Bicycle-seat maker relocates to Libby

RideOut Technologies is getting comfortable in Libby.

The creators of what they call “world’s most comfortable bike seat” have set up shop at 260 Bobtail Meadow Road to design, package, and assemble their lightweight Carbon Comfort Saddles.

The company, owned and founded by Jeri Rutherford, has been based in Boise, Idaho, since it was created in 2010. Rutherford recently married Libby native Ray Backen and the two decided to make the move to Montana.

“I’m excited to be here. Libby has so many incredible riding opportunities,” Rutherford said. “They have all these great roads and nobody’s on them.”

Rutherford has been an avid cyclist for more than 40 years. She liked to ride from point A to point B with 100 miles in between, but this became hard to do about 10 years ago because of the pain and discomfort caused by the seat.

“It became unbearable. I went out and bought every seat there was and couldn’t find any relief,” Rutherford said.

Rutherford, a food scientist with a mechanical engineering background, hired a welder and started designing and building a prototype. Seven years and around 50 prototypes later, she knew she had made the right one when her cycling friends wouldn’t return them.

That’s when she filed for a patent and started manufacturing Carbon Comfort Saddles.

The RideOut Technology use lightweight infused carbon fiber.

The seats weigh 385 grams (.85 pounds) and cost from $85 to $95. Rutherford said the seats, with the patented T-shape design, also have a lot of flex and will adapt to riders as they absorb road shock and chatter.

The company currently manufactures four seats, a bicycle bag and an ergonomic handlebar. Rutherford is  developing two more seats: one for mountain biking and one for heavy people.

“There isn’t a bike seat out there made for heavy people. A lot of the times these are the people that really need to exercise and want to but can’t because of the pain and discomfort,” Rutherford said. “We’re working on making a seat where they can actually ride a bike in comfort.”

Bike seats don’t discriminate, Rutherford said — they make people miserable across the world and RideOut Technologies ships across the globe. The seats also are available at the Bad Medicine Shop in Libby.

RideOut Technologies plans to have three employees and a part-time accountant. If she is not out cycling — Rutherford, 64, still cycles 60 miles a week — she can be reached at (208) 866-5313.

Online:

www.rideouttech.com