30 January 2010

Life in the Hot Seat - Cycle Chic Guide #8 - Funky Bike Seats

Old School Seat
When you're pedalling about your city, soaking up the fabric of life on your urban landscape, it's nice to know your ass is sitting fine and dandy upon a groovy bicycle saddle. Here's a little guide to some of the derriere options available to cycle chicistas and chicistos.
I Heart Copenhagen
We heart this seat. The heart is a major cultural symbol in Denmark. They have featured country's coat of arms for centuries, we hang hearts on our christmas trees and we even have hearts on our coins:
Hearts on Danish Coins

Summer House Bikes: Saddle Berry Worn Saddle
Don't get us wrong. Vintage saddles have a charm that is almost impossible to replicate, but sometimes you just need to funk things up a bit.

Spicylicious Bike Seatness Fire Under Your Bum
Ride on a rainbow or on flames of passion. Whatever works for you.

Heart Target
Ride on delicate pink or ride right on target.

Taarnby Details Saddle Up with Brooks
Some Danish bicycle brands are now producing bike bits that match, like the seat and handlebar grips from Taarnby Bikes, at left. At right, you can't often go wrong with a classic Brooks saddle, which are all the rage in Copenhagen. Classic leather that ends up fitting your bottom and your bottom alone. Now THAT'S personalising supreme.

Stockholm Cycle Chic14 Swedish Bike Beauty
If you and your bottom fancy the saddle you have now, then you can always use a seat cover for added spice and style. Fluffy or grassy are only two options out of kabillions.

Rain Cover The Drum Bicycle
Funk up your seat with colourful, kitsch colours or feel the urban beat with a seat like the one on the famous Copenhagen Drum Bicycle.

Bike Seat Covers For Sale
You can choose from a fine selection of animals to keep your saddle dry in the rain or snow.

Vive la France in Copenhagen
In Copenhagen many people shove a plastic bag under their saddle and pull it out if the saddle is wet. It's a simple, no-nonsense approach to keep bottoms dry.
Advertising in a Bike Culture
The great thing in this city is that if you don't want to use a plastic bag or can't be bothered buying a saddle cover, you'll be given free ones several times a year.

Because there are so many bicycles in the world's cycling capital, advertising printed on saddle covers are an effective marketing tool and you'll often see bike racks where all the bikes have been given a free saddle cover for this or that product.

Sikker Skolevej Bicycle Seat Cover Big Arse
Here's one from a political party wanting safer routes to school on the left and the text on the right reads, "Does my ass look big on this?!". It's an advert for a light cream cheese.

Organic Uni
These two are for a new organic soft drink and a university, respectively.


Lest we forget the artsy/crafty option. Crochet your own bicycle seat cover and create your own personal style, like this one from Carina's Craft Blog.

We have some more accessory ideas in our Cycle Chic Guide to Choosing a Bicycle post from a while back.

12 comments:

kfg said...

I prefer the old days of natural turf saddles.

Classic Copenhagen said...

I think this may be my new favorite post, here! And it is so true that the advertising business is picking up on the saddlecover possibilities. It would seem the days of having your plasticbag saddle cover stolen, is finally over.

:-) Sandra

timeout4technology said...

My wife loves the heart saddle. Has anyone seen these for sale?

Kim said...

Thanks for the saddle covers, that is a whole area of cycle culture which I have never seen before ;-)

Bicycle and Bikes said...

I'm also a big fan of the traditional leather saddle. You can take some solace in the fact that if someone steals your bike, they're not going to have a very comfortable ride!

Although not so much a saddle as a bicycle seat, I think it's fair to mention the comfort factor when reclining on a recumbent bicycle.

Not sure whether the funky factor in Denmark excludes recumbents, but I certainly feel my ass is sitting fine and dandy on a groovy recumbent bike seat.

Anonymous said...

I loved to see this custom seats, i haven't seen this type of seats before. I
loved the most are the dog face with ears.
bali villa accommodation

Senor said...

I think it is beautiful that folks in Copenhagen treat their bikes the way people here in the States treat their cars. I wish we were more like you.

Heaven McCaulley said...

for timeout4technology
The saddle in question is the electra petro zillia saddle which you can find sold separately from the bike.
Check out UK online bike stores.
I saw one the other day on the net in one of those.
Good Luck!

bicycle rental central park said...

Try Jamis explorer 2.0, the 2009 model and you'll see what kind of saddle it has...

central park bike tours said...

I'm an experienced biker but I swear i've never told about customizing my seat. Wow Thanks now I have great ideas :)

Akkaz said...

See Kara Ginther or another leatherworker for some custom work.

mary Westmacott said...

I Love the knitted one and the big pink love hearty shaped one , But really not so sure about the 1st one ! could be interesting but not for long ! Nice post x