Saddle review

[martin]

I have found saddle reviews posted onto this group very useful.
Thought I might add my own.

Bike setup: basic ATB which I have customised. 48-38-28 chainset with
megarange, Zoom adjustable headset for a lower riding position.
Schwalbe Marathon tyres.

Viscount VT2 = Firm, good support, but I found it too wide.

Selle Italia FLX = Suprisingly uncomfortable. Nice flat shape and
useful cutout but too squidgy and chafes after about 1 hour.

Brooks B17 = I like the concept, but -- I find it too slippery and I
dislike the big dip in the middle. Makes me feel I am falling over the
handlebars unless I tilt the saddle back a lot and then...ouch!

Terry Liberator = Leather cover. Excellent saddle in most respects,
good design, can sit on it for hours without any discomfort. Good for
pootling around but bouncy and hard to balance properly on.

Selle Italia Nixe = Couldn't find a review of this anywhere on the
Net. Too narrow for me but probably a good performance saddle for
someone of average build. Destined for Ebay.

Selle Italia Trans Am ProLink = I think the one I bought is a Max
Flite. Good technical design: flexes a lot while riding and provides
good support. Anatomical design raises your Crown Jewels above the
saddle. However, the back of the saddle is raised and digs into my
backside. I think you have to have the handlebars low (or saddle
tileted down) to avoid this problem.

Selle Italia Max Flite = looks to be the best fit for me so far.
Supportive, ample width.

Would be interested to hear of any bike shops in the UK (SE
particularly) that offer a truly professional fitting service for
saddles.

 

[Gearóid Ó Laoi/Garry Lee]

> Would be interested to hear of any bike shops in the UK (SE
> particularly) that offer a truly professional fitting service for
> saddles.

There could be no such thing.
Trial and error is the only way as people's asses differ.
I cannot ride anything but leather, nor can my wife or a couple of my
friends. The others use other saddles.

 

[Jeff Wills]

"Gearóid Ó Laoi/Garry Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > Would be interested to hear of any bike shops in the UK (SE
> > particularly) that offer a truly professional fitting service for
> > saddles.
>
> There could be no such thing.
> Trial and error is the only way as people's asses differ.
> I cannot ride anything but leather, nor can my wife or a couple of my
> friends. The others use other saddles.

I agree (about trial and error). I have tried Brooks and Ideale
leather saddles and many Italian covered-plastic types. Nothing
worked. I finally found the saddles from WTB fit me- so much so that
I'm installing them on all my uprights. (Current collection: 4
uprights, two recumbents.)

Jeff

 

[(Pete Cresswell)]

RE/
>Would be interested to hear of any bike shops in the UK (SE
>particularly) that offer a truly professional fitting service for
>saddles.

Can't speak to UK, but my impression is that in the USA, the saddle industry
from retailers right up to manufacturers doesn't have a clue.
--
PeteCresswell

 

[John Everett]

On 5 May 2004 14:16:53 -0700, [email protected] (martin)
wrote:

>I have found saddle reviews posted onto this group very useful.
>Thought I might add my own.
>
>Bike setup: basic ATB which I have customised. 48-38-28 chainset with
>megarange, Zoom adjustable headset for a lower riding position.
>Schwalbe Marathon tyres.
>
>Viscount VT2 = Firm, good support, but I found it too wide.
>
>Selle Italia FLX = Suprisingly uncomfortable. Nice flat shape and
>useful cutout but too squidgy and chafes after about 1 hour.
>
>Brooks B17 = I like the concept, but -- I find it too slippery and I
>dislike the big dip in the middle. Makes me feel I am falling over the
>handlebars unless I tilt the saddle back a lot and then...ouch!
>
>Terry Liberator = Leather cover. Excellent saddle in most respects,
>good design, can sit on it for hours without any discomfort. Good for
>pootling around but bouncy and hard to balance properly on.
>
>Selle Italia Nixe = Couldn't find a review of this anywhere on the
>Net. Too narrow for me but probably a good performance saddle for
>someone of average build. Destined for Ebay.
>
>Selle Italia Trans Am ProLink = I think the one I bought is a Max
>Flite. Good technical design: flexes a lot while riding and provides
>good support. Anatomical design raises your Crown Jewels above the
>saddle. However, the back of the saddle is raised and digs into my
>backside. I think you have to have the handlebars low (or saddle
>tileted down) to avoid this problem.
>
>Selle Italia Max Flite = looks to be the best fit for me so far.
>Supportive, ample width.

Selle Italia Flite Ti = on five of my bikes (enough said).


jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

 

[David Reuteler]

John Everett <[email protected]> wrote:
> Selle Italia Flite Ti = on five of my bikes (enough said).

all my bikes have that seat (original ti flite, no gel) -- i've gone across
the USA on that seat. if you have relative narrow sit bones give it a
try.
--
david reuteler
[email protected]

 

[Phillip Stevens]

"Jeff Wills" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Gearóid Ó Laoi/Garry Lee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > > Would be interested to hear of any bike shops in the UK (SE
> > > particularly) that offer a truly professional fitting service for
> > > saddles.
> >
> > There could be no such thing.
> > Trial and error is the only way as people's asses differ.
> > I cannot ride anything but leather, nor can my wife or a couple of my
> > friends. The others use other saddles.
>
> I agree (about trial and error). I have tried Brooks and Ideale
> leather saddles and many Italian covered-plastic types. Nothing
> worked. I finally found the saddles from WTB fit me- so much so that
> I'm installing them on all my uprights. (Current collection: 4
> uprights, two recumbents.)

Yes, trial and error is one of the best ways to find the right saddle. But
sometimes a professional opinion can help when you've lost your way.

For example:

A while ago I used to swear by the "Rolls" saddle, but then I moved to a
very humid climate. In the high humidity the long skirt caused a lot of
chafing on my inner thighs. I moved to the "Gel Flite" model and was happy
for several years.

Then I was developing a lot of hand pressure problems and couldn't work out
why. A visit to a professional cycle fitter helped me out... The nose of my
saddle was about 1 deg down. He pointed this out straight away, and raised
it to level (or even a little nose up) which (proven over time) fixed my
hand problems. But the "Gel Flite" was not comfortable in this position.

My professional pointed out that the saddle should fit you in THREE places,
centrally and on each sit bone, with equal weight on each point. His theory
is that this locks you in one place allowing perfect leg length fitting, and
best power transfer.

The "Gel Flite" is raised in the middle, so I had auto-compensated by
lowering the nose (which raised the tail) to put more weight on the sit
bones. But lowering the nose caused me to slip forward, needing my hands to
brace against this, causing hand problems.

In a fitting session, we tried the "Rolls", "Gel Flite", "Nitrox", "Prolink"
and many many others he had in his kit bag. I also brought a "Flite SLR"
that I'd recently bought too.

The best fit for me (fit on all three points with equal weight) was the
"Prolink". On the day of the fitting session, quite a number of my friends
(who'd also shelled out significant cash for an appointment) also found that
the "Prolink" was the best fit for them. Surprisingly for me, this included
both a female and males of quite different builds. I should point out that
our professional didn't sell any saddles during our sessions, so he wasn't
benefiting from any particular brand.

Later I went to my LBS and bought a "Gel Prolink" and I've been very happy
with it since then.

As a secondary fit the "Flite SLR" worked better for me than the standard
"Flite". The deck of the "Flite SLR" is much flatter, and weights my sit
bones much more, though I still squirm a little compared to the "Prolink".

So that's my 2 cents. Trial and error works best, but if you have serious
issues and are feeling lost don't be afraid to pay for professional help.
I'm not paid to advertise, but let me know by email if you'd like a
referral.