What makes the components on our woom ORIGINAL bikes so special Part 6: The Saddle
We're rounding off this series of articles with a look at one of the most important contact points between child and bike: the saddle. Find out what we've done in order to meet the objective of making sure your child is as comfortable as possible while riding.
Adjust the saddle height by hand on the woom ORIGINAL 3 to suit your child.
What do bananas have to do with our saddles?
Age-appropriate ergonomics are a big thing for us at woom and this focus extends to our saddles. Across all frame sizes, they have been designed to suit children's pelvises. But what does that entail?
- On the smaller balance bikes and bikes (woom ORIGINAL 1, woom ORIGINAL 1 PLUS, woom ORIGINAL 2, woom ORIGINAL 3), we've optimised the saddle to create an upright riding position so that your child has a clear view over their surroundings despite being close to the ground.
- Its scooped banana-esque design 🍌 is engineered to ensure continuous optimal support for your child while on their balance bike.
- The saddle on our bigger bikes generates a lightly stretched-out position. By this age, the athletic aspect of cycling is more important to riders.
Bananas provided the blueprint for the saddles used on our woom ORIGINAL 1 and woom ORIGINAL 1 PLUS balance bikes.
Walls are made for propping up bikes
Okay, that's not quite true but children (and adults) are prone to propping their bikes up against walls. This can, however, quickly lead to damage on conventional bike saddles.
To eliminate this risk, we've reinforced the sides of our saddles with Kevlar.
These reinforcements mean we've minimised the risk of abrasion damage and maximised the longevity of the saddle so that your child may enjoy riding their bike for as long as possible before passing it on to a younger sibling, friend or neighbour.
woom bikes are very hard-wearing and can happily take a breather on a beach.
Flexible adjustability to facilitate the perfect position
An ergonomic riding position is important in terms of safety and posture, so kids can avoid stressing their spine. That's why the saddles on our woom ORIGINAL bikes have flexible, quick and easy adjustment by hand.
Alongside the saddle height, you can also adjust the fore/aft position of the saddle on the woom ORIGINAL 4 – 6 models. Also known as setback, it refers to the saddle's horizontal placement.
- Adjusting the seat height:
Ask your child to sit on the saddle and place their heel on the lowest pedal when the cranks are at 6 o'clock. Their leg should be fully extended without excessive stretching or hip rocking. Your child should always be able to touch the ground with both feet and have a stable stance once the saddle height has been adjusted. A lower saddle height is recommended for beginners. - Adjusting the fore/aft position (woom ORIGINAL 4 to 6):
Ask your child to sit on the saddle with the balls of their feet directly over the pedal axle. With the pedals parallel to the ground (cranks at 3 o'clock), a plumb line running from just below the patella on the rider's right leg should fall straight down through the pedal axle. If the plumb line falls in front of the pedal axle, move the saddle further back. If the plumb line falls behind the pedal axle, move the saddle further forward.
