WTB overhauls Fit Right System to make saddle choice more intuitive by factoring in body mechanics, riding style, and time in the saddle.
Built upon decades of experience designing saddles for everyone from elite racers to everyday commuters, Fit Right translates rider physiology and riding habits into clear, model-specific saddle recommendations.
Engineering WTB Saddles
The driving force behind Fit Right’s redesign is Sean Madsen. An innovator with significant experience crafting top-tier bicycle components and working with athletes at the highest possible level, including some of the best riders at the Tour De France.
In recent years, he has been responsible for not only the modernization of long-standing favorites such as the Volt & Silverado, but also the introduction of WTB’s Solano, Solano SL, and the popular Gravelier saddle.
Sean’s approach to saddle design recognizes that how a rider uses their bike is equally as important as their physiology, meaning Fit Right looks at what makes you as a rider unique to provide the best possible 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.
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.
Available Now
WTB’s Fit Right System is live now at www.wtb.com/pages/fit-right-system along with additional resources on saddle setup and positioning.