Saddles Anyone?
- Thread starter mjshapiro
- Start date
Saddles are a very personal thing, depending more on your bone distribution than anything else.
I took a bit of a leap of faith and had good luck with buying an SLR Gelflow sight unseen when they were on a run-out sale. It looks like an instrument of torture, but I find it quite comfortable.
I took a bit of a leap of faith and had good luck with buying an SLR Gelflow sight unseen when they were on a run-out sale. It looks like an instrument of torture, but I find it quite comfortable.
Buying a saddle is a pain in the butt .
That said read what wwww.sheldonbrown.com has to say and then read the sellaitalia.com web site .
The weight of your body is taken on ; your butt , hands and LEGS , this is why pros can use razor blades that make us wince just to look at them , if your real strong then you can use that ( modern ) type of saddle , otherwise consider a more conventional type .
The rail material also counts ti being " soft " and al being " hard " others being somewhere between .
Shape ; totally personal but women will tend to need a wider saddle than the guys .
Antiprostate ????? well this seems to be a bit difficult as nobody is complaining of impotence caused by cycling here in europe so it may be a bit of marketing bull**** or the Americans in the study had other problems ......... mind you if your finding being on the drops uncomfortable this might be a good route to investigate .
Road shock : many different systems but you might try the Flight Max by Selle Italia , a bit wider than the Flight and can be got in the Trans Am model as well .
Remember soft padding tends to make a poor saddle , but some padding helps .
That said read what wwww.sheldonbrown.com has to say and then read the sellaitalia.com web site .
The weight of your body is taken on ; your butt , hands and LEGS , this is why pros can use razor blades that make us wince just to look at them , if your real strong then you can use that ( modern ) type of saddle , otherwise consider a more conventional type .
The rail material also counts ti being " soft " and al being " hard " others being somewhere between .
Shape ; totally personal but women will tend to need a wider saddle than the guys .
Antiprostate ????? well this seems to be a bit difficult as nobody is complaining of impotence caused by cycling here in europe so it may be a bit of marketing bull**** or the Americans in the study had other problems ......... mind you if your finding being on the drops uncomfortable this might be a good route to investigate .
Road shock : many different systems but you might try the Flight Max by Selle Italia , a bit wider than the Flight and can be got in the Trans Am model as well .
Remember soft padding tends to make a poor saddle , but some padding helps .
el Inglés covered it pretty well. Ultimately, as you can gather, the science of what makes a saddle the right saddle is so incomprehensibly complex that, in the end, the only way to really find the right saddle is through a little luck.
Sella Italias are classic in shape and construction -- their Trans Am/Flite line is about as basic a place to start as there is, if you're looking for a reasonably light, firm, low-profile seat. There are gel options, cutout options, and so on.
I haven't tried the SLR line, or any of Sella San Marco's similarly minimal saddles (like the Aspide line), but most folks who use them insist they're far more comfy than they look. I'm inclined to believe them, which calls to mind the cruelest paradox of bike seats: if you're spending long periods of time on a bike -- ie, riding for more than 20 miles at a time -- padding tends to work against you.
For many crotches (not all), padding simply redistributes pressure to softer, sensitive areas where you don't want pressure -- squashing blood vessels and nerves, leading to numbness and (eek!) tissue damage. The idea, in general, is to force your bones to take the heat, and a simple, firm saddle is often the ticket.
I'm riding a men's Terry Firefly right now, and though I love the shape and quality of construction, I'm leaning towards a less-soft saddle for my next bike... either a Terry Zero, or the Gobi, Aliante, or Arione from Fizik.
Sella Italias are classic in shape and construction -- their Trans Am/Flite line is about as basic a place to start as there is, if you're looking for a reasonably light, firm, low-profile seat. There are gel options, cutout options, and so on.
I haven't tried the SLR line, or any of Sella San Marco's similarly minimal saddles (like the Aspide line), but most folks who use them insist they're far more comfy than they look. I'm inclined to believe them, which calls to mind the cruelest paradox of bike seats: if you're spending long periods of time on a bike -- ie, riding for more than 20 miles at a time -- padding tends to work against you.
For many crotches (not all), padding simply redistributes pressure to softer, sensitive areas where you don't want pressure -- squashing blood vessels and nerves, leading to numbness and (eek!) tissue damage. The idea, in general, is to force your bones to take the heat, and a simple, firm saddle is often the ticket.
I'm riding a men's Terry Firefly right now, and though I love the shape and quality of construction, I'm leaning towards a less-soft saddle for my next bike... either a Terry Zero, or the Gobi, Aliante, or Arione from Fizik.
Yes, what everyone is saying is true: it's exceptionally personal, the choice of a saddle. But I'm going to go out on a limb: the most comfortable high performance saddle that exists (meaning the one that the most possible people find perfect) is a Brooks B17 Champion Special with Ti rails.
Whereas normal racing saddles never really adapt to your anatomy, Brooks saddles do. Also the basic design of a Brooks saddle is, well, hammock-like. You're sitting on flexible leather that is suspended between two hard points. The give and flex is much greater than any hard nylon shell, leather covered modern racing saddle.
Brooks saddles are extremely popular with long distance tourists and those who do Brevets. They're truly special, and are currently coming back into fashion.
The B17 is very slightly wider in the rear than is average these days. The additional support this extra width offers apparently makes a huge difference in long distance comfort. The B17 is Brooks' most popular saddle--I've been using one of the Ti versions on my tandem, and am about to add one to my racing bike--a Litespeed.
If you're in the States, the best place to buy one would probably be www.wallbike.com. You're given a six month unconditional guarantee--you can destroy the thing, and as long as you return it within six months, you're given a full refund.
Whereas normal racing saddles never really adapt to your anatomy, Brooks saddles do. Also the basic design of a Brooks saddle is, well, hammock-like. You're sitting on flexible leather that is suspended between two hard points. The give and flex is much greater than any hard nylon shell, leather covered modern racing saddle.
Brooks saddles are extremely popular with long distance tourists and those who do Brevets. They're truly special, and are currently coming back into fashion.
The B17 is very slightly wider in the rear than is average these days. The additional support this extra width offers apparently makes a huge difference in long distance comfort. The B17 is Brooks' most popular saddle--I've been using one of the Ti versions on my tandem, and am about to add one to my racing bike--a Litespeed.
If you're in the States, the best place to buy one would probably be www.wallbike.com. You're given a six month unconditional guarantee--you can destroy the thing, and as long as you return it within six months, you're given a full refund.
I have tried several, and am still searching for a comfy fit after about an hour. I am 5-10", 160lbs, on the narrower side. In descending order of preference:
Specialized Body Geometry Comp -- best so far.
Fizik Aliante -- not far behind.
Selle Italia Flite
Selle Italia Turbomatic 4
Koobi AU Enduro
None were terrible. Even my cheapie 1994 generic GelLite saddle from my mountain bike is OK. I just changed it to a WTB Laser (I think that's the model), and it's no better even with the so-called "Love Channel" down the middle.
One thing others left out... find out whether you prefer a flat saddle or one that curves up at the ends. I prefer a flat one.
Specialized Body Geometry Comp -- best so far.
Fizik Aliante -- not far behind.
Selle Italia Flite
Selle Italia Turbomatic 4
Koobi AU Enduro
None were terrible. Even my cheapie 1994 generic GelLite saddle from my mountain bike is OK. I just changed it to a WTB Laser (I think that's the model), and it's no better even with the so-called "Love Channel" down the middle.
One thing others left out... find out whether you prefer a flat saddle or one that curves up at the ends. I prefer a flat one.
I have the team pro. I weigh about 240 or so right now. it works well but I have a bit of rub where my leg and crotch meet. I ahve to skew the saddle to fix it. but this has been the case with all seats I have tried. I could see a narrower saddle. it may help. but even with my weight the brooks is great. though it does not work well without good riding shorts.
I had one for about six months--for me, it wasn't as comfortable as the B17, and this is very common among others who have tried it. I weigh 175 and ride aggressively. If you're much lighter, you might like the Swift. If you're above 160, you'll probably have better luck with the B17 Champion Special with Ti rails.
By the way, $140 for a Swift isn't that great a discount. That is what they usually sell for, except at www.wallbike.com, who sells them for $150, but who offers an unconditional six month return guarantee.
I currently ride a Selle San Marco, Aspide Arrowhead. I love it, it is very minimalist and would seem uncomfortable but it works great for me, im 5'10 about 170. The cutout relieves a lot of pressure. It takes some fine tuning to get it in the right spot but once it is there, you will know it. Glorious
Dave
Dave
Had a Rolls many years ago. Got sold along with the bike it was on, but it was the kind of saddle you could spend all day on without pain...
Currently riding a San Marco Era. It only starts getting comfortable when I'm putting in 10 hour+ weeks. Any less than that and its too hard.
Out of a whole stack of saddles, two suited me.
On my contemporary Trek is a Selle Trans Am. Works well, but it has a fairly narrow 'sweet spot'. Sit on it just right, and it's great. Get a little too far forward or back, and it hurts. $100 at the LBS.
On my old classic, a 70's vintage Falcon San Remo, is a new Brooks Team Pro. So far, it has worked well, even if it does weigh a ton. $80 on ebay.
On my contemporary Trek is a Selle Trans Am. Works well, but it has a fairly narrow 'sweet spot'. Sit on it just right, and it's great. Get a little too far forward or back, and it hurts. $100 at the LBS.
On my old classic, a 70's vintage Falcon San Remo, is a new Brooks Team Pro. So far, it has worked well, even if it does weigh a ton. $80 on ebay.
I found the Prolink Gel to be a comfortable saddle but only for rides of 50 miles or less. On longer rides, I could feel the sides of the saddle as sharpish edges on the inside of my legs at the very top - kind of tough to describe but as I said very noticable (for me) over 50 miles. Also, the saddle has more stitching than a baseball which may or may not bother you. As others have noted, saddle fit is a very personal thing.
Another suggestion that's been made previously on this topic in this forum is to go with less saddle rather than more. It should also be noted that if you're new to riding or restarting after a lapse in riding you'll need to break your butt in too. Like just about every other part of your body, your muscles/joints/skin do learn to adapt to your new activity and a saddle that feels like a torture device to a new rider will be perfect for someone with more miles in their legs (and butt).
My personal favorite is the Fizik Aliante carbon. I find that in terms of "give", support and shape that it fits me best. I've tried the prolink gel, flite, SLR, aspide, era, etc. I've always wanted to try one of the brooks saddles since I like the idea of a saddle that adjusts to you over time and may take the recommendation posted here for the B17.
FWIW, I'm 6'2" and weigh 172.
Greg
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