Since it is the primary point of contact on any
recumbent, the seat is of primary importance when selecting a bike. At
Volae, we're big fans of hardshell seats as they provide you with lots of
advantages:
- Solid support for energy transfer - no flexy fabric.
- Seat cradles your entire upper body, more like sitting "in a fighter
jet" rather than "on a chair".
- As much as 3 to 5 pounds lighter than mesh seats.
- Seat bottom allows your hips to "hinge" and reach the ground
better than a mesh seat.
- Allows a lower overall seat height for better handling and reach to
the ground.
- More comfortable and supportive in a reclined, aerodynamic position.
Most "off-the-shelf" hardshell seats are designed for
European racing recumbents and extreme recline angles. Many recumbent
riders find more extreme seat recline angles to be uncomfortable, and
using a "Euro" hardshell seat more upright than intended places too much
pressure on the tailbone area of your posterior. The Volae hardshell seats
were designed with a longer seat pan and slightly more rise at the forward
lip of the seat base to hold you more securely in a more upright seating
position. Plus, if you prefer an extreme recline angle, the front edge of
the Volae seat is designed to be trimmed to ensure back-of-thigh
clearance.
Volae's seat pad is unique too. A "traditional"
open-cell foam pad is excellent for breathability and comfort, but quickly
breaks down and allows "bottoming" on the hard shell seat. To combat
this, we've worked closely with foam manufacturers to develop a custom
laminated bi-layer seat pad. The first layer is open-cell foam for
breathability and comfort, and the base layer is a special closed-cell
foam to ensure that you'll never bottom out on the seat.
Like anything, hard-shell seats are not for
everyone. That's why we've taken one of the most refined and loved
mesh seat designs in the industry and made it our own. Almost identical
to the renowned ATP/Vision seat, the Volae mesh seat prefers more upright
seat angles, offers adjustable back and lumbar support, and now uses a
heat-treated, powdercoated aluminum frame for additional strength and
durability. Of course, it can be swapped with a hardshell seat in a
matter of seconds on any Volae model.
Next: Volae Sizing >
