt on it, to show them on Monday.

“I have already been spreading the word about Rido to all my cycling buddies here in the San Francisco Bay Area including the Stanford Women’s Team coach, Dan Smith. Any cyclist suffering from perineal issues should try your saddles. I am a big fan!”
Marcia H, Redwood City, California, USA


“Love it!”

“Just a quick note about my saddle–I love it! I can’t believe that I can ride pain-free even without padded shorts. Thanks so much!!”
Meg G., Knoxville, Tennessee, USA


“I cannot sing the praises of my R2 enough”

“Dear Rido, I absolutely LOVE my Rido R2 saddle.

In early 2014 I was preparing for a cross-continental bike pack tour. Along with a friend, the plan was to ride our bikes from our home in Fairbanks, Alaska to my childhood home in Denver, Colorado. A total of over 3,000 miles! I had chosen a Kona Sutra touring bike but during early training I was really struggling to find a saddle that worked for me. I tried a variety of saddles and found that they all put too much pressure on my genital area (I’m a woman) and I didn’t feel as if my seat bones were holding their fare share of my weight!

I was researching nose-less saddles when I came across a mention of Rido. I was intrigued by the design that allowed for extra clearance in the front while also keeping the nose for additional control. From the minute I tried my new R2 saddle I was in love! My seat bones sat directly on the raised portion and there was plenty of room up front for my delicate parts. I also found I was much less sore after an 80 mile ride.

I cannot sing the praises of my R2 enough. It never gave me any trouble on my long tour and I’ve been using it ever since. I recently bought two new R2s. One for my commuter bike and one for my boyfriends mountain bike. My boyfriend also really appreciated no longer having so much discomfort on his genitals. I recommend Rido to every cyclist who is having problems finding a saddle!

The Rido company shipped my saddles promptly (all the way to Alaska!) for a reasonable fee. Its been 3 years and my original saddle is still in perfect condition. I also really appreciated that the R2 is modestly priced. I know many bike tourists swear by Brooks leather saddles, but those are crazy expensive and still wouldn’t solve the crotch pressure issue.

Thank you Rido for making my bike tour possible! Here is a picture of us climbing over the last pass in Colorado!

Warm Regards,”
Patricia G, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA


“My tail bone was absolutely fine the whole time”

“Hello, I love the saddle!!!

I bought it in July I believe. From January of this year, I developed very painful coccyx pain, probably from my office work. Occupational therapy recommended a special tailbone cushion for me, so when I started to feel the pain when cycling, I thought there must be another kind of saddle I can get. Yours is the only kind I could find, especially which was for leisure and commuting (rather than racing or ‘performance’) and that was just as suitable to women as to men.

On my old saddle, which was very old, riding had become very painful….I commuted about 8 miles each way to work about two or three days a week and towards the end on my way back, after a day at the office, it was very painful when I shifted position or got off.

The Rido has taken all that pain away. The first time I used it, it felt rather strange and I thought it was painful on my sit bones… but after I found a good position, it wasn’t at all. When using it, there is no pressure on my tailbone because there is nothing there under it. The pads under the sit bones are firm and keep me in a good position, and i’m very comfortable on it.

Soon after I got the saddle I rode, over three days, from Brighton to Oxford, by myself (which I’m very proud of). It’s my most epic cycle adventure so far and my tail bone was absolutely fine the whole time. I have been on other long day rides since then, mostly on road, and it’s been great.

I am very protective now over the saddle, and always tie a plastic bag over it, both to protect it from the elements and from the dreaded theft (!), as I have no indoor storage for my bike.

So, yeah, I’m very happy with it. It has been worth it and I’m glad I took the plunge. I’m on a pretty small budget so I wasn’t sure, but it has been worth it so that I’m not cringing in pain when doing something I love.

So, well done on a good product. Thanks,”
Liz A, Brighton, East Sussex, UK


Hi John, my wife uses the R2 and finds it the most comfortable saddle she has used, she rides a Giant performance hybrid for recreational riding.”
P.G, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK


“I LOVE the RIDO II…..”
July 2016

“It’s the best saddle I’ve ever used and have one on all my bicycles. I have two mountain bikes, a tourer bike and a road bike – a vintage Hetchins. Plus a Brompton for when I visit my daughter in Edinburgh, all fitted out with your RIDO II.

Reason why I went for RIDO II. I had a shed load of saddles, more than 20 types before someone somewhere recommended RIDO. After reading the website blurb, and spotting that these saddles were not expensive compared to many gathering dust and spider nests in my shed, I thought it was worth the gamble. This was a few years ago now. I purchased my first RIDO II in the late summer of 2011.

That same year, I cycled the epic Lands End to John O Groats, not on a RIDO, but on a ‘shed’ saddle. (It was a Brooks, one that had been recommended by many to me). To cut a long story short, the pain in my sitbones using the Brooks used to hit me at about the 40 mile mark, and I experienced painful ‘electric shock’ like pain down the back of my sit bone and into my leg. To the point of needing to stand up on the bicycle. I never ever managed to improve on this, which is useless if you want to cycle more than 40 miles! Something had to be done.

Since changing to the RIDO II. I haven’t looked back. I ride mountain biking here using the RIDO II on the Isle of Man, I tour long distances both in the UK and in Ireland, tours of 600+ miles. And I ride Audax with Audax UK, both on the Island and in the UK, I can also now cycle up to 50 miles without the need for padded shorts! I instead simply wear my running leggings or capri’s, saving my expensive cycling shorts for much longer rides. The RIDO II saddle enables me to keep cycling, and to stay seated for hours at a stretch.

In 2017, I have a place, and intend to cycle, the long Audax ride ‘London – Edinburgh – London’, in just 116 hours. Its a great challenge and one I start working towards this coming winter and beyond – wouldn’t even consider it without the RIDO II.

I have been so smitten with the RIDO II that I have even posted one to America to be specially re-covered. The only tiny weeny negative is its ugly looks. This I can cope with on my mountain bikes and on my tourer for that matter but, as a bicycle snob, it really didn’t suit my vintage framed Hetchins bike. So I spent a bit of money on the saddle to make it look extra stunning on the Hetchins and in my opinion it really does just that. See pics attached (below).

My recent purchase of yet another RIDO II was to post one off to America again to be covered, this time in black leather. It is to be covered by Leh Carson who specialises in covering bicycle and motor bike seats should any one ask. I am currently waiting for Leh to return me another splendid leather covered RIDO II which is for my tourer, cos the bike snob in me insists on it. The leather has had no negative effects on comfort, just enhancing the look of the saddle and therefore the beauty in the bike beneath it.

I’m about to set off on Tuesday for an 800 mile tour on Ireland. Again riding my RIDO II. Hope you like the photographs. Keep up the great work with this saddle design. Many thanks”
Maryjane W, Baldrine, Isle of Man, UK

“10/10”

“I have had the (RIDO R2) saddle since last Friday…. Well…. ya aint getting it back! I am slim in the bum department, and find any hard surface uncomfortable to sit on. The surface of this saddle is ideal not too soft to cause pressure points loss of energy and not too hard that you get a whack in the nerve and bone department on every lump on the road.

“Firstly when the saddle arrived, I was surprised at its weight, lighter than the Brookes I currently use. I was skeptical of it at first. I have to be, I have tried at least 18 different saddles with the Brookes out on top, and now after 80 miles, even that saddle causes me pain. (Sit bone pain, physical sit bruising and swelling, as well as skin pinches and blisters).

“TEST: Best test has been to ride into work on the RIDO 2, in jeans, don’t bother with my usual Assos cycling shorts, that would tell me a lot about the saddle. And it did. Total comfort. I even sat hard as the bike took me over tramlines, rutted old potholes that I usually avoid as I worry about rim damage, but this was a test after all. 10/10.
Its great not to have to conform to the usual cycle clothes when cycling a 12 mile round trip each day.

Today, I cycled a 50 mile tootle. Wearing cycle leggings this time. It was great to be thinking about the day, the views and where my next Audax ride was to be, rather than cycling with one leg down on the pedal, and one cheek held aloft, as the bike juttered over lumpy roads and cattle grids. I am very impressed. So much so, that next weekend I have an Audax to do. If this saddle comes up trumphs again (expecting it will), I intend to order another 4. One for hubby, and one for each of my other bicycles.

There are always some negatives…. These are very much insignificant to the improvements made by the RIDO 2 saddle.
Namely: it’s a bit ugly… (sorry about that bit).
I wish the nose was shorter as it does rub a bit against my legs, but hoping that by dropping it a bit more, this may be reduced.
Frankly thats all I can say about the negatives, but boy who really cares about them anyway!

When I have completed my Audax next weekend, I intend to review this saddle on the cycle blog I write to. I will send you the link to it when its live.
SOOOOooooo pleased I took the plunge on this one!”
Maryjane W, Baldrine, Isle of Man, UK


“@ThisGirlCanUK – I may be a size 22 but with the help of @fatlassatback, @RIDOcycling and my pedal assist bike I had a marvellous day today”
09:31 PM – 19 Jun 16
@ThisGirlCanUK celebrates the active women everywhere who are doing their thing no matter how they do it, how they look or even how sweaty they get.


Feature photo: Peter Provaznik


<< Customer feedback

“NO coccyx pain!!! Am amazed”

“Hi , I bought a Rido R2 this week in a panic as I did the 100 km ride night event this time last year but, even with training and trying several specialist saddles, it was a struggle with coccyx pain – ( I had fractured my coccyx years ago but recently came back to biking). I had signed up again this year but had no time for training and didn’t want to pull out so thought would try the Rido after reading the reviews.

Came in two days, had one 14 mile ride, canal towpath. No probs and no time to take it out again until the 105 km ride on the night.
Saturday night NO coccyx pain!!!! Am amazed, and enjoyed the event so much more: legs loaded, arms and hands not sore. Such a difference from last year WITH training. Thank you so much. Back in love with my bike again.

Thank you for a great product and fast delivery !!!
Cheers.”
Sue Armstrong, Indigo Rehab Physiotherapy Practice, Powys, Wales, UK


“…. the saddle gives you a lot of freedom to shift about and perch on your sit bones allowing surrounding tissues to breathe and not go numb”

(I’m the one on the left) “I cycled the 190 miles coast to coast in mid August this year with a friend. We are two ladies in our late fifties and wanted to do something for charity and experience a real challenge. We haven’t really done any long distance cycling before – other than use our bikes very occasionally for a short bike ride or for going to the shops!

Late on in training I realised that I needed to upgrade my saddle. In fact I already had tried two saddles – both were gel types. One was generously proportioned and came with the bike which I have owned for 5 years. I felt that once seated I seemed to sit “in” the gel saddle rather than on it. This restricted movement greatly and led to numbness within a few minutes of riding. So despite looking comfortable and although the numbness hid the pain … as soon as you dismounted it was a painful experience as the numbness started to immediately wear off. I had a similar experience with gel saddle number two … one borrowed off a friend’s Raleigh bike which she didn’t use anymore.

There was a slight improvement – my derrière went numb after a longer distance – but only about 2 miles up the road! Still a painful experience! So I decided I needed something completely different … certainly not a gel saddle.

I would be riding between 25 to 30 miles a day on the coast to coast which I was doing with a friend for our own personal charities. We got up to 40 miles a day in training but I had not tried to do two consecutive days because I needed to “recover” each time because of saddle soreness! So I was quite worried how I would fair on the charity ride itself. Day after day on the bike – not a prospect I was looking forward to I must say. I had resigned myself to tough it out and grit my teeth – all for a good cause.

Research on the Internet led me to your product and I was impressed by the reviews. I acquired one a few weeks before the event and tried it out in training. At first it felt different and a bit awkward. But when I realised that I could shift my weight in the saddle whenever I wanted to. It made a huge difference in the training and on the rode itself. It gave me a sense of freedom and control.

With regards to the event itself -climbing the Cumbrian hills the first day was a big culture shock , we were wiped out and exhausted and although I had a bit of a tender backside after day one I didn’t dread getting on the bike the next day. The ride and my saddle experience got better and better over the next six days and I ended the journey with no saddle soreness! I think this is because the saddle gives you a lot of freedom to shift about and perch on your sit bones allowing surrounding tissues to breathe and not go numb. I particularly liked the “cut out” near the coccyx area as this meant I had no pressure there and I have had problems with this area in the past. I damaged it a few years ago when I cycled off a kerbstone and forgot to rise up in the saddle and it took such a long time to repair itself that I am very cautious about damaging it again.

So all in all a great experience from my RIDO saddle. Thank you very much!”
Carole C, Newark, Nottinghamshire, UK


  @jillymar

“Huge thank you to the amazing people at @RIDOcycling for the answer to all my problems #whatcoccyxpain”
“@RIDOcycling certainly easing my return to cycling. That and my ebike!! #fatlassattheback”
“I shall be spreading the word. And the word is RIDO!”
Jill Marshall


“….. pain free in my coccyx area”

“Good afternoon lovely RIDO people!
I am very happy to say that the saddle you so kindly let my try seems to be doing the job! I’m looking forward to lots more cycling now and hopefully a bit of weight loss to go with it. Thanks again for all your help and fantastic service.”
Jill M, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, UK


“I feel stronger on the bike, more balanced on the ( RLt ) saddle, but somehow perched lightly atop it, as well”

“Hello. I just received my wonderful Rido Lt saddle. I have to say that it arrived extremely fast. I didn’t expect to see it for another week to ten days! I felt like a kid at Christmas opening the package.
I am a 58 year old woman in California who has spent about $500 on several high end saddles, trying to find SOMETHING, ANYTHING that would enable me to ride the five to six hour rides I enjoy. While I haven’t tried that yet, my first experience down the street and back is that this is THE saddle for me. I feel stronger on the bike, more balanced on the saddle, but somehow perched lightly atop it, as well. Best first impression on a saddle ever.
To other women I would say the the Rido Lt is the one for you if you ride a road bike and spend long hours in it. I wasn’t sure which one to order, but this saddle is nowhere near as hard as I had expected and it has some great flex between the two back sections. It also looks sleek and doesn’t stick out as being a giant saddle on a sleek road bike.
Normally, the high end saddles I have tried have not only dug into my sit bones but managed to ram themselves into unimaginably uncomfortable spots. The way I dealt with this was to lift myself off the saddle over and over during the ride and then ended up feeling the “ghost” of the pain in my sit bones all the time that I’m not on my bike.
I’m looking forward to a long ride and, if you will permit, will send a more detailed review after that long ride.
Many thanks for the super quick delivery and the hope that it really is possible to have a happy posterior during and after my bike ride.
Best wishes.”
Francesca C, Novato, California, USA


“I can’t thank you enough for inventing this saddle! I have recommended it to my physiotherapist who has recommended it to her other patients!”

“Hi, I don’t normally respond to these sorts of things but I have been very impressed with the Rido R2 saddle:
I suffer from bad coccyx pain and I was going to have to give up cycling as a method of commuting to work (it is about an 8 mile round trip) before I discovered your saddle online. It has made a huge difference and meant I have been able to carry on cycling, which keeps me fit and ahead of the traffic. I can’t thank you enough for inventing this saddle! I have recommended it to my physiotherapist who has recommended it to her other patients!”
Emma L, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK


“They seem to be good for both sexes”

“I love the Rido saddle. I sit straighter and my weight is taken by my seat bones so there is less pressure on my soft tissues. It has taken a long time to find the right saddle. My husband had one first, then I got one too. They seem to be good for both sexes.
I am very pleased with it. Thank you.”
Joyce B, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, UK


“My wife completed this (24 miles) with no pain around the coccyx”

“My wife has had problems with her coccyx since slipping down stairs over 35 years ago. Saw your product while googling coccyx problems.
Likes to ride her bike but has serious pain after a short ride. Only been out twice this year and only for a short ride.
Went on the Taunton to Bridgewater canal tow path yesterday, around 24 miles. Admittedly it was flat with no hard pushing hills, but my wife completed this with no pain around the coccyx.
She had a gel saddle prior to the Rido.
At the moment the saddle seems to be doing the trick. Will try again soon with a more hilly ride, not hard living in east devon!
May even consider one for myself at a later stage.”
A.S, Axminster, Devon, UK


I would never use any other saddle and recommend it highly, particularly to anyone suffering with back pain”

“Since purchasing my Rido R2 saddle in earlier this year my cycling experience has improved 100 per cent. I originally bought this saddle because of the promised comfort factor for the perinneal area and the difference the R2 makes in this respect is phenomenal. However, at the time, I was suffering from severe upper back and neck pain (caused by an injury sustained around a year earlier) which cycling was aggravating.

Right from the first ride using the saddle, the improvement was immediate. This was a real advantage as I was considering giving up cycling because it was so painful. Now I can ride pain free for as long as I like (or as long as my lungs and legs will keep up)! I would never use any other saddle and recommend it highly, particularly to anyone suffering with back pain.

My saddle is a real luxury after what I was used to, no back or neck pain and no chafing. Marvellous product – made the last 30 miles sheer pleasure (notwithstanding we were out riding in 30 degrees, mostly uphill thanks to husband Alan!”
Jackie S (Mrs), Marseillan, Languedoc, France


“Please can I buy the (R2) saddle that has been sent out on loan to me. Although it is much firmer to sit on than my old saddle, it is much more comfortable. I ride a dutch bike which I have set in a very upright position to keep weight off my shoulders and am aware I look like a strange Victorian. (Which bothers my children a lot more than it does me). The saddle I took off was massive and padded and looked infinitely more comfortable than the Rido, but this was not the case.
It would appear that the saddle that was sent to me was new, so presumably I can just pay the extra to cover the cost. If you let me know if this is ok I will get it organised.
Many thanks,
Steph”
Ms. S.E, Dereham, Norfolk, UK


I couldn’t live without it”

“Hello, I recently (3/4 months ago) bought your R2 saddle as I suffer with coccyx pain while cycling. It got so bad that I was about to give up as I couldn’t cope with the pain. I was so lucky to find you on Google as your saddle is amazing took a little while to get used to, but now I couldn’t live without it. Not only I am cycling every day but I have just completed a 100km charity bike ride and was on the bike for 7 hours with a few stops and I’m not in pain!!! I am not your average skinny cyclist but your saddle has given me a new lease of life. I can’t thank you all enough and please never stop making them. I have told my back surgeon who is a cyclist how amazing your saddle is as I’m just so happy I can enjoy my cycling without taking pain killers. Thank you so much, Kind Regards”
Katie McF, Bordon, Hampshire, UK




“We’re big fans, having used your saddles for a year riding the length of the Americas in 2010!”
@VeloVixenUK (velovixen.com), Wheatley, Oxfordshire, UK


“Hello, Just wanted to let you know that the saddle has been amazing.”

I have 15cm ‘sit bones’, which is well outside the norm, and I thought that I’d never get a saddle that I could be comfortable with while on my cycle trainer.
Thanks to you I can now cycle in comfort.”
Helen B, Evie, Orkney, UK


(I) was at the point of giving up because of pain to my tailbone….. Rido was my last chance”

“Greetings from New Zealand.
After attempting to return to cycling after several years I collected several saddles that claimed to be designed to minimise discomfort and was at the point of giving up because of pain to my tailbone.
Rido was my last chance. I’m pleased to report I have just completed a 150km 4 day trail bike ride with absolutely no soreness. A physiotherapist I met along the way was impressed with the design and a young woman at a cycle hire firm took my bike for a spin and was amazed at how the saddle felt. She too had been unable to return to cycling.
Regards, Pam”
Pam O’Hara, Greymouth New Zealand


“I feel I’m back!”

“Thank you so much for sending the other saddle. We have now completed the Lands End to John O Groats tandem cycle in 12 days, a total of 982 miles. I have to say a huge thank you to the inventors / suppliers of the RIDO saddle. Neither my husband or myself suffered any saddle soreness or any other discomfort cycling these 982 miles! Quite an achievement! We love RIDO!!
Please forward my thanks to everyone involved with the RIDO saddle.”
S.B & M.B (Mr & Mrs), Mark, Somerset, UK


“The saddle has solved my pain issue brilliantly”

“I thought I’d try one of your saddles after I had an accident and jammed my coccyx in the wrong position, and cycling was uncomfortable. The saddle has solved my pain issue brilliantly, and I’m now getting used to cycling in a different position. I bought initially for a mountain bike, and have bought a second saddle for the road bike. This saddle has allowed me to cycle again before having the coccyx operated upon when allowed to do so and I would suggest anyone with a similar injury give one a try. I am a leisure cyclist.
Best regards, Elaine”
E.D, Richmond, Surrey, UK


Women’s reviews (more)  >>