Rad mini 4 seat

[G]

Looking for a comfortable seat for my mini 4. Tried a Bikeroo but it didn't hold up. Looking at a  cloud 9, any info on these? Thanks

[Altema]

I have a Cloud 9 Cruiser Select Airflow seat on my RadMini. It works well, and after trying other seats, I went back to it. I have over 2000 miles on it and it still looks good, although the emblem on the back came off.

[JimInPT]

I concluded quickly that buying a seat is like buying shoes; everybody has a different fit and preference.

I ordered a Cloud 9 Cruiser Select when I ordered my Mini StepThru, having heard numerous reports of how uncomfortable stock Rad seats are (I can now confirm that personally) and wanted to be prepared to swap it out immediately.  The C-9s are very well made and it was an improvement, but my butt still hurt after 30 mins or so.

So I tried a Bikeroo and a Velmia and again, both are well-made and seemed better at first but ultimately not an improvement, so I went back to the C-9 Cruiser Select.  I didn't stop my research, though.  Reading up on seat fitting, I found that the seat should be mostly level for this style of riding and that handlebar height (thus weight distribution) was a big factor as well as "butt posture" which affects pelvis alignment.  Be aware that tiny (less than 1/2") adjustments in seat height, handlebar height, seat rail fore/aft setting on the post and seat angle all have very significant effects on comfort; be prepared to measure, tweak and fiddle.  Shifting position while riding to relieve pain will help guide you toward what needs to be changed for a better fit.

It still wasn't "right", though, so I ordered the Cloud 9 Cruiser Gel Sofa seat, the one with a really long nose.  That long nose is an issue and doesn't have to be that long - it sticks out so far that dismounting to stand on flat feet at a stoplight is a hassle.  However, I think it's my keeper seat; I set it up exactly the same as the Cruiser Select, but it's a better fit for me and much more comfortable - I think the difference is not only the extra width but that the cushions are flatter than the Cruiser Select; that's hard to see from the online photos.

So I ended up with a Cloud 9, but not the one I started with.  They have quite a few models and both of mine are extremely well-made, but fit differently.  So, sad to say, you may have to take the same journey of trying different seats to see which works best for you; find a vendor that will let you return ones that don't improve your ride.  I still have the Cruiser Select and the Bikeroo as well, but Amazon was fine with my returning the others I tried and would have taken these back as well, I just want alternative/spare seats if ever needed.  I think the C-9 Gel Sofa is Seat #6, so it took me a bit of effort to find the one I liked best.

FWIW, I also added a Redshift suspension post, which is a very nice upgrade to smooth out my rides as well - highly recommended bit of engineering and once adjusted (more fiddling and testing the Redshift adjustments) teams up with the C-9 to work well together.  All the above seats will work with it, but it increases the minimum seat height by about 3" or so due to the mechanism, and Cloud 9 seats are very thick to begin with, so short people and short legs should measure before adding it.  It does have a 30 or 90-day return policy (can't remember which) to help with trying it out and there is a first-time buyer discount coupon available on their website by signing up for their emails - saved me about $30 overall.  That paid for most of the Cloud 9 seat.

I've attached a photo of the C-9 Gel Sofa seat and the Redshift; you can see how long the seat snout is, and how flat it is if you look closely, but I'm getting used to the big nose.

[RadJohn]

I became convinced long ago that there was no such thing as a comfortable bicycle seat, but thankfully there are a few that are significantly less uncomfortable than others (I've had just about everything from Brooks to Z over the years).

Something like the Cloud-9 Cruiser Select Airflow ES Softtouch Vinyl 49526 has worked well for me on my Min 4 for 3500+ miles (the ES means elastomer suspension, not steel coil springs).

BUT, what kind of cloths you wear can make just as much difference as the brand or construction of the saddle on your bike.

Coarse weave cotton underwear can be like sandpaper after 20 miles, there's a reason that many cyclists wear shiny smooth padded stuff. Synthetic or high thread count/hard cotton can be quite comfortable in the 20 to 40 mile range, but I switch to padding when planning on doing 50 or more miles.  I wear jeans because of the amount of time my legs spend in contact with brush and the ground, but Gevjon Paded Men's Cycling Underwear from Amazon have worked well for me out to 100+ miles so far (butt lotions can help a lot too.)   

[Altema]

I concluded quickly that buying a seat is like buying shoes; everybody has a different fit and preference.

Well said, and I've had a few different seats before settling on one myself. It's amusing how you can look up a hundred seats, and they all state "Most Comfortable".