Radical new saddle from ataraxyBSC rotates forwards as you pedal

The pursuit of comfort has led to many weird and wonderful saddle designs over the years but Australian brand ataraxyBSC may have found the ultimate solution to comfort woes through its very unique vabsRider bike seat.

Visually the saddle doesn’t stand out too much compared to some of the more outlandish designs we’ve seen – like the very eye-catching SaddleSpur that emerged in 2023 – and it bears a slight resemblance to a time trial saddle with a split design. You won’t find this saddle on a time trial bike though, as the design is firmly focussed on making pain a thing of the past for everyday riders.

Read more: How to choose a road bike saddle

Key to this is the split design which allows both sides of the saddle to move independently on an axis in motion with the legs and rotation of the hip joint. Each side of the saddle essentially rotates forwards and then back to a neutral position as the rider pushes down and then pulls back up on the pedal. Doing this shifts pressure from the sit bones to the femurs for a more even pressure load, ataraxyBSC says, which makes “the enjoyment of bike riding a true pleasure and brings the cycling experience to a whole new group of people.”

Although it is only just breaking cover, the vabsRider has been in the works since 2016 when Robin Macan, a civil engineer by day, first concocted the idea. The Australian was inspired by what he perceived as a lack of a truly comfortable saddle on the market. The design has since been honed over the years with backing from the Inventors Association of Australia (IAA) and Philippe Guichard of D2 Design and Development, before arriving on what they say is “the world’s first virtual axis bicycle seat”.

Anyone interested in the saddle won’t be able to get their hands on it just yet, although ataraxyBSC says a full launch is in the offing in the future. For now the company is hosting a tester event on 16 June in Hawthorn, Australia, where members of the public can try the saddle for themselves.

AtaraxyBSC has also confirmed that it will be attending Eurobike 2024, with its unique saddle in tow.

For more from the world of cycling tech, check out the tech news section of the GCN website.