Most comfortable seat?

Dr.Hairybiker said:

Hello all. I'm new here, so please bear with me if this question has been asked a thousand times already.....

My "dual density OCR" seat on my Giant is giving me problems. All the normal stuff, sit bones aching, chaffing, soreness, etc. Given, I've been riding a lot more miles the last couple of months, and I might toughen up over time, but I still feel a better saddle would probably solve some of the problem.

I would like to get a good saddle the first time, instead of going broke trying several different ones. I'm really interested in the Fizik Arione. A lot of people seem to love it. I'm a little sceptical though because I'm one of those people that seems to have a problem with every new thing that comes out that is supposed to be a cure-all.

Is there anyone who doesn't like the Arione or has had a problem with it, and can you explain why? Or is it all they say it is? Any opinions on the most comfortable seat for road riding/touring? What is your favorite saddle?

I ride mostly just recreational, although I like to ride hard, with an occasional fast group tour/race. 200-250 miles a week, mostly flat and windy terrain, so I'm seated a lot. I'm more worried about comfort than weight.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

I have trouble getting comfy, until I was recommended the Fizik Aliante, (not the Arione). Its lighter and more expensive than the Arione but I love it. Its even got rid of the back ache I used to suffer on long rides. I used it on the Etape this year for 9hr45 and the family jewels felt just fine afterwards.

Dr.Hairybiker said:

Is there anyone who doesn't like the Arione or has had a problem with it, and can you explain why? Or is it all they say it is? Any opinions on the most comfortable seat for road riding/touring? What is your favorite saddle?

Unfortunately, try as you may, you won't find a suitable answer to your query. Saddle shopping is like sunglasses shopping; everyone's got different asses and faces.

If you'd really like to try and think it through, you could probably start categorizing saddles like species, with different styles, shapes, and features. The Arione, for instance, is fairly wide, quite long, flat (it doesn't contour off the sides much), slightly flexy, and devoid of padding. The Fizik Pave, on the other hand, is quite short, narrow, and stiff, with a small but dramatic flare-out for the sitbones in the rear.

Some saddles have cutouts; some cutouts are long or wide, while others are short or narrow. Some saddles deeply contour, while others are near level platforms, like the Selle Italia SLR.

Think hard about what your saddle is really doing to your bum -- what's going wrong. Is the padding too deep? Is the nose too wide? Are you getting tissue compression in the middle? Are the edges too pronounced? Once you identify the traits that bug you, you might have more luck selecting the right seat.

Dr.Hairybiker said:

Hello all. I'm new here, so please bear with me if this question has been asked a thousand times already.....

My "dual density OCR" seat on my Giant is giving me problems. All the normal stuff, sit bones aching, chaffing, soreness, etc. Given, I've been riding a lot more miles the last couple of months, and I might toughen up over time, but I still feel a better saddle would probably solve some of the problem.

I would like to get a good saddle the first time, instead of going broke trying several different ones. I'm really interested in the Fizik Arione. A lot of people seem to love it. I'm a little sceptical though because I'm one of those people that seems to have a problem with every new thing that comes out that is supposed to be a cure-all.

Is there anyone who doesn't like the Arione or has had a problem with it, and can you explain why? Or is it all they say it is? Any opinions on the most comfortable seat for road riding/touring? What is your favorite saddle?

I ride mostly just recreational, although I like to ride hard, with an occasional fast group tour/race. 200-250 miles a week, mostly flat and windy terrain, so I'm seated a lot. I'm more worried about comfort than weight.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

I don't know if it will help you as everyone is different. I had a BG Pro Saddle on my bike, and after what I felt to be a sufficient 'wear in" time, still wasn't happy with it. I just received the Koobi PRS saddle I ordered ( www.koobi.com ) and although I have very little experience riding it yet, my initial impression is that it's already far more comfortable than the BG Pro. I got numb after only 20 minutes or so of sitting on the BG Pro.

The workmanship on the Koobi appears to be great, and as an added bonus, I was able to get colors to match my bike (red/white). It has a tunable suspension that I haven't played with as of yet, but it is a very interesting product.

After doing a lot of research, Koobi is the only manufacture I found that NOONE seemed to have a problem with. The Arione may be a great saddle, but I did see reviews ranging from perfect to not very good. While it's all based upon the individual, I take some heart that any individual (that I could find ) had a problem with the Koobi saddle. So far I agree!

lokstah said:

Unfortunately, try as you may, you won't find a suitable answer to your query. Saddle shopping is like sunglasses shopping; everyone's got different asses and faces.

If you'd really like to try and think it through, you could probably start categorizing saddles like species, with different styles, shapes, and features. The Arione, for instance, is fairly wide, quite long, flat (it doesn't contour off the sides much), slightly flexy, and devoid of padding. The Fizik Pave, on the other hand, is quite short, narrow, and stiff, with a small but dramatic flare-out for the sitbones in the rear.

Some saddles have cutouts; some cutouts are long or wide, while others are short or narrow. Some saddles deeply contour, while others are near level platforms, like the Selle Italia SLR.

Think hard about what your saddle is really doing to your bum -- what's going wrong. Is the padding too deep? Is the nose too wide? Are you getting tissue compression in the middle? Are the edges too pronounced? Once you identify the traits that bug you, you might have more luck selecting the right seat.

Great advice Lookstah, keep up the good work without too much attitude.