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/]

> 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

 

[x]

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.