I happen to live in an area where there are no bike shops with a good selection of saddles nearby. What they have is little more than what you'll find at Dunham's.
I need a new saddle as the "C9" saddle that I bought at one of the local shops a couple of years ago is wearing out (the lycra is wearing through - I ride almost 20 miles a day in good weather). I don't want another lycra saddle for this reason and I am not crazy about vinyl (no breathability). I think I want leather which no local shop sells at all. Been looking at the Terry Liberators on-line at Performance and Nashbar. Also read reviews at MtbReview. Seem like a good choice.
In my on-line shopping I noticed that sometimes Performance or Nashbar will have the woman's version of a saddle on sale for about 1/3 less than the men's version. Far as I can tell, the women's saddles are slightly shorter and slightly wider. Supposedly the width is to accomodate the wider hip- bones of women vs. men. Problem with that is that I'm sure men and women hip-bone widths overlap since there humans have an enormous range of body
thing is more marketing than anything else and I should just buy whatever is cheaper in a given line. (Hell, we neanthertal men are supposed to get in touch with their "feminine side" anyway, right?)
My wife just bought a new bicycle about a month ago. She loved everything but the saddle. I bought her a Terry saddle and she likes it lot better. Not so much for the bone fit, but the center cut out rather than a shallow depression of the original saddle.
Now if I would notice the difference I do not know, and you may not either, but she is a satisfied customer. That's about everything I know about saddles, I am sure there are more posts with real information on the way. Have fun!
On my bikes (three) all have female specific saddles. My favs are the two Terry Saddles. On one I've got a Terry's Liberator TiLite and on the other a Terry's racing thing. Both very, very comfortable for extended periods.
Cheers, helen s
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(...) Makes me think that this men's vs. women's saddle thing is more marketing than anything else and I should just buy whatever is cheaper in a given line. (Hell, we neanthertal men are supposed to get in touch with their "feminine side" anyway, right?)
What say you all?
- nopcbs
As a man, I have tried 2-3 times to sit on a women's saddle. Just wondering, as you did, whether it would make a real difference. The answer was: Yes, it does ! I felt instantaneously awful on these odd seats. I wonder if it is that uncomfortable for women to sit on men's saddles, but if it is, then I must express all my sympathy to women who had to endure this before specific women's saddle became more common.
I wonder if it is that uncomfortable for women to sit on men's saddles, but if it is, then I must express all my sympathy to women who had to endure this before specific women's saddle became more common.
Gino, my Bianchi San Remo came with a men's saddle on it. All I am going to say is OUCH... to the power of 100. Childbirth was a doddle compared to pain inflicted by that saddle. Changing the saddle to a Terry's Liberator TiLite is AAAAHHHH... to the power of 100. As soon as I got Luigi, my Bianchi ML3, I swapped the saddle for a Terry's - AAAHHHHH
Cheers, helen s
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--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--
Sadly Rick, you aren't a woman on a saddle designed for a man that causes injury and pain-levels that make childbirth seem a doddle ;-)
On a more serious note, as a woman, I really have found that a woman specific saddle (Terry's in my case) has made cycling enjoyable as opposed to outright excruciating... literally. When I first got Gino, the saddle it came with was a men's one. After 10 miles I was in total agony, where it was difficult to walk. No fun at all. Swapping the saddle for a Terry's was instant bliss.
Cheers, helen s
--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get correct one remove fame & fortune h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$
--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--
(...) Makes me think that this men's vs. women's saddle thing is more marketing than anything else and I should just buy whatever is cheaper in a given line. (Hell, we Neanderthal men are supposed to get in touch with their "feminine side" anyway, right?)
Quoted message said:
As a man, I have tried 2-3 times to sit on a women's saddle. Just wondering, as you did, whether it would make a real difference. The answer was: Yes, it does ! I felt instantaneously awful on these odd seats. I wonder if it is that uncomfortable for women to sit on men's saddles, but if it is, then I must express all my sympathy to women who had to endure this before specific women's saddle became more common.
I'm not sure whose saddle you tried but the original womens saddles for athletic women were designed by Avocet because the boss's wife was both a rider and MD who was aware that many women's pelvises were wider than men's. That is, the protuberances (sit bones) are more widely spaced such that they rested on the outer edge of the wide part of men's saddles. The wider saddle accommodated that but not all manufacturers who made these saddles understood the need and dimensions. They have a useful function for women in general.
Sadly Rick, you aren't a woman on a saddle designed for a man that causes injury and pain-levels that make childbirth seem a doddle ;-)
I am male and rode a Trico gel saddle designed for a woman, and it didn't cause any injury or pain; it was comfortable for the two years I rode it. This, in response to the OP who asked if he, as a male, should feel ok to try a female saddle.
It's possible that you simply rode a saddle that wasn't right for you, not necessarily one that was wrong for all women. -- Rick Onanian
I'm not sure whose saddle you tried but the original womens saddles for athletic women were designed by Avocet because the boss's wife was both a rider and MD who was aware that many women's pelvises were wider than men's. That is, the protuberances (sit bones) are more widely spaced such that they rested on the outer edge of the wide part of men's saddles. The wider saddle accommodated that but not all manufacturers who made these saddles understood the need and dimensions. They have a useful function for women in general.
I tried my wife's own saddle (made for Veloplus - www.veloplus.ch), and also, at the shop, a Brooks and a Selle Italia. I don't think these last 2 saddles were necessarily too wide, but they felt definitely too short.
I'm not sure whose saddle you tried but the original womens saddles for athletic women were designed by Avocet because the boss's wife was both a rider and MD who was aware that many women's pelvises were wider than men's. That is, the protuberances (sit bones) are more widely spaced such that they rested on the outer edge of the wide part of men's saddles. The wider saddle accommodated that but not all manufacturers who made these saddles understood the need and dimensions. They have a useful function for women in general.
I tried my wife's own saddle (made for Veloplus - www.veloplus.ch), and also, at the shop, a Brooks and a Selle Italia. I don't think these last 2 saddles were necessarily too wide, but they felt definitely too short.
As a man, I have tried 2-3 times to sit on a women's saddle. Just wondering, as you did, whether it would make a real difference. The answer was: Yes, it does ! I felt instantaneously awful on these odd seats. I wonder if it is that uncomfortable for women to sit on men's saddles, but if it is, then I must express all my sympathy to women who had to endure this before specific women's saddle became more common.
Jacques
The common mistake you are making is thinking that all women's saddles are made to one specification and all men's saddles made to another specification. In real life, every company makes its saddles differently. In the Terry saddles, for example, at least one of their "men's" saddles, the Terry Liberator, is wider than several of the "women's" saddles. What it comes down to is measuring your "sit bones" area and then scrutinizing the measurements of the saddles made by different companies.
On a more serious note, as a woman, I really have found that a woman specific saddle (Terry's in my case) has made cycling enjoyable as opposed to outright excruciating... literally. When I first got Gino, the saddle it came with was a men's one. After 10 miles I was in total agony, where it was difficult to walk. No fun at all. Swapping the saddle for a Terry's was instant bliss.
One size does not fit all....
My wife preference for years has been for a Flite saddle, which is most certainly not a women's specific saddle.
Her new fav is a Fizik Allante, again not a women's specific design.
She is not a fan of Terry saddles or other womens' specific designs she has tried..
YMMV,
Chris Neary [email hidden]
"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the elements I loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh
"nopcbs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I happen to live in an area where there are no bike shops with a good selection of saddles nearby. What they have is little more than what you'll find at Dunham's.
I need a new saddle as the "C9" saddle that I bought at one of the local shops a couple of years ago is wearing out (the lycra is wearing through - I ride almost 20 miles a day in good weather). I don't want another lycra saddle for this reason and I am not crazy about vinyl (no breathability). I think I want leather which no local shop sells at all. Been looking at the Terry Liberators on-line at Performance and Nashbar. Also read reviews at MtbReview. Seem like a good choice.
In my on-line shopping I noticed that sometimes Performance or Nashbar will have the woman's version of a saddle on sale for about 1/3 less than the men's version. Far as I can tell, the women's saddles are slightly shorter and slightly wider. Supposedly the width is to accomodate the wider hip-bones of women vs. men. Problem with that is that I'm sure men and women hip-bone widths overlap since there humans have an enormous range of body
Quoted message said:
thing is more marketing than anything else and I should just buy whatever is cheaper in a given line. (Hell, we neanthertal men are supposed to get in touch with their "feminine side" anyway, right?)
What say you all?
- nopcbs
Saddles are a matter of personal preference and you can't tell much by what the maker or anyone else says about comfort. I bought a LeMond women's saddle for my wife and we both tried it and found it excruciating. It's chancy to buy any saddle without trying it. I have 3 or 4 virtually new seats gathering dust out in my garage to prove it.
That said, I really like the Velo 6037 with elastomer suspension. Feels so good I have three of them on different bikes.
"nopcbs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I happen to live in an area where there are no bike shops with a good selection of saddles nearby. What they have is little more than what you'll find at Dunham's.
I need a new saddle as the "C9" saddle that I bought at one of the local shops a couple of years ago is wearing out (the lycra is wearing through - I ride almost 20 miles a day in good weather). I don't want another lycra saddle for this reason and I am not crazy about vinyl (no breathability). I think I want leather which no local shop sells at all. Been looking at the Terry Liberators on-line at Performance and Nashbar. Also read reviews at MtbReview. Seem like a good choice.
In my on-line shopping I noticed that sometimes Performance or Nashbar will have the woman's version of a saddle on sale for about 1/3 less than the men's version. Far as I can tell, the women's saddles are slightly shorter and slightly wider. Supposedly the width is to accomodate the wider hip-bones of women vs. men. Problem with that is that I'm sure men and women hip-bone widths overlap since there humans have an enormous range of body
Quoted message said:
thing is more marketing than anything else and I should just buy whatever is cheaper in a given line. (Hell, we neanthertal men are supposed to get in touch with their "feminine side" anyway, right?)
What say you all?
- nopcbs
Saddles are a matter of personal preference and you can't tell much by what the maker or anyone else says about comfort. I bought a LeMond women's saddle for my wife and we both tried it and found it excruciating. It's chancy to buy any saddle without trying it. I have 3 or 4 virtually new seats gathering dust out in my garage to prove it.
That said, I really like the Velo 6037 with elastomer suspension. Feels so good I have three of them on different bikes.
It's possible that you simply rode a saddle that wasn't right for you, not necessarily one that was wrong for all women.
On 22 May 2004 06:34:14 GMT, [email hidden]
(dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) said:
Cue Chakka Khan...
*sticks fingers in ears* LALALALALALLALALALALALALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU LALALALALALALALALALALLALA *sees song end, removes fingers*
Sorry, hate that song. Not a big fan of that style of music. <G>
Quoted message said:
Indeed. but we women have different pelvis structure to the male of the species and for many of us, a woman-specific saddle is of much benefit.
That's a damn good reason to design saddles with that issue in mind. However, the end result is more saddle variety for everybody, and nobody should worry about trying one that's labelled for somebody else...which is what I was trying to say. -- Rick Onanian
You bring up an interesting point. In general "men's" saddles appear longer and thinner (in back) than "women's". One may assume that the width in back is different because of the much discussed pelvic width difference (on average).
But why the length difference? As a male I know darned well that I am not about to slide forward onto the saddle's nose and risk crushing "the twins" who would quickly register a note of protest. Since the ladies lack these "hangers on", one would think that if a long nosed saddle is appropriate for anyone, it's more appropriate for them. And yet they get the shorter saddles.
- GRL
"It's good to want things."
Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist, Visual Basic programmer) "Jacques Moser" <moser.re- [email hidden]> wrote in message news:pan.2004.05.21.- [email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
jobst.brand said:
I'm not sure whose saddle you tried but the original womens saddles for athletic women were designed by Avocet because the boss's wife was both
a
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
rider and MD who was aware that many women's pelvises were wider than men's. That is, the protuberances (sit bones) are more widely spaced
such
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
that they rested on the outer edge of the wide part of men's saddles.
The
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
wider saddle accommodated that but not all manufacturers who made these saddles understood the need and dimensions. They have a useful function for women in general.
I tried my wife's own saddle (made for Veloplus - www.veloplus.ch), and also, at the shop, a Brooks and a Selle Italia. I don't think these last 2 saddles were necessarily too wide, but they felt definitely too short.
