The most comfortable saddle money can buy

[bobbyOCR]

Fizik originally developed the Arione just for Gilberto Simoni, because he likes to ride way forward on the flats and way back on the climbs and wanted a long flat light weight saddle. One lab test saddle had no covering, just a clear form so they could beam an ultrasound up thru the bottom while Gilberto was on it, on a trainer. Another saddle was totally covered in temperature and pressure transducers. And that was just the start. This and other technologies exist, that can design the optmum saddle for an individual, but are not yet practical for the mass retail consumer. Until then, it would be nice if there were companies that rented out saddles to evaluate, at a reasonable cost. An orthopedic surgeon in our club, gave a talk, with X-RAYs & MRIs, about the tremedous variations in humans, in the area that contacts a saddle. There is a saddle out there that best suites you. Unfortunately, trial and error is too expensive and time consuming for most. Which leaves too many people with a compromise, although they might not even know it.

You have an excellent point about everybody's body being different. You couldn't be more correct. We may all have a 'perfect' saddle, but nearly 50% of our club has switched to an Arione. This may be due to marketing. It may be due to clever design. It might not be the 'perfect' saddle but it seems to suit the most people.

 

[RickF]

Until then, it would be nice if there were companies that rented out saddles to evaluate, at a reasonable cost.

My LBS does exactly that. You pay a deposit and try a saddle for a week. If you do not like it, you swap it for another until you find the right one for you. What works for one person might not work for another, and price is the least reliable predictor of what is the right saddle.

A few good options that have not yet been mentioned are the Terry Fly, Specialized Avatar, Bontrager Race Lite Lux, and Brooks B17.

 

[ABG]

My LBS does exactly that. You pay a deposit and try a saddle for a week. If you do not like it, you swap it for another until you find the right one for you. What works for one person might not work for another, and price is the least reliable predictor of what is the right saddle.

A few good options that have not yet been mentioned are the Terry Fly, Specialized Avatar, Bontrager Race Lite Lux, and Brooks B17.

Yes Brooks! They have been making leather saddles for decades. From second-hand experience, I hear that leather saddles are the best, but full-grain leather saddles are pricey. I believe they start around $75-100. And until the leather is broken (perhaps around 100 miles) in and thus molded to your ass, it'll be painful. Leather softener, like what they also use for baseball gloves, works well to break it in faster.

 

[tigradekat]

Yes Brooks! They have been making leather saddles for decades. From second-hand experience, I hear that leather saddles are the best, but full-grain leather saddles are pricey. I believe they start around $75-100. And until the leather is broken (perhaps around 100 miles) in and thus molded to your ass, it'll be painful. Leather softener, like what they also use for baseball gloves, works well to break it in faster.

First off, a saddle is a very personal thing. What works for you might not work for me and vice versa. Having said that, a hammock style leather saddle like a Brooks is the ONLY saddle that forms itself to your butt, creating a perfect fit. Most modern road racers dismiss them out of hand because of their weight. But i'll take an extra 150 grams over a light but painful saddle any day.

For what it's worth, my Brooks Swift has been ultra comfy from day one. It now starts to develop dents where my sit bones are, and comfort just keeps increasing.

 

[lks]

You have an excellent point about everybody's body being different. You couldn't be more correct. We may all have a 'perfect' saddle, but nearly 50% of our club has switched to an Arione. This may be due to marketing. It may be due to clever design. It might not be the 'perfect' saddle but it seems to suit the most people.

I don't recall where I read the article, but about half the Fizik sponsored Tour riders rode the Arione and the other half rode the Aliante. The interesting point, was that their tour performance was about the same. The point was, that the riders selected the shape that suited their riding style. Some riders don't like to move around and want their saddle to contact them over a greater area, which the Aliante doe's, because the nose and tail is higher than the center. But this makes it harder to move well forward and to the rear, like the Arione allows you to do. While Fizik and the other tour saddle makers will not admit it, it is common knowledge that the tour riders specify the type and amount of padding that is used in their saddles and they use different configurations, depending on the stage. Another example of this is team bibs. Just take a look at the rear motorcycle shot of some of the tour riders. Some look like like their bibs seats were built with a giant diaper inside. When you buy team bibs, you are not getting team padding and chamoise.

 

[backtobiking]

I just put a Selle Royal / Contour gel saddle on the Paramount. I just took a quicky 17miles tonight with the bike. I felt guity I had to end it so short tonight. I really like the saddle though and it has a comfort guarantee.. You really can't go wrong in trying it out. I know this one isn't going back.

 

[bobbyOCR]

I don't recall where I read the article, but about half the Fizik sponsored Tour riders rode the Arione and the other half rode the Aliante. The interesting point, was that their tour performance was about the same. The point was, that the riders selected the shape that suited their riding style. Some riders don't like to move around and want their saddle to contact them over a greater area, which the Aliante doe's, because the nose and tail is higher than the center. But this makes it harder to move well forward and to the rear, like the Arione allows you to do. While Fizik and the other tour saddle makers will not admit it, it is common knowledge that the tour riders specify the type and amount of padding that is used in their saddles and they use different configurations, depending on the stage. Another example of this is team bibs. Just take a look at the rear motorcycle shot of some of the tour riders. Some look like like their bibs seats were built with a giant diaper inside. When you buy team bibs, you are not getting team padding and chamoise.

Very true. Those sponsored riders are lucky in the sense they can try all the saddles in the sponsors range, then get them to make adjustments to material, padding, weight etc. If only...........

 

[hd reynolds]

A lot of recommendations and there are a lot of choices out there that can make you even more confused instead of guiding you. Just narrow your list to, say, 3 most recommended saddles and test from there.

Also FWIW, we may not notice it but while riding you will find yourself sitting in different areas of the saddle. For example when riding on the bar top we sit on the widest part of the saddle. While on the drops we might be sitting amidship. We also tend to sit defferently when descending (depending on your posture when doing so), when climbing or when coasting or on flats or even when on trainers/rollers. In this respect, a saddle should be versatile enough to accommodate you in comfort in these various riding situations. In my case the Arione is the most versatile saddle I've come across with. Not only is it well padded in the right areas but also because of its 30cm length (the only saddle to take advantage of the UCI max. saddle length) enables one to find a perfect sitting posture in various riding conditions.

 

[jhuskey]

I used the Arione for thousands of miles and still have it. It's not bad but I found that the Terry Y Zero is better for me after 2 hours or so,a lot better.
Butts vary and it is sometmes a hard journey in search of the ass friendly seat.
I hear good things about the Specialized Toupe also.

 

[free_rideman]

Toupe is weird. I have had it for the past 3-4 rides each being about 30 miles and half of that climbing, the other half flats.

The first day I was out on the saddle, the saddle felt like it was not there. Kind of freaked me out. Compared to the bulky Alias saddle that I had on that bike.

Many people have told me that it will take about two weeks of riding to fully get used to it, so the verdict is still out. The thing I can say is that this saddle leaves me the most comfortable after the ride as ever. No numbness, and no pain that can stop you from riding. And afterwards it doesn't feel like I was riding a saddle. Also it gets more comfortable the longer your ride is. These are some of the things I have noticed. So so far it is worth it to me.

Also I get many more options on this saddle position wise, then my old Alias.

That is my scoop on the Toupe. Can't really say anything about any other saddles since I never tried that many to begin with.