If you cycle quite a bit, you will know the inevitable buttock pain from the long journey. The pain and discomfort extends to more than just the butt for man (you know, if you know!). However, one company from down under, ataraxyBSC, wants to change that with a dynamic saddle called vabsRider. Described as a virtual axis bike seat, ataraxyBSC throws the traditional saddle out of the window and reinvents the seat entirely with a split-pad design that moves with your legs, not against them.
This isn’t just some ergonomic rebrand. The vabsRider is a fully reengineered seat with dual independent pads that glide on rails to match your natural pedaling motion. The result? Less pressure on the squishy bits and no more waddling like a penguin after a long ride.
Developed by a small Aussie team and endorsed by Olympic legend Anna Meares, the vabsRider has already picked up a pair of Good Design Awards in 2024. Riders report logging 85 km (53 miles) with zero back or bum pain—which honestly feels like cheating.
Each seat comes with three standard seat post sizes, btw. So it should be compatible with most bicycles. But before you go ga-ga this revolutionary saddle, you gotta know that it does not come cheap. With a starting price of a grand 978 Australian dollars (or about 632 USD, according to Kickstarter) while it is on Kickstarter, vabsRider and affordabiliy does not share the same sentence.
Anyhoo, if your current saddle feels more like medieval punishment than modern design, maybe it’s time to let science give your backside a break. But first, you may want to peek at your bank account. In any case, this being a Kickstarter campaign, it does have its risks. But I will let you be your own judge of things.
Images: ataraxyBSC.
