Bicycle seat goes high tech for comfort

BOISE, Idaho - Jeri Rutherford had been a long-distance cyclist since her teens. Then something changed after age 45.

"I just couldn't ride anymore," she said, "It became more and more painful to sit on the bicycle seat." The frustration led Rutherford, who is a corporate-management consultant from Marsing, Idaho, to pursue a passion to develop a comfortable bicycle seat.

And it was a passion.

"It's my life," she said of cycling.

She believes that a comfortable bicycle seat can change the world by fixing waistlines and the environment.

Five years and more than 60 bicycle seat prototypes later, Rutherford is marketing the Carbon Comfort Saddle.

Seat discomfort is the most common complaint from riders, she said. Men have suffered from chronic nerve damage and groin numbness on extended rides with an improperly fitting seat. Women also suffer nerve damage and chaffing, Rutherford said.

So, Rutherford built a different bicycle saddle.

"People over 35 and women love the seat," said Rutherford, who is now 52 and continuing long-distance riding up to 150 miles on a weekend.

The Carbon Comfort bike by Rideout Technologies features:

1. A unisex design, which supports the sit bones of men and women, and distributes weight more evenly over a greater area.

2. An infused carbon-fiber base plate that offers road-shock absorption and flexes to fit the rider. The seat's crossbow suspension system also works to absorb rider and road shock. Rutherford compares the crossbow technology to the leaf springs on a pickup.

3. Carbon-fiber construction that keeps the seat lightweight at 14 ounces.

4. Seat rails with position markings for easy installation and adjustments.

5. A Kevlar-reinforced saddle cover and a high-visibility reflective safety panel.

The seat retails for $84.95,and can be seen at www.rideouttech.com.