BMX Seat Install: How To

Types of BMX Seats

There are 3 main types of seats; Pivotal, Combo, and Railed. In freestyle, pivotal is the standard, followed by combo seats. Railed seats were king back in the day but are pretty uncommon these days. In racing, it's pretty well mixed between pivotal and combo seats.

Pivotal Seats

Pivotal seats are the most common style these days as they allow for an easy angle adjustment and a clean, lightweight setup. By tightening the bolt with an Allen wrench via the access patch on the top of the seat, the interlocking teeth lock the seat firmly in place.

Stealth pivotal seats work the same way except for the access hole on the top of the seat. Rather, you access the bolt by going through the seat post. This does provide a clean look as it eliminates the slot on the seat, however, it isn't as user friendly to install. It requires a less common tool to access the bolt and requires the seat angle to be set off the bike. So if it's not the angle you want, you must remove the post, make the adjustment, and reinstall it.

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Seat/Post Combos

If we're talking clean and simple, it doesn't get much better than a seat and post combo. These are a one-piece seat and seat post. While this doesn't allow for seat angle adjustment, it's not much of a negative since most riders position their seats in approximately the same angle. By eliminating any adjustment components and making it all one-piece, this often makes this a lighter option than a pivotal or railed seat and seat post.

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Railed Seats

While railed seats aren't nearly as common today, they still have their place. Freestyle riders often like them for the nostalgia, while some racers simply prefer their adjustability. Bike Life or Wheelie Bike riders actually prefer them because they allow for the most forward lean angle, making it more comfortable while riding a wheelie.

To see detailed instructions of the seat installations click a link below:

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For more details on all the different types of seats, check out our video below