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Saddle
Frequently called a "seat", a bicycle's saddle is not intended to support the rider's entire weight. Traditional saddles are made of leather stretched over a metal frame, hammock style. This type of saddle requires care and careful breaking in, but when this is done, the classic leather saddle molds itself to fit the particular anatomical shape of its rider.
Leather saddles are particularly well suited to long-distance tourists, and have their greatest advantage in hot weather, because they are porous and able to breathe, unlike plastic saddles which have closed-cell foam (also known as "gel") as a cushion. There is a more extensive article on Leather Saddles on this site.
Most cyclists have never experienced the comfort of a well broken-in leather saddle, because most modern bicycles come with plastic saddles which require no break in or other maintenance. Plastic saddles are also lighter and cheaper than leather ones. There is a general, major article on saddles on this site, covering: Adjustment, Angle, Front/Back, Gel, Hard or Soft?, Height, Impotency, Leather, Pads, Plastic, Posting, Prostate, Recumbents, Springs, Seatposts, Suspension, Wide or Narrow?
