Minnesota Couple’s Bike Seat Patent Helps Riders Stay Comfortable

This story was originally published in the November 22, 2025 edition of the Sauk Rapids Herald with the title Sauk Rapids Couple Are Cycling Entrepreneurs. It is used by permission.

By Tim Hennagir
Jack and Anita Herold’s journey as cycling product entrepreneurs began with a simple sketch.
The Sauk Rapids couple is developing a patented adjustable-width bicycle seat that had its genesis as a napkin drawing. By redistributing pressure, the saddle reduces strain and fatigue.
The Herolds’ guiding philosophy with founding BestBikeSeat.com, a cycling innovation company, is that the future of riding comfort is not related to a softer seat but adaptability during long rides.
“We’ve always enjoyed biking,” Jack said. “We started out with pedal bikes, and we bought our electric bikes in 2019. We started riding longer. I kept carrying different seats with me. I started thinking about a way to relieve the pressure points created sitting on a traditional bike seat.”

Sauk Rapids residents Jack and Anita Herold take a bridge break while riding on the Glacial Lakes State Trail in New London. Submitted photo

Continuous discomfort became the seed of innovation. Backed by decades of manufacturing experience, including his employment at Sartell-based DeZURIK, Jack headed to his workshop.
He needed to answer a simple question: What type of seat could provide new pressure points and give the rider a new feel and a break from pain? Months of tinkering led to a design that was elegant in its simplicity. The seat features two independent halves that pivot and slide along a precision track, offering three easy-to-set width positions that let riders shift pressure points.
“I applied for a provisional patent about a year-and-a-half ago,” Jack said. “We’ve tested our first production article. The seats are coming from China and will take a month to ship via ocean freight. A colleague of mine at DeZURIK helped hook me up with a manufacturer overseas.”

This underside viewpoint shows the patent-pending precision stainless steel plungers Jack and Anita Herold are developing with BestBikeSeat.com, their Sauk Rapids-based company. Martin Carpenter photo

Over the past year, Jack and Anita tested more than a dozen prototypes across 500 miles of Minnesota trails, collaborating closely with local bike shops and everyday riders. Each iteration was shaped by feedback — from casual trail riders to e-bike commuters looking for a better ride.
During a visit to the couple’s Sauk Rapids home, Anita displayed a thick stack of business cards collected during those trips. Interactions with fellow riders provided critical feedback and data.
Jack’s first question when striking up an initial conversation was simple: How long will you ride?
“We would come to a biking rest stop or point of interest and would see people with their e-bikes,” Jack said. “Over 50% of the time, those people replied, ‘As long as my butt can endure.’”
Jack said the final design has a simple mechanism, adjusts easily and is built for everyday riders.
“We didn’t set out to reinvent the bike seat,” he said. “We just wanted to ride longer without cutting the trip short. What began as a napkin sketch became a ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ moment for many bike shops that evaluated it.”

This detail photo shows the different settings on the adjustable bicycle seat. A wider width means a more relaxed seating position. Tim Hennagir photo

That insight drove every design decision.
Anita said the couple drove to Arizona a month ago, and, during the journey, Jack and she visited with cyclists and bike shops in a number of states to get product feedback and test out markets.
They stopped in the Black Hills of South Dakota; in Casper, Wyoming; Grand Junction, Colorado; and Flagstaff, Arizona. During a recent trip to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Jack said one cycle shop owner commented it was good to see a product unlike anything else be introduced in a stagnant industry.
Earlier this month, Jack and Anita launched a campaign on Kickstarter, an online crowdfunding platform that helps individuals, groups and companies raise money for their creative projects.
“Cycling has always been about freedom and comfort,” Jack said. “Both of us have had our knees replaced, so we know what discomfort can be like. Our goal with BestBikeSeat.com is making sure that a person’s cycling freedom doesn’t end when their discomfort begins.”