As every rider knows, saddles are a very personal choice. If your saddle isn’t comfortable, you’re not going to enjoy riding (or even ride at all). I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve ridden very few saddles that I haven’t gotten along with (PEZ readers may be familiar with some of my saddle reviews). The one thing I do know is that I just don’t like a board flat saddle profile (even though — based on my flexibility and riding position — that’s exactly what many saddle manufacturers recommend for me).
I get asked for saddle recommendations all the time and I always say: “What’s right for me isn’t necessarily going to be right for you because everyone is different. It’s trial-and-error. Until you sit on and ride a saddle, you won’t know if it’s the right one for you.” That and: “Take saddle manufacturer recommendations with a grain of salt” (see above). I know more than a few riders who have spent a good chunk of $$$ on saddles that have been relegated to the never-to-be-seen-again parts bin or otherwise donated to some unsuspecting soul.
But what if instead of an elusive quest trying to find a mass produced saddle you like, you could have a saddle custom fitted and designed just for you? Enter the Posedla Joyseat 3.0 custom 3D printed saddle.
Let me start by saying the Posedla Joyseat 3.0 isn’t cheap:
- $399 for the PLUS that has a nylon shell and stainless steel rails
- $499 for the PRO that has a twill carbon shell and unidirectional (UD) carbon rails
- $599 for the ULTRA that has a UD carbon shell and UD carbon rails (what PEZ got)
That said, many of the high-end saddles I’ve had the good fortune to review are in the $300-$400 price range.
The Process
Like a tailor-made suit, there’s a process to having a Posedla Joyseat 3.0 saddle made for you. You’re not buying off the rack. After ordering the saddle you want (in my case, the ULTRA), Posedla sends you what they call their Smiling Butt Kit, which is used to get your butt imprint and identify/measure your sit bones.
You only get one shot at doing your butt imprint, so definitely read the instructions once, twice, maybe even three times! Here’s a video:
Once you’ve done your butt imprint, you then need to take 9 (nine) photos and upload them. Here are mine:
But there’s more to custom than just getting an imprint of your butt/sit bones. Posedla also asks you for a lot of other information via their Joyseat configurator that collects detailed information about the rider, including their height, weight, gender, age, annual mileage, riding style, flexibility, and the type of bicycle you ride, e.g., road, gravel, mountain bike. Posedla also wanted know what other saddles I’ve ridden that I liked. As well as anything else I could them tell about my riding, e.g., that I ride a long and low position with a slammed stem, and what I like/don’t like about saddles, e.g., that I preferred a saddle with a curved profile.
All this information is used to create a saddle custom fit saddle based on Posedla’s proprietary 3S system:
- SIZE (Posedla saddles are custom width from 130 mm to 170 mm in 1 mm increments)
- SHAPE (from flat to curved)
- STIFFNESS (with 3D printing the padding stiffness can be tailored)
How Long Does It Take?
If you need instant gratification, you’re not going to get that with the Posedla Joyseat 3.0. Remember, it’s like a tailor-made suit and getting it made takes time. Per Posedla, expect:
- Joyseat Plus: Delivery within 2–4 weeks after receiving your imprint and configuration details.
- Joyseat Pro, Ultra: Delivery within 4–6 weeks after receiving your imprint and configuration details.
My Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA took about 6 weeks from the time I sent my imprint and other information.
Finished Product
I’ll let pictures do a lot of the talking.
Here are all the specs of my bespoke custom made-just-for-me Posedla Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA saddle:
One spec not provided is saddle length, which I measured at 250 mm. So shorter than most traditional saddles, but not quite as short as other saddles I’ve been riding that are marketed as “short-nose” saddles. (NOTE: The UCI minimum is 240 mm for saddle length.) If I had one (minor) product improvement suggestion, it would be able to customize the length for those of us who might want an even shorter nose.
Posedla can’t spec a weight because each saddle is different, but says the weight of the ULTRA is “from 155 grams”
A cutout to relieve pressure on the important bits is pretty standard these days
In addition to custom fit, you can customize the color of top of the exposed saddle base (green arrow) — I went with boring black — and add a “nickname” (yellow arrow) — I went with a sage old Italian coach’s advice: #PEDALFASTER
Side view shows the curved saddle profile
This is the part where I say: “Look at all that black carbon fiber goodness”
Riding the Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA
Whenever you change to a new saddle, you need to make sure you get it mounted so your riding position is the same. For that, I used the Arch Design Works Dupli-Fit Pro tool.
It’s important to point out that the Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA has ovalized 7×9 mm rails. If you have a seatpost that clamps the rails from the top and bottom, you shouldn’t have any issues (maximum torque for 2-bolt top-bottom clamp is 6-7 Nm). But if your seatpost clamps the rails from the side, you’re going to need an adapter from the manufacturer (maximum torque for side clamp is 9-11 Nm).
Also, the rails themselves don’t have any markings for fore/aft clamping limits. If a manufacturer doesn’t specify limits, my rule of thumb based on experience with lots of other saddles with carbon fiber rails is at least 10 mm from where the rail starts to bend up to the base. Using Dupli-Fit to replicate my previous saddle’s position, I ended up ~20 mm back from where the rail bends up at the front.
Ready to ride!
My initial impressions on my maiden voyage on the Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA saddle:
- I felt like I was more sitting “on top” of the saddle than “in” it. Having previously ridden 3D printed saddles, I was sort of expecting this. And I think this is a phenomena of 3D printing versus traditional foam padding with a saddle cover.
- I also felt like I was more “in contact” with the saddle than other saddles I’ve ridden. In part, I think this was due to the “padding” of the 3D printing being more firm than the padding of traditional saddles I’ve ridden. I also think it’s due to the saddle fitting my sit bones exactly.
- And for riders who are new to 3D printed saddles: it isn’t quite as smooth as a traditional saddle cover, but I could still move around on the saddle easily enough.
I should make a point that none of the above are criticisms about the comfort of the Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA saddle. My butt and undercarriage bits were/are more than comfortable riding the Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA saddle. But it’s a more firm comfortable rather than cushy comfortable. I know different riders doing different types of riding may want a different firmness and with the Joyseat 3.0, you can have that customized to suit your butt.
That said, the Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA is the firmest saddle I’ve ridden. That firmness couldn’t help me but think of my friend, Amy Charity, and what she wrote in her book The Wrong Side of Comfortable:
“Testing a few bikes in the parking lot, I commented how incredibly uncomfortable the saddles were. Why do they make their saddles like tiny little bricks, I asked the salesman with genuine curiosity. (Little did I know how much I would grow to appreciate a minimalist hard saddle.)”
#PEDALFASTER
I think there’s an interesting phenomena with the Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA saddle. Although I was more than comfortable riding it from the get-go, I think there’s an adjustment/break-in period (for me, just a few rides) for your butt to get used to riding a saddle that was made for your butt. It’s the saddle you should have been riding all along and you have to shed the accumulated experience of riding saddles that may have been comfortable and fit you OK enough, but weren’t Goldilocks “just right” made specifically for your anatomy, weight, riding position, and riding style. Per Posedla:
The transition from a regular saddle to a custom one may require some adaptation time. We know cases where riders have immediately and successfully tested Joyseat in races, 200 kilometers long rides, or even in temperatures as low as 15 degrees below zero. However, we recommend starting gradually, preferably at moderate to low intensity, to allow your body to adapt to the changes more easily and quickly. The soft padding in the front area ensures that there is no pressure on the soft tissues and that proper blood flow is maintained. On the other hand, the higher stiffness underneath the sit bones provides the necessary support during longer rides. Although the feeling of Joyseat may be a bit unusual at first, you will soon appreciate the benefits it offers during your rides.
I’ve now ridden hundreds of miles on the Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA saddle and I can definitely feel the firmness. But being on the saddle isn’t on my mind while I’m riding because the saddle fits and there’s no discomfort associated with the firmness. For lack of a better description: it’s just “there.” I don’t really notice it and just #fuhgeddaboudit. It’s probably worth noting that I have had sciatic nerve issues in the past and actually prefer sitting in chairs that have a harder/firmer surface rather than being soft/cushy (the latter can actually bother me if I’m sitting in a “soft” chair for an extended period of time) so that probably has something to do with me not “noticing” the firmness.
Most of my riding these days is 20-40 miles (with the occasional 50-60 miler), but my butt has enough experience with lots of different saddles to know that I could ride a lot more miles than that on the Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA. And mileage isn’t the only test for a saddle. The Sunday ride I do on the island (Hilton Head) is a take-no-prisoners training ride where I’m moving on and in and out of the saddle throughout the ride having to put power down and respond to surges. The Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA isn’t the problem when it comes to those hard efforts involved with trying to hang in and hang on.
The road beckons
$599 for a Saddle?
If you’re 100% happy with your current saddle (not experiencing any discomfort or saddle sores), I’m not going to recommend you switch (to any saddle from any manufacturer at any price point). Especially when it comes to saddles, never ever try to fix what ain’t broken.
But if you’re just not comfortable on your current saddle (and especially if you’ve gone through a series of different saddles that are all lacking), going custom with Posedla makes a lot of sense (you don’t necessarily have to go Full Monty with the ULTRA). If you’re wondering about spending that kind of money on a saddle, some food for thought …
- How much did you spend on your bike?
- How much have you spent on other bike stuff?
- How much have you spent on other saddles that aren’t working for you?
- How many miles are you riding (or not riding because your saddle is uncomfortable)?
- What’s the most important touchpoint on your bike?
I’m not going to say you should spend upwards of nearly $600 on a new saddle (because it’s not my place to spend your hard earned money). But if you and your current saddle aren’t getting along, there might be good reasons why doing so wouldn’t necessarily be an outlandish expenditure.
Even though I don’t have any complaints about the different saddles I’ve ridden over the last several years, the Posedla Joyseat 3.0 ULTRA is next level. For me, the differences between mass produced that fit/work for me and custom aren’t night and day, but nonetheless apparent (even if they’re more subtle). To use my tailor-made analogy and riff on Eva Green’s quip to Daniel Craig in the dinner jacket scene in Casino Royale: “There are saddles and there are saddles. The Posedla Joyseat 3.0 is the latter.”
Note: If you have other experiences with gear or something to add, drop us a line. We don’t claim to know everything (we just imply it at times). Give us a pat on the back if you like the reviews or a slap in the head if you feel the need!
PezCycling News and the author ask that you contact the manufacturers before using any products you see here. Only the manufacturer can provide accurate and complete information on proper/safe use, handling, maintenance, and or installation of products as well as any conditional information or product limitations.
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