Finding a comfortable saddle

Per H. Guy:

Quoted message said:

apparently, specialized has a "device" that does this for you, allowing
you to find out how far apart are the bones without all the fumbling.

Put a piece of paper on a sufficiently-plush carpet and sit on it. You sit
bones will make dents in the paper.

Alternatively, put a piece of styrofoam or cardboard on the corner of a table
and sit on it - dangling your legs on each side. You may have to rock
back-and-forth a little on your sit bones, but eventually you'll get an
impression of them.
--
PeteCresswell

Per H. Guy:

Quoted message said:

oog. i call TMI on that one! okay, so i typed the phrase "ruler and
your naked butt". but that story was just gratuitous!

The phrase that gave me a grin was "...a trusted friend, a ruler and a bottle of
tequila..."
--
PeteCresswell

Per Pat in TX:

Quoted message said:

When you look at saddles on the Internet, they always tell
you how wide they are--but it doesn't mean from edge to edge, it means the
distance between your sit bones.

That's the opposite of my experience. Got a URL?
--
PeteCresswell

Mick said:

I am looking for a lightweight comfortable saddle. When I go into my LBS it
has rows of saddles. If I knew which one fitted me, I would be happy to buy
it, but it is like being in a shoe shop where you cannot try on the shoes.
How do I work out what fits me?
Mick

I just grab the saddle and with the saddle's nose facing foward, I lean
slightly forward, stick the saddle through my legs and onto my behind,
and then slightly squat down on it and wiggle a bit.

It becomes obvious whether the saddle is too wide, long, narrow, short
or humped.

I never gave the proceedure a second thought and no one has ever
objected.

Quoted message said:

Mick wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am looking for a lightweight comfortable saddle. When I go into my
LBS it has rows of saddles. If I knew which one fitted me, I would
be happy to buy it, but it is like being in a shoe shop where you
cannot try on the shoes. How do I work out what fits me?
Mick

Quoted message said:

I just grab the saddle and with the saddle's nose facing foward, I
lean slightly forward, stick the saddle through my legs and onto my
behind, and then slightly squat down on it and wiggle a bit.

It becomes obvious whether the saddle is too wide, long, narrow, short
or humped.

I never gave the proceedure a second thought and no one has ever
objected.

I'm guessing that a few of the local shops have your mug shot up on the
wall.

<eg>

Bill Sornson said:

Quoted message said:

Mick wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am looking for a lightweight comfortable saddle. When I go into my
LBS it has rows of saddles. If I knew which one fitted me, I would
be happy to buy it, but it is like being in a shoe shop where you
cannot try on the shoes. How do I work out what fits me?
Mick

Quoted message said:

I just grab the saddle and with the saddle's nose facing foward, I
lean slightly forward, stick the saddle through my legs and onto my
behind, and then slightly squat down on it and wiggle a bit.

It becomes obvious whether the saddle is too wide, long, narrow, short
or humped.

I never gave the proceedure a second thought and no one has ever
objected.

I'm guessing that a few of the local shops have your mug shot up on the
wall.

<eg>

Really, it never occurred to me to not try it on---so to speak.

I wouldn't buy a pair of shoes without trying them on.

I wouldn't by a hat without trying it on.

And, if anyone else wants to carry a can of lysol when going to shop
for shoes, hats or saddles, isn't that their problem?

The thing is though: after trying on the saddle, I look at the price
tag and 'voila'---there it is---the saddle I've already got ain't so
bad.

Quoted message said:

Bill Sornson said:

Quoted message said:

Mick wrote:

Quoted message said:

> I am looking for a lightweight comfortable saddle. When I go into
> my LBS it has rows of saddles. If I knew which one fitted me, I
> would be happy to buy it, but it is like being in a shoe shop
> where you cannot try on the shoes. How do I work out what fits me?
> Mick

Quoted message said:

I just grab the saddle and with the saddle's nose facing foward, I
lean slightly forward, stick the saddle through my legs and onto my
behind, and then slightly squat down on it and wiggle a bit.

It becomes obvious whether the saddle is too wide, long, narrow,
short or humped.

I never gave the proceedure a second thought and no one has ever
objected.

I'm guessing that a few of the local shops have your mug shot up on
the wall.

<eg>

Really, it never occurred to me to not try it on---so to speak.

Ever heard of a test ride?

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't buy a pair of shoes without trying them on.

Do you just rub 'em on your feet and eyeball 'em? Or do you actually try
them as they're intended to be used?

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't by a hat without trying it on.

Again...

Quoted message said:

And, if anyone else wants to carry a can of lysol when going to shop
for shoes, hats or saddles, isn't that their problem?

So NOT the point. (Hint: you can't really tell if a saddle will work for
you by rubbing it between your legs as you described above. I suppose you
could /possibly/ rule one out that way, but no way to really know until you
RIDE on it.)

Quoted message said:

The thing is though: after trying on the saddle, I look at the price
tag and 'voila'---there it is---the saddle I've already got ain't so
bad.

If your current saddle's OK, why look at new ones? (I do it all the time,
but then I've yet to find 'THE' saddle for me.)

In article <[email hidden]>,

Mick said:

I am looking for a lightweight comfortable saddle. When I go into my LBS it
has rows of saddles. If I knew which one fitted me, I would be happy to buy
it, but it is like being in a shoe shop where you cannot try on the shoes.
How do I work out what fits me?

Comfort? Who needs comfort?
<http://sheldonbrown.com/real-man.html>

--
Michael Press

Friday said:

Gunny said:

Quoted message said:

Earl Bollinger wrote:

>and I had a couple of raw spots there. Riding a 100 miles on other days on
>non-chip seal roads has not been a problem for me though. So I was thinking
>that maybe the similar saddle with a couple of thin gel pads for the sit
>bones might be worth trying one of these days. Of course a pair of cycling

That's why I like the Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow. Might be just what you
need. Narrow, flat-ish, cut outs, some gel, flexible shell.

Joseph

They better be good! It strikes me, that for what you are getting,
$125 is an outrageous amount of money to play for a simple seat. There
are no moving parts, it's not complicated to manufacture, etc., etc.
Just my two cents. Gunny

If you've ever had problems on your rear end caused by cycling you'd
know that $125 is extremely good value. It's worth that much just to
save the embarrassment of going to a doctor.

Friday

BUT the expensive saddles of today are that way because of materials
that may make them lighter but certainly not any better. Magnesium,
titanium and of course, carbon fiber....BUT the shape, which makes one
good or bad, doesn't make it expensive. Saddles last a long time, but
they needn't be so expensive to be comfy. Paying lots for a carbon
railed and shelled Arione($275) doesn't make it comfy...it sure isn't
to me(who uses and hads a ton of steel railed Rolls saddles)

Pat in TX said:

When you look at saddles on the Internet, they always tell
you how wide they are--but it doesn't mean from edge to edge, it means the
distance between your sit bones.

Is that true? The stated width is not edge to edge? I'm not sure I
believe that. It would think it's much easier for them to measure the
edge to edge width, and let the buyer figure out the rest.

Art Harris

Art Harris said:

Pat in TX said:

When you look at saddles on the Internet, they always tell
you how wide they are--but it doesn't mean from edge to edge, it means the
distance between your sit bones.

Is that true? The stated width is not edge to edge? I'm not sure I
believe that. It would think it's much easier for them to measure the
edge to edge width, and let the buyer figure out the rest.

Every saddle that I've bought that has a measurement has been edge to edge.

Greg

--
"All my time I spent in heaven
Revelries of dance and wine
Waking to the sound of laughter
Up I'd rise and kiss the sky" - The Mekons

Bill Sornson said:

If your current saddle's OK, why look at new ones?

For the same reason I do it with all bicycle parts:

See what I like and then, when it turns up at a yard sale, buy it.

Friday said:

I ususally ride by myself but a young woman training for Ironman came to
my town for a few months and she insited on buying me some new shorts.
I have to admit the new ones were much better.

I hope you got her phone number!

dkl