From bum massage boards to backrests: check out cycling’s weirdest saddles

We cyclists will try almost anything in the pursuit of comfort. Cut-outs, short noses, 3D-printed padding… we’ve seen plenty of genuine innovation over the years, but every so often a bike saddle arrives that makes you stop, stare and wonder whether someone has really lost the plot.

From the backrest-equipped SaddleSpur to Mornera’s AI-designed “bike board”, and from independently pivoting seat halves to a saddle that supposedly massages your hips as you ride, there have been some truly extraordinary attempts to solve the age-old problem of where to put your backside. Some have vanished without a trace, others are somehow still available to buy, and a few continue to insist they’re about to revolutionise cycling forever.

The weirdest-looking saddle in cycling? But SaddleSpur has now gone quiet

We reported on SaddleSpur back in 2023. It was a fairly conventional-shaped saddle, but for one big ol’ elephant in the room: that ‘spur’ at the back. Yes, it looks, um… well, you can make your own mind up.

What’s that spur all about? We’ve all seen saddles with backrests before – most famously on the Raleigh Chopper – but they’re usually focused on aesthetics. In contrast, the SaddleSpur was all about performance.

John Downing, the inventor of SaddleSpur, claimed the 15cm padded spur gave you something to push back on, giving more power to each pedal stroke. It would support your pelvis when pedalling and thus make you more efficient, while providing “a platform to enable you to focus your energy on an enhanced cycling experience”. The added surface area of the spur would also reduce pressure and friction on the sit bones.

Scientists from the Cambridge Centre for Sport & Exercise Sciences of Anglia Ruskin University tested the saddle’s performance on 16 participants completing two 10-mile time trials, comparing time, comfort, cadence and other metrics with a standard saddle vs the SaddleSpur.

According to SaddleSpur, the Anglia Ruskin researchers said that the saddle was “a unique invention that has the potential to reshape the cycling industry”.

The researchers concluded that while results were “promising” and participants were on average 14 seconds quicker in the second trial, they were unable to say whether this was down to the benefits of the SaddleSpur, course familiarity or other factors.

“Overall, these findings do show that the [SaddleSpur] could have a huge potential for the cycling community through the reduced discomfort of riding and the potentially enhanced efficiency when riding up steep inclines,” the report said.

Okay, so the SaddleSpur was going to take over the world, then… only it hasn’t.

We’ve tried to get in contact but the SaddleSpur website no longer exists. SaddleSpur’s Facebook page hasn’t been updated since November 2024. The SaddleSpur Instagram page: same. We’ve sent messages via social media to clarify SaddleSpur’s status, but we’ve had no replies.

You can apparently still buy a SaddleSpur on eBay, but we’ve received no reply to our message there either.

Mornera: the cheese-inspired bike board

Do you know about Betteridge’s law of headlines? It’s an adage that says: “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.”

Our first story covering Mornera is a prime example of the genre: “Will this AI-designed, cheese-inspired ‘sit device’ consign bike saddles to history?”

Short answer: No.

Slightly longer answer: Noooooo!

Mornera’s take on things is this: “Traditional saddles force you into a static, fixed position that compresses nerves and delicate areas. Mornera’s open-platform design is engineered for those who prioritise long-term health and prevention without compromising on-track efficiency.”

The idea is that there’s “zero pressure on your private parts”. You sit on your gluteal and sub-gluteal area – your butt – and you can shift your seating position, while “reactive suspension” absorbs vibration.

Mornera says, “While traditional saddles return gravity’s impact directly to your body’s most delicate zones, the integrated cushioning system underneath Mornera’s bike boards reduces impact. This slight protective sensation spares your body from the stress of uneven terrain and potholes.”

What’s the cheese connection? The Mornera designers created a version of the brand’s Daimon bike seat modelled on Emmental, the Swiss cheese known for its large holes.

Although the “bike board” shape is similar across Mornera models, it’s available in two forms: Soft and Hard.

Mornera Soft “features a more flexible polymer that offers superior cushioning, making it perfect for long distances (granfondo) or riders seeking maximum comfort and protection of their private parts”.

In contrast, Mornera Hard is said to be “ideal for riders who want maximum power transfer and prefer to feel the bike frame feedback”.

The Hard version, which is available in three different finishes, is priced at £136, while the Mornera Soft is £227.

Each uses a dual-rail system that fits a standard seatpost clamp.

road.cc‘s Liam Cahill used the Mornera ONE for a few weeks in 2025 and said, “I could feel the lack of pressure through the perineal area. However, this is largely where the positives end.”

He felt like he was forever tipping forward and unstable, with a lot more pressure than usual on his hands, wrists and shoulders. Having no nose on the Mornera made for less confident cornering and also left him sliding forward when in a tucked riding position.

This quickly made him uncomfortable, although the saddle felt a little better with his hands on the handlebar tops, making him think that the design is best suited to far more upright riding positions.

We tried to email Mornera to find out how things are going, but just got bouncebacks from all the addresses that we’ve used successfully in the past. We’ve not had replies to our Instagram message either, although Mornera is still posting to Insta and you can apparently still buy the bike boards through its website.

Aeroelastic AE: lowering friction, raising eyebrows

When covering the Aeroelastic AE saddle on road.cc Suvi Loponen said, “It might not be quite as shocking [as the SaddleSpur] in its shape, but it certainly is something that can only be described as controversial in the looks department.”

That’s a fair assessment, right? So what’s going on here?

Aeroelastic says, “The saddle nose is positioned as low as possible relative to the seat, making this an ergonomic bike saddle that allows cyclists to ride long distances with zero friction in the crotch area.

“If your saddle is too soft, your buttocks sink and the crotch gets pressed against the nose. Too stiff and the ischial bones hurt. The Aeroelastic AE Saddle… solves this with a low nose design, providing zero friction in the crotch and ultimate cycling saddle comfort.”

The left and right sections at the back of the saddle are designed to match the movement of your buttocks.

The AE Saddle uses soft, high-rebound polyurethane foam while “improved cover sealing minimises air leakage, ensuring that even a soft seat maintains support without bottoming out”.

Aeroelastic talks a lot about protecting your prostate (men only, obviously) and about a painful saddle being dangerous.

It says, “Slim sports bike seats can compress nerves and blood vessels in the genital area, increasing the risk of urethral obstruction and erectile dysfunction in men. Female cyclists may face similar risks.”

Hang on! Not the erectile dysfunction bit, surely. Moving on…

“The Aeroelastic AE Saddle, a prostate-friendly bike saddle and anatomical bike saddle, solves this by reducing perineal pressure… With its ergonomic design, it protects sensitive areas while allowing pain-free, high-performance cycling.”

The AE is 265.8mm long and 187.5mm wide and comes in at a claimed 398g. It’s priced at €190 and is available direct from Aeroelastic and via Amazon.

ISM: it’s weird, but it works

With a split-nose design, ISM saddles might look pretty crazy, but we’ve reviewed them on road.cc and been impressed with their performance and the level of comfort on offer. In other words, they might look strange, but they’re effective.

ISM produces a whole range of saddles – long, short, narrow, wide – for various types of cycling, the common feature being that split-nose design. It’s all about blood flow.

It says, “At ISM, we use the latest science and technology to ensure maximum health, comfort, and performance for all cyclists. ISM’s patented design results in superior blood flow, no genital numbness, and optimum rider health.

This video is a few years old now but it gets the basic idea across…

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Unlike most of the saddles mentioned in this article, we’ve spent a decent amount of time aboard ISMs.

Ed Morgan reviewed the ISM PS 2.0 saddle (£185) and said, “The split-nose design alleviates pressure from your perineal area, allowing you to maintain an aggressive race position. Although I don’t think it’s very aesthetically pleasing, its excellent comfort more than makes up for its ‘interesting’ looks.

“The PS 2.0’s distinctive split-nose design and generous padding alleviate pressure on your more sensitive areas, ensuring a more enjoyable riding experience, which is especially true during long rides.”

Emily Tillett had similar feelings about the ISM PR 1.0 (£130).

“Don’t let the unusual shape put you off,” she said. “It’s very comfortable under the sit bones and reduces pressure on the soft tissue in the perineal area.

“The design is one that works well for me, and I find it offers good pressure relief. I didn’t experience any numbness with this saddle. I also found that my weight was distributed evenly across the saddle, and there weren’t any pressure points.”

We can’t say with certainty that the ISM design will work for you – saddle comfort is notoriously variable from person to person – but there’s good science behind it.

The ISM is available in the UK through Upgrade Bikes.

How about a saddle that promises a mid-ride massage?

And if that one isn’t strange enough for you, how about the Awnyor bike seat that we spotted on AliExpress back in 2024?

Awnyor saddle from aliexpress (Image Credit: Awnyor)

It was described as an “escape bicycle saddle long-distance seat widened and enlarged balance noseless saddle comfortable and healthy seat”.

Who could refuse that little lot? Maybe it tripped off the tongue a little easier in the original language.

Awnyor seemed to believe that the static nature of a traditional saddle would cause you issues when sitting in a fixed position for a long time. Its solution was to offer a saddle with a slight rotation and “at the same time produce a massage effect on the hip muscles”.

Okay, we’re all ears. Who doesn’t like a quick rubdown?

We reported, “In essence, this saddle consists of rails that have adjustments for the angle, and these hold two foam-like pads that can be individually tilted. The design is quite similar to another saddle called ‘Spongy Wonder‘ – which is noseless and aims to eliminate pressure on the perineal and prostate areas. But what the Spongy Wonder lacks is the adjustment options of the Awnyor.”

The polymer thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) pads were available in three different shape, and Awnyor went so far as to say that its design “completely solved the drawbacks of traditional saddles”.

There’s clearly no place for modesty in marketing.

With that in mind, you might have expected the makers of the Awnyor saddle to clean up, especially as it cost just a shade over £60 with 50% off at the time of our article, but we can’t find it for sale under that name on AliExpress anymore.

That said, this looks like the same product (above) with the logos badly Photoshopped out and there are various similar options out there.

The saddle that moves as you pedal

AtaraxyBSC says that its vabsRider is “the world’s first virtual axis bicycle seat”.

Okaaaay, we’ll bite: what’s that then?

This is another saddle where the left and right halves are independent of one another.

“The innovative split seat design allows for individual movement of the legs, rotating around the hip joints on an axis that is virtual to the seat,” says AtaraxyBSC.

In short, the two halves pivot up as you pedal.

Obvious question: why?

“The vabsRider transfers the pressure from the sit bones to the femurs, ensuring an evenly distributed load,” says AtaraxyBSC.

The distance between the left and right halves is also adjustable for a small amount of customisation.

It comes on its own dedicated seatpost that’s available in 27.2mm, 30.9mm and 31.6mm diameters, which covers most (but by no means all) bikes out there. It’s predominantly designed for e-bikes, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t fit it to a standard bike.

Whether you’d want to is another matter. We’d certainly be massively surprised if it really does offer the “revolutionary cycling comfort” that’s promised. Maybe it does, but we’ve not used the vabsRider, so we can’t  tell you either way.

That said, AtaraxyBSC was looking for about £9,000 through its Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign last year and it raised over £140,000, so plenty of people were impressed by its promises. Shipping is expected in August 2026.

Head over the the AtaraxtyBSC website for more info.

Plus a million more wild and wacky designs

If you are interested in a non-standard bike saddle, sites like eBay, Amazon and Aliexpress are chock-full of ’em.

This noseless, adjustable dual-pad saddle, for example, comes “with bent pipe which has high toughness and rigidity, to ensure good shock absorption performance”.

Tortuous translations are central to the genre. “Bent pipe” presumably refers to the curvy rails.

This one might look like a haemorrhoid cushion, but it’s “carefully crafted according to the curve of the human buttocks”.

It features “a cutting-edge double ball suspension system” on the underside and high-density sponge padding. Like many others, this manufacturer appears to be playing on the idea many people have that softer equals greater comfort. Any experienced cyclist can tell you that’s not necessarily the case, but the upper section (shell, padding and cover) here is a whopping 7.5cm deep.

And this one… well, it’s 33cm wide. Each to their own, we guess. On the plus side, you’ll never be short of something to talk about when you park outside the local café.

If you have had success with an unusual saddle, please let us know about it in the comments below.