While most inveterate roadies would view showing up to a serious group ride or race with a bike that’s equipped with a vabsRider saddle, the equivalent of attending a fashionable dance party with state hospital shoes on, for the average urban cyclist, comfort always takes precedence over style and performance.
Designed by Robin Macan and industrial designer Philippe Guichard from D2 Design and Development, the vabsRider was designed with an innovative split-seat layout, offering support across the rider’s gluteal muscles in order to eliminate pain by reducing pressure on the sit bones.
“The development of the vabsRider started with the question – Does a traditional bike saddle perform its function well? Is saddle soreness an unavoidable reality of cycling or is a new approach needed to address fundamental problems with the user experience? By starting with these questions, and an open-minded and enthusiastic approach to new ideas, every aspect of this product exudes innovation. And we are certain that this can be seen upon viewing the vabsRider for the first time. With a first principles approach to design, we have re-thought and re-imagined a design that has existed for centuries. Through a journey of ongoing research and development, this project embraced an attitude of breaking convention. Through the journey, many prototypes have been built, tested and refined. A process of continuous design-build-test iterations that have led to the design in its current form – the vabsRider,” explains Macan.
The vabsRider’s fore, aft, angle and width are adjusted via set screws on its dedicated seatpost, allowing riders to easily experiment with different positions.
Details on the vabsRider remain scarce, with no production timeline, estimated MRSP, or even the materials used in the making of the saddle, currently available.
However, Macan says his firm has been conducting extensive field testing, offering demos at various cycling events and expos.
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