Time for a Cut-out Saddle?

[TrekDedicated]

I've been dealing with a couple saddle issues over the past few months/year and I'm thinking it may be time for a cut out saddle.

I currently ride the selle italia SLR. I've been having some numbness issues at different times through out my rides.

1) When I'm racing or fast group rides I realize my groin area goes numb...big time. not good.

2) After riding this saddle for almost 8 months know, I've noticed on the saddle an indentation where it seems all my weight/pressure is.

3) I'm not exactly sure, but I think the sensitivity in my groin area has decreased. Really not good.

So, I would assume a cut-out saddle would rid that pressure point and allow me to enjoy riding again? Anyone else had a similar experience

I am thinking the SLR Gel Flow, Max Flite gel Flow, or Flite gel flow

 

[buckybux]

I am 53, and due to prostrate issues went to a cut out about 10 years ago. Right now I am using a Specialized Avatar, and love it. If I get a new one, I would look at Performance Bike's Forte Pro SLX: http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=18270&item=50-2389&slitrk=search&slisearch=true

 

[alienator]

A cut out is no magic cure to anything. What is important is a good saddle fit and good saddle positioning. Your SLR might not fit you for all sorts of reasons:

• Your butt may not be suited to a flat saddle.
• You might need a wider saddle.
• Your saddle may need to be tipped up or down.
• Your saddle may be too far aft, leaving you sitting on the nose.

The list goes on.

 

[MarkInNC]

I upgraded to a Selle SMP Pro about six months ago. Guess I was sucked in by the write up, sounded better than whatever. I have been pleasantly surprized. The funny looking saddle is actually very comfortable and has solved numbness issues I had.

Mark

I've been dealing with a couple saddle issues over the past few months/year and I'm thinking it may be time for a cut out saddle.

I currently ride the selle italia SLR. I've been having some numbness issues at different times through out my rides.

1) When I'm racing or fast group rides I realize my groin area goes numb...big time. not good.

2) After riding this saddle for almost 8 months know, I've noticed on the saddle an indentation where it seems all my weight/pressure is.

3) I'm not exactly sure, but I think the sensitivity in my groin area has decreased. Really not good.

So, I would assume a cut-out saddle would rid that pressure point and allow me to enjoy riding again? Anyone else had a similar experience

I am thinking the SLR Gel Flow, Max Flite gel Flow, or Flite gel flow

 

[scirocco]

I upgraded to a Selle SMP Pro about six months ago. Guess I was sucked in by the write up, sounded better than whatever. I have been pleasantly surprized. The funny looking saddle is actually very comfortable and has solved numbness issues I had.
Mark

I did the same (Stratos model), and it also solved my numbness issues. Unfortunately I didn't find it comfortable - the outer edges dug into my butt. I guess the moral is that the most expensive and "technical" of saddles won't necessarily fit you, even if it does a great job of relieving pressure.

 

[jhuskey]

Terri Y- Zero is the best I have found , for me that is.Unfortunately the quest for the perfect saddle can get expensive if you let it.
There is no way to sit on a bike in a shop and determine if the saddle is suitable. It takes a lot of mile on varying terrain to figure out if a saddle is going to be comfortable or a pain in the a**.

 

[BigJohn]

You Know I just don't get it... Constant complaints about seat comfort, but everyone wants a light weight saddle... I spent thousands of dollars over many years trying to find the right light saddle, but to no avail..

Finally 10 yrs ago I found the Brooks Swift Ti saddle and I have never had another numb crotch problem.. In fact I am still using that same saddle, and it will likely last me another 20 yrs.. Only problem is it is 360gms.. and made the old fashioned way out of hard leather..

For me it dosen't matter but for most it seems to be a big deal.. I don't get it... No one I have ever met that rides one has ever had a complaint, and you will never need another saddle... for your entire cycling life...The leather will over time mold to your sit bones, and depress around your soft tissue areas, and will be perfectly molded to your ass... Just my 2 cents

 

[kdelong]

I agree with Alienator. You really need to have the fit checked first, and see your doctor about your decreased sensitivity. AND STAY OFF OF THE BIKE UNTIL YOU GET THIS PROBLEM CLEARED UP unless you want to risk greater nerve damage. A sadde with a cut-out is not a cure all for a bad fit or for a saddle that is not right for you. Your LBS should be able to measure your sit bones, they have ways of doing this that are not invasive, and guide you in selecting the proper saddle for you.

My own personal requirements for a saddle do not take weight into account at all. It has to be at least 7 inches wide at its widest point because my sitbones are about 5-1/2 inches apart. There has to be a fair amount of padding between my sitbones and the hard plastic of the seat, but minimal padding in the center to prevent pressure on the soft tissue and nerves there. Therefore, a saddle with a depressed center or a cutout works for me. I have only had one saddle that was too uncomfortable to ride and that was a cheap Brooks(not one of the leather ones but one of the vinyl ones).

 

[alienator]

You Know I just don't get it... Constant complaints about seat comfort, but everyone wants a light weight saddle... I spent thousands of dollars over many years trying to find the right light saddle, but to no avail..

Finally 10 yrs ago I found the Brooks Swift Ti saddle and I have never had another numb crotch problem.. In fact I am still using that same saddle, and it will likely last me another 20 yrs.. Only problem is it is 360gms.. and made the old fashioned way out of hard leather..

For me it dosen't matter but for most it seems to be a big deal.. I don't get it... No one I have ever met that rides one has ever had a complaint, and you will never need another saddle... for your entire cycling life...The leather will over time mold to your sit bones, and depress around your soft tissue areas, and will be perfectly molded to your ass... Just my 2 cents

You should read around a bit more. There are plenty of people for whom Brooks saddles weren't comfort incarnate. All you've proven is that a Brooks Swift worked for you. Your ass isn't everyone else's ass.

Saddle weight has nothing to do with comfort. It never has, and it never will. A bare bones CF saddle with no padding can be more comfortable than a Swift if the CF saddle suits the user's ass.

Brooks would have everyone think that a Brooks would be perfect for them......but then that's the goal of marketing, ain't it?

 

[kdelong]

You Know I just don't get it... Constant complaints about seat comfort, but everyone wants a light weight saddle... I spent thousands of dollars over many years trying to find the right light saddle, but to no avail..

Finally 10 yrs ago I found the Brooks Swift Ti saddle and I have never had another numb crotch problem.. In fact I am still using that same saddle, and it will likely last me another 20 yrs.. Only problem is it is 360gms.. and made the old fashioned way out of hard leather..

For me it dosen't matter but for most it seems to be a big deal.. I don't get it... No one I have ever met that rides one has ever had a complaint, and you will never need another saddle... for your entire cycling life...The leather will over time mold to your sit bones, and depress around your soft tissue areas, and will be perfectly molded to your ass... Just my 2 cents

A lot of the users of Brooks Swift and B17 find them comfortable after they are broken in, but it can take a year or more for the saddle to become broke in, if it ever does in the first place. If it is not the right saddle for you, it never will feel completely comfortable.

 

[BigJohn]

Not trying to start a war of words... and I know there are several posters on here that have something to say about every subject whether they really know anything or not....... I guess they like hearing themselves talk... just look at their post counts..

My post was to show others that there are other options besides the new fancy cf or hard plastic seats... Yes a brooks saddle may take a while to break in, but its better than cf or plastic than can never break in.. and worse yet the padding wears out in a yr or so, and you have to start all over again.. been there done that ...My final thoughts on the subject

 

[Peter@vecchios]

You Know I just don't get it... Constant complaints about seat comfort, but everyone wants a light weight saddle... I spent thousands of dollars over many years trying to find the right light saddle, but to no avail..

Finally 10 yrs ago I found the Brooks Swift Ti saddle and I have never had another numb crotch problem.. In fact I am still using that same saddle, and it will likely last me another 20 yrs.. Only problem is it is 360gms.. and made the old fashioned way out of hard leather..

For me it dosen't matter but for most it seems to be a big deal.. I don't get it... No one I have ever met that rides one has ever had a complaint, and you will never need another saddle... for your entire cycling life...The leather will over time mold to your sit bones, and depress around your soft tissue areas, and will be perfectly molded to your ass... Just my 2 cents

Never met you but I tried Brooks twice. A Swallow and a Swift and they didn't suit me at all. Not even close. Like pedals with float, Brooks is not a panacea for comfy butts. 'May' work, may not.