New to group but need saddle advice

[usskydiver]

Hello everyone,
I'm trying to decide between a Selle Italia gel flow and a Fizik
Aliante. I ride 20-30 per day 4days a week for fitness. Any
thoughts??

Thanks,
Tim

 

[[email protected]]

brooks b17. Sim ply the most comfortabl;e

 

[Gooserider]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> brooks b17. Sim ply the most comfortabl;e

Well, that's not true for everyone, or every behind. I love my Brooks, but
I've known people who hate them. I'm equally comfortable on my Brooks, my
Specialized Body Geometry Pro Ti, and my el cheapo Velo. The Brooks is an
excellent choice, though.

 

[landotter]

[email protected] wrote:
> brooks b17. Sim ply the most comfortabl;e

Nonsense. I suffered on them for years. Never again. They might work
for some butts, but they're a PITA to own, have those stupid rivets in
the back that are form over function, and weigh a freakin' ton. They
look cool. Nice for retro rides and cruisers I guess.

I'm a recent Flite convert--much more comfy than any Brooks I've
ridden. A lot of people love them.

The Fizik might be fantastic as well, never ridden one--it's your butt.

 

[Bjorn]

"landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Nonsense. I suffered on them for years. Never again. They might work
> for some butts,

That's the key. I bought a Flite because everyone had it, including all the
pro's. Just didn't work for me. In the end you'll have to trial and error
until you find your's. I have had a Selle San Marco Rolls for the last 12
years (yes, the same one, too)

bjorn

 

[Richard B]

"landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>
> [email protected] wrote:
>> brooks b17. Sim ply the most comfortabl;e
>
> Nonsense. I suffered on them for years. Never again. They might work
> for some butts, but they're a PITA to own, have those stupid rivets
> in the back that are form over function, and weigh a freakin' ton.
> They look cool. Nice for retro rides and cruisers I guess.
>
> I'm a recent Flite convert--much more comfy than any Brooks I've
> ridden. A lot of people love them.
>
> The Fizik might be fantastic as well, never ridden one--it's your
> butt.
>
>

I love my Honey Brooks B17 Champion.
4K miles 20 to 28 miles a day commuting and never a sore backside.
I replaced a Selle Italia with this saddle and have no regrets.

For a complete discussion on saddles see
http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

Hint...
To assist in leather saddle break-in, form a aluminum foil shell around
the leather and give it a good soak in oil; I use neatsfoot oil. Give it
a oil rubdown once a month and let it soak in.


Rich

 

[landotter]

Bjorn wrote:
> "landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > Nonsense. I suffered on them for years. Never again. They might work
> > for some butts,
>
> That's the key. I bought a Flite because everyone had it, including all the
> pro's. Just didn't work for me. In the end you'll have to trial and error
> until you find your's. I have had a Selle San Marco Rolls for the last 12
> years (yes, the same one, too)


The Rolls is great as well, as is the classic Turbo. I'm loving the
Flite at the moment, but may very well seek out another Rolls as I find
them wonderful for long rides.

 

[landotter]

Richard B wrote:

> I love my Honey Brooks B17 Champion.
> 4K miles 20 to 28 miles a day commuting and never a sore backside.
> I replaced a Selle Italia with this saddle and have no regrets.
>
> For a complete discussion on saddles see
> http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html
>
> Hint...
> To assist in leather saddle break-in, form a aluminum foil shell around
> the leather and give it a good soak in oil; I use neatsfoot oil. Give it
> a oil rubdown once a month and let it soak in.


Follow that crazy recipe at your peril.

I'm not anti-Brooks, but I believe the lore has overcome the saddle.

I find them comfy from day one to about six months to a year, then the
leather always stretches to the point where they start bugging me.
Re-tensioning with the spanner can mitigate that. Sometimes.

Soaking them in oil, baking them in the oven with crisco, or hitting
them with a ball peen hammer all serve to ruin the saddle.

Brooks may be a bit hard at first, but should still be comfy, if they
aren't, it's the wrong saddle. Break in doesn't take more than a couple
of rides.

So, I don't hate them, and appreciate much of their qualities--but if
you feel the need to wave dead chickens over them while chanting to
make them comfy, then it's the wrong saddle.

 

[Archie A.]

That's true, to each his own
I've had my fizik arione for almost 1 year now and it is here to stay.
Archie A.

 

[Gooserider]

"landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> [email protected] wrote:
>> brooks b17. Sim ply the most comfortabl;e
>
> Nonsense. I suffered on them for years. Never again. They might work
> for some butts, but they're a PITA to own, have those stupid rivets in
> the back that are form over function, and weigh a freakin' ton. They
> look cool. Nice for retro rides and cruisers I guess.
>

Nonsense. The weight of a saddle is nothing compared to the weight of the
rider. People who complain about a pound or two, but aren't at racer weight,
would be better served to lose a pound or two.

 

[Peter Cole]

usskydiver wrote:
> Hello everyone,
> I'm trying to decide between a Selle Italia gel flow and a Fizik
> Aliante. I ride 20-30 per day 4days a week for fitness. Any
> thoughts??
>
> Thanks,
> Tim
>

Asking about saddle comfort is like asking about shoe comfort --
everyone's different. Saddle selection unfortunately is a trial & error
process, as is saddle adjustment.

 

[Bill Baka]

Peter Cole wrote:
> usskydiver wrote:
>
>> Hello everyone,
>> I'm trying to decide between a Selle Italia gel flow and a Fizik
>> Aliante. I ride 20-30 per day 4days a week for fitness. Any
>> thoughts??
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Tim
>>
>
> Asking about saddle comfort is like asking about shoe comfort --
> everyone's different. Saddle selection unfortunately is a trial & error
> process, as is saddle adjustment.

Total agreement.
A good saddle may feel bad due to adjustment on the post, or you might
prefer a different level of hardness, width, etc. Like he said, it is
like shoes, if they are comfortable the brand name is no concern. If you
have a good local bike shop maybe they can work with you and let you try
some before you commit to buying. Personally, I have more than one and I
sometimes change them before a big ride. Soft saddle for rough riding,
hard and narrow for smooth road work. This works for me with 2 seat
posts that change out so I don't have to re-attach, re-adjust each time.
Bill Baka

 

[landotter]

Gooserider wrote:

>
> Nonsense. The weight of a saddle is nothing compared to the weight of the
> rider. People who complain about a pound or two, but aren't at racer weight,
> would be better served to lose a pound or two.

A pound and a half of Brooks removed from my bike drastically changed
the way it felt and climbed.

Had it been frame weight, perhaps you woud have been right, but a 1.5
pounds removed from the top, or swung part of the bike, or wheels will
greatly affect its feel.

I'm no weight weenie, the bike it came from is a single and weighs 22
pounds. I could easily go down to about 18 with a few changes, but I
like fatter tires and fenders and such.

If you're puttering along on flattish ground and a Brooks fits ya,
grrrreat. But for those of us that like to hammer big hills out of the
saddle, they're not the best choice.

 

[RonSonic]

On 7 Mar 2006 22:31:27 -0800, "landotter" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Richard B wrote:
>
>> I love my Honey Brooks B17 Champion.
>> 4K miles 20 to 28 miles a day commuting and never a sore backside.
>> I replaced a Selle Italia with this saddle and have no regrets.
>>
>> For a complete discussion on saddles see
>> http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html
>>
>> Hint...
>> To assist in leather saddle break-in, form a aluminum foil shell around
>> the leather and give it a good soak in oil; I use neatsfoot oil. Give it
>> a oil rubdown once a month and let it soak in.
>
>
>Follow that crazy recipe at your peril.
>
>I'm not anti-Brooks, but I believe the lore has overcome the saddle.
>
>I find them comfy from day one to about six months to a year, then the
>leather always stretches to the point where they start bugging me.
>Re-tensioning with the spanner can mitigate that. Sometimes.
>
>Soaking them in oil, baking them in the oven with crisco, or hitting
>them with a ball peen hammer all serve to ruin the saddle.
>
>Brooks may be a bit hard at first, but should still be comfy, if they
>aren't, it's the wrong saddle. Break in doesn't take more than a couple
>of rides.
>
>So, I don't hate them, and appreciate much of their qualities--but if
>you feel the need to wave dead chickens over them while chanting to
>make them comfy, then it's the wrong saddle.

Ya know, what I think happened is that for about 40 years it was the wrong
saddle for a lot of people, but it was one of the few quality saddles around and
the other quality saddles were much like it. Soooooo, all those people who
would've, should've ridden something else invented bizarre saddle shaping
rituals to mitigate the hideous pain that is an ill-suited saddle. Now there are
so many others available there's no excuse for that.

Ron

 

[RonSonic]

On 7 Mar 2006 17:07:53 -0800, "usskydiver" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Hello everyone,
> I'm trying to decide between a Selle Italia gel flow and a Fizik
>Aliante. I ride 20-30 per day 4days a week for fitness. Any
>thoughts??

Nobody can pick a saddle for you. Hell, you probably wouldn't even like the
measurement process that would be required if someone tried!

Sorry, but this is why you can find so many almost new saddles on ebay. Talk to
your bike shop, a good one will let you bring back an unsuitable saddle without
any grief.

Ron

 

[Dane Buson]

RonSonic <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Nobody can pick a saddle for you. Hell, you probably wouldn't even like the
> measurement process that would be required if someone tried!

Well, I don't know, maybe if they were an attractive MOTAS who plied
me with some wine first. Maybe dinner and a movie...

--
Dane Buson - [email protected]
"We need radical activism so that the moderates
aren't ignored as a fringe element." - Tooker Gomberg

 

[Gooserider]

"landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Gooserider wrote:
>
>>
>> Nonsense. The weight of a saddle is nothing compared to the weight of the
>> rider. People who complain about a pound or two, but aren't at racer
>> weight,
>> would be better served to lose a pound or two.
>
> A pound and a half of Brooks removed from my bike drastically changed
> the way it felt and climbed.
>
> Had it been frame weight, perhaps you woud have been right, but a 1.5
> pounds removed from the top, or swung part of the bike, or wheels will
> greatly affect its feel.
>
> I'm no weight weenie, the bike it came from is a single and weighs 22
> pounds. I could easily go down to about 18 with a few changes, but I
> like fatter tires and fenders and such.
>
> If you're puttering along on flattish ground and a Brooks fits ya,
> grrrreat. But for those of us that like to hammer big hills out of the
> saddle, they're not the best choice.

And if you dropped 10 pounds off of your body you would climb faster.

 

[SlowRider]

usskydiver wrote:
> Hello everyone,
> I'm trying to decide between a Selle Italia gel flow and a Fizik
> Aliante. I ride 20-30 per day 4days a week for fitness. Any
> thoughts??

Since nobody else has mentioned it -- Specialized now has a "tool" for
measuring your sit-bones. They've also introduced saddle widths in
their touring and racing saddles to accommodate specific butt sizes.
I've been measured at my LBS and I appear to be 'way outside the norm
(narrow, bony butt), but I haven't bought a sized saddle yet so I can't
tell you if it makes any difference. Still, it's probably worth
getting measured so you know what you might prefer.


-JR

 

[landotter]

Gooserider wrote:
> "landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > Gooserider wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> Nonsense. The weight of a saddle is nothing compared to the weight of the
> >> rider. People who complain about a pound or two, but aren't at racer
> >> weight,
> >> would be better served to lose a pound or two.
> >
> > A pound and a half of Brooks removed from my bike drastically changed
> > the way it felt and climbed.
> >
> > Had it been frame weight, perhaps you woud have been right, but a 1.5
> > pounds removed from the top, or swung part of the bike, or wheels will
> > greatly affect its feel.
> >
> > I'm no weight weenie, the bike it came from is a single and weighs 22
> > pounds. I could easily go down to about 18 with a few changes, but I
> > like fatter tires and fenders and such.
> >
> > If you're puttering along on flattish ground and a Brooks fits ya,
> > grrrreat. But for those of us that like to hammer big hills out of the
> > saddle, they're not the best choice.
>
> And if you dropped 10 pounds off of your body you would climb faster.

I never said I wanted or needed to go faster, that's your assumption.
On my single speed I'm much more concerned with elegance and feel--I
want the bike to disappear under me. Swinging around a 1.5 pound Brooks
does not facilitate that, but things like fenders and a bell don't make
the bike feel any different so those stay. It *feels* less fuddly when
climbing out of the saddle now. I couldn't care less what my split
times are though.

FWIW, I seriously doubt dropping 10 pounds would make me a faster
climber than taking over a pound of saddle off. Biggest problem is that
I don't really have ten pounds to lose, oh, and did I mention that it
wasn't ultimately about speed?

 

[Gooserider]

"landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Gooserider wrote:
>> "landotter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> >
>> > Gooserider wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >> Nonsense. The weight of a saddle is nothing compared to the weight of
>> >> the
>> >> rider. People who complain about a pound or two, but aren't at racer
>> >> weight,
>> >> would be better served to lose a pound or two.
>> >
>> > A pound and a half of Brooks removed from my bike drastically changed
>> > the way it felt and climbed.
>> >
>> > Had it been frame weight, perhaps you woud have been right, but a 1.5
>> > pounds removed from the top, or swung part of the bike, or wheels will
>> > greatly affect its feel.
>> >
>> > I'm no weight weenie, the bike it came from is a single and weighs 22
>> > pounds. I could easily go down to about 18 with a few changes, but I
>> > like fatter tires and fenders and such.
>> >
>> > If you're puttering along on flattish ground and a Brooks fits ya,
>> > grrrreat. But for those of us that like to hammer big hills out of the
>> > saddle, they're not the best choice.
>>
>> And if you dropped 10 pounds off of your body you would climb faster.
>
> I never said I wanted or needed to go faster, that's your assumption.
> On my single speed I'm much more concerned with elegance and feel--I
> want the bike to disappear under me. Swinging around a 1.5 pound Brooks
> does not facilitate that, but things like fenders and a bell don't make
> the bike feel any different so those stay. It *feels* less fuddly when
> climbing out of the saddle now. I couldn't care less what my split
> times are though.
>
> FWIW, I seriously doubt dropping 10 pounds would make me a faster
> climber than taking over a pound of saddle off. Biggest problem is that
> I don't really have ten pounds to lose, oh, and did I mention that it
> wasn't ultimately about speed?

If you spun up the hills you wouldn't be waggling that heavy saddle around.
You should be sitting on the thing, anyway. That's what it's for.