Bike Seat Bum Warmer

My husband has big plans to push through this winter cold while still biking to work. He hates the crowded TTC commute in the morning and much prefers a trek along the rail path. I bought him some warm gloves and a face mask for Christmas, but realized that his leather seat would be pretty chilly on the posterior. So I decided to remedy that with a quick and relatively easy, trial-and-error construction of a bike seat cover.

By: Jodi

Materials needed:

– sewing machine

– thread

– pins

– reflector tape (I got mine from the dollar store. It was actually an ankle wrap on velcro, but I just used a seam ripper to detach it from that).

– material

– quilted material

– sewing elastic

– paper

– pencil

Tutorial:

1. First, I snuck out when he was away and roughly traced the top of his seat and measured the back and sides (including any springs, etc, so I knew how far it would have to go to go under and hold on). I added a couple of inches to the length of the sides to account for hemming and space for the elastic. Of course, always add a bit extra to every piece of material you cut, because seaming to another piece will obviously make it a bit smaller.

2. Pin your seat “pattern” paper to your material and cut out. Then do the same with your quilted material. Your quilted material will never be seen, because it will be underneath your mean seat material, but your butt will appreciate it, nonetheless. Sew your two seat pieces together.

3. Pin and sew the reflective tape onto your back piece.

4. Now, you may approach the next step in one of two ways. You will have two side pieces and a back piece that you measured for length and width and have cut out. (You will have to cut a bit of an angle from where the edge of the back pieces meet the sides, as the back will likely be longer). You may either a) sew each individually onto the seat in their respective places and then seam them together or b) sew their seams all together, so it looks like a ring of material and then, pinning it carefully to the seat, sew around it. I did a), but I think I’d probably do b) the next time. It’s probably a bit easier than trying to attach all those seams correctly after the materials already attached at the top.

5. Pin a hem all the way around the bottom of your back/side piece. I would advise you fold it twice, so as to avoid fraying. make the hem large enough that you can fit your elastic through it. The best elastic to get it the thinner kind, then you won’t get those weird twists that sometimes happen on elastic waistbands. Sew it all the way around, leaving the start/finish ends open.

6. Measure your elastic by taking it to your actual bike seat and making sure it fits all the way around the seat at its tightest (so you can actually get the cover on) but will cinch it enough when on that the cover won’t be sliding all over the place. Stick a safety pin in the end of the elastic and feed it all the way through around the hem. Then sew the ends of the hem up, sewing the elastic secure at the same time.

7. And you’ve got it! A cozy, cushy for your tushy. Now get biking!