WTB has been making a wide range of bike saddles for many years. From longstanding favorites like the Volt, Rocket, and Silverado, to newer models like the Gravelier, Solano, and Solano SL, WTB’s saddles have been and continue to be popular both as OEM specs and aftermarket purchases. And with all of those options, WTB knows that finding the perfect saddle can often be a frustrating process of trial and error. In an effort to make saddle selection more intuitive, WTB has updated its Fit Right System.
The driving force behind the Fit Right update was WTB’s Sean Madsen, who is also responsible for modernizing popular favorites like the Volt and Silverado, and introducing some of the latest models, including the Solano and Gravelier. According to WTB, Sean’s approach to design “recognizes that how a rider uses their bike is equally important as their physiology.” Now, in addition to sit bone width, the redesigned Fit Right system also considers body mechanics, riding style, and ride duration to generate model-specific saddle recommendations.
“Not only do riders come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but how each rider uses their bike is unique. This is why saddles are so personal – your friend’s saddle probably won’t work for you. Sit bone width is an important factor, but so is the rider’s flexibility, stability, as well as the duration and intensity of their rides. Having a breadth of shapes available that are tailored to how different riders interact with the saddle and how they use their bikes is key”.
– Sean Madsen, Senior Category Product Manager.
WTB Fit Right System
So, sit bone width is obviously still a very important factor that plays a large role in comfort, but the updated Fit Right System aims to go beyond that measurement. By including factors such as the type of riding, duration, intensity, body flexibility, and core strength, WTB believes it can more accurately provide recommendations from its range of saddles.
Here’s what WTB has to say about its updated Fit Right System:
Solving a Fundamental Problem
Fit Right addresses a simple reality. Humans weren’t designed to sit on bike saddles. A large portion of body mass is supported on a relatively small contact area, and without proper support, discomfort and in some cases health issues can follow. The solution is supporting the rider’s weight on bone rather than soft tissue. Sit bones can adapt to bear our load, whereas soft tissue cannot. But just like shoe sizing, sit bone width varies from rider to rider, making correct measurement critical.
Fit Goes Beyond Width
While sit bone support is essential, WTB emphasizes that saddle fit is influenced by more than anatomy alone. Rider flexibility, core stability, and riding style all affect how a rider’s pelvis interacts with a saddle. Flexibility influences pelvic rotation, core stability affects how long a rider can maintain position before fatigue alters posture, and ride duration & intensity influence padding needs and support preferences. Fit Right factors in these dynamics to guide riders toward appropriate saddle shapes and profiles.
Designed for Riders at Every Level
Fit Right does not frame flexibility or stability limitations as barriers. Even top-level professional riders can have restricted mobility. The key is matching saddle design to the rider, not the other way around. By combining lab testing, rider data, and years of saddle development, WTB aims to make finding the right saddle more approachable, more precise, and less reliant on trial and error.
Get Your Fit Right
WTB’s new Fit Right System is already live on the brand’s website, along with other saddle fit and positioning resources. This includes a description and video tutorial about how to measure your sit bone width (if you don’t already know it). There’s also a page detailing all of the science behind Fit Right, which is quite informative if you’re interested in nerding out.
I tried the updated Fit Right System, and it steered me toward the Solano Wide and Silverado Medium, both of which I’ve ridden recently on test bikes and got along with quite well. In fact, I’d say that the Solano is my current favorite saddle for mountain biking.
Regardless, if you’re looking for a new saddle, WTB’s new Fit Right System could be very useful in getting it right the first time. And they’ve got a 90-day fit guarantee, just in case it’s not the right fit.
Check it out at: wtb.com
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