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Saddle recommendations


MikeyG
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I’m desperately trying to get my wife into riding- she has no intention of bombing down spider mountain, but slightly more challenging than the typical hike and bike. She has a bike she likes, but finding a comfy saddle is the next quest. I’m trying to help her understand that the wide super gel beach cruiser seat can be more problematic than the more minimal seat.

Can y’all offer some ideas so I can fill a Christmas gift?

 

 

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Yes on the sitbone measurement and a big yes on saddle choice being very subjective.

Wife and I both MTB together, and she had a 143mm wtb titanium super dooper saddle that I kept telling her was too padded. She was not at all receptive to my comments. Then she rode my bike that has a 155mm saddle with very little padding and loved it. 

Bought her one and she hasn't complained about sore sitbones since.

 

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Sit bone measurement never worked for me. I've tried just about every saddle you can think of. More important than sit bone width for me is saddle profile/shape. A 142mm wide saddle that has a domed shape does not have 142mm of available real estate. I've found that a saddle with no more than 10mm of padding and a flexible shell works best for me. WTB saddles IMO are the worst out there they run too narrow have too much padding and a ridiculous transition from top to sides very square. When you find the right saddle you'll know it, the right saddle IMO is one that I can get on even after being off the bike for weeks and not have any discomfort. My current saddle is a Fizik Antares R3 large 152mm wide and a flat but not too flat profile 7mm of firm padding and a carbon nylon shell that flexes. I can spend all day on it with no issues. One of the most important aspects of the right saddle is one that you are able to sit squarely on your sit bones. Too much padding has a tendency to restrict blood flow and compress nerve endings leading to discomfort. This is such a subjective topic and trying to find that goldilocks saddle can take a lot of time, keep trying different saddles you'll eventually find the right one. Another saddle that I find comfortable is a Brooks Cambium it's a rubber nylon shell with material bonded to it and zero padding but it has a large amount of flex and is kind of like a hammock for your ass. Only downside is they are heavy AF.

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Thanks for all of the feedback. What I’m gathering is this isn’t turning out to be a surprise Cmas gift idea. Oh well...

I guess I’ve never been too picky with seats personally- I’ve always been happy with the stock seat on each of my bikes. Maybe I don’t know what I’m missing???


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5 hours ago, Chief said:

Sit bone measurement never worked for me. I've tried just about every saddle you can think of. More important than sit bone width for me is saddle profile/shape. A 142mm wide saddle that has a domed shape does not have 142mm of available real estate. I've found that a saddle with no more than 10mm of padding and a flexible shell works best for me. WTB saddles IMO are the worst out there they run too narrow have too much padding and a ridiculous transition from top to sides very square. When you find the right saddle you'll know it, the right saddle IMO is one that I can get on even after being off the bike for weeks and not have any discomfort. My current saddle is a Fizik Antares R3 large 152mm wide and a flat but not too flat profile 7mm of firm padding and a carbon nylon shell that flexes. I can spend all day on it with no issues. One of the most important aspects of the right saddle is one that you are able to sit squarely on your sit bones. Too much padding has a tendency to restrict blood flow and compress nerve endings leading to discomfort. This is such a subjective topic and trying to find that goldilocks saddle can take a lot of time, keep trying different saddles you'll eventually find the right one. Another saddle that I find comfortable is a Brooks Cambium it's a rubber nylon shell with material bonded to it and zero padding but it has a large amount of flex and is kind of like a hammock for your ass. Only downside is they are heavy AF.

Yeah this is spot on.  For me I like the domed (convex) shape on the back and hate the concave shaped saddles but also as to the cutout area in the front, I prefer a divot and not a cutout, and the profile of the divot or cutout makes a big difference to me.  I tried many saddles before I settled on my Selle Italia on my old road bike.  For my MTB I like the Ergon saddles.  The WTB/Santa Cruz on my gravel bike works great too.  The last 2 saddles I bought for myself were Ergon and were based on the online profile tool they have.

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20 hours ago, MikeyG said:

Thanks for all of the feedback. What I’m gathering is this isn’t turning out to be a surprise Cmas gift idea. Oh well...

I guess I’ve never been too picky with seats personally- I’ve always been happy with the stock seat on each of my bikes. Maybe I don’t know what I’m missing???


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Yes, and then there are the people who can ride any saddle without any issues.

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Also would like to mention the whole sit bone measurement thing. I see it as propaganda that the manufacturers sell us to get us to buy a product. Here's why sitting on a piece of gel pad or cardboard or some special material that reacts to the heat of your body doesn't give a clear indication of how you sit on your bike. Nobody sits on their bike the same way you'd sit on a chair or flat surface this is why I don't think this measurement method works. Yes granted some people have found a good saddle using this method but chances are they fall into the former category of someone who could probably ride anything. I've done the gel pad the cardboard and the heat reactive and have never gotten a saddle that feels right to me. The first saddle that I really liked was a saddle that I wouldn't have even considered as a good choice. That saddle was the Fizik Kurve Chameleon. The reason I never considered it was because to look at it, it has very sharp edges but from the first ride I was like this is the one. I still have that saddle but Fizik discontinued it so when I wanted a new saddle for my bike the Antares R3 was the closest profile. The Antares is a much more comfortable saddle than the Kurve was it has more sit bone support and is firmer with just the right amount of flex. One last thing most major brands of saddles WTB,Terry, Selle Italia are all made by the same company. 

 

https://velosaddles.us

Edited by Chief
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This is the bike saddle Venn diagram where rabbit holes meet cans of worms meet marital communication. 

First, the dialog thing.  Ask your wife what feels comfy about her current saddle, and what concerns she might have about trying out other less cushy, sleeker options.  Could it be that she's concerned that getting a sleeker saddle means she'll be pressured to ride stuff she's not comfortable with?  Or riding longer than she wants?  Or she just likes the saddle she has?  Or she's resisting what she perceives you mansplaining to her what she needs? 

So, over the years: 

A lot of women riding road, mountain, whatever,  love the Diva saddles from Selle Italia: Diva Super Gel Flo  They are pricey, but lots of women swear by them.  Selle Italia has this approach to saddle fit: idmatch Smart Caliper for Saddle Sizing

Some women also love Terry saddles; I'm "meh" on them, but, again, they work great for a lot of women. 

WTB was set to phase out their women's Deva models, but so many women liked them, they kept it in the line up: WTB DEVA Chromoly

Bicycle Sport Shop (mostly Specialized) has a good exchange/return policy as does REI and  they have lots of ergonomic stuff. 

I'll take mild exception to the idea that the sitbone measurement is pure hype.  Saddle makers understand how difficult it is to even begin to find a comfortable fit.  Determining sit-bone width using the ass-o-meter is just one metric to use as a starting point.  For example, you measure 142 on the ass-o-meter, but find that the 152 or 135 is a more comfy fit?  That's a very useful data point for finding future saddles. 

Ergon and SQ Lab (both German companies) each have their own approach to saddle design to circumvent the most common problems. 

One brand noted that pelvic tilt (anterior, posterior, neutral) has a great deal to do with the saddle shape feels comfortable.  For example, the beloved traditional Brooks saddle or any saddle with a more rounded shape feels like a torture device to me.  I mean truly awful. I like a flatter platform aft.  

So, check out websites, see who has the best return/exchange policies. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by June Bug
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5 hours ago, Chief said:

Also would like to mention the whole sit bone measurement thing. I see it as propaganda that the manufacturers sell us to get us to buy a product. Here's why sitting on a piece of gel pad or cardboard or some special material that reacts to the heat of your body doesn't give a clear indication of how you sit on your bike. Nobody sits on their bike the same way you'd sit on a chair or flat surface this is why I don't think this measurement method works. Yes granted some people have found a good saddle using this method but chances are they fall into the former category of someone who could probably ride anything. I've done the gel pad the cardboard and the heat reactive and have never gotten a saddle that feels right to me. The first saddle that I really liked was a saddle that I wouldn't have even considered as a good choice. That saddle was the Fizik Kurve Chameleon. The reason I never considered it was because to look at it, it has very sharp edges but from the first ride I was like this is the one. I still have that saddle but Fizik discontinued it so when I wanted a new saddle for my bike the Antares R3 was the closest profile. The Antares is a much more comfortable saddle than the Kurve was it has more sit bone support and is firmer with just the right amount of flex. One last thing most major brands of saddles WTB,Terry, Selle Italia are all made by the same company. 

 

https://velosaddles.us

on the plus side, I have sold my sit bone impressed cardboard on Ebay several times....It's how I met my wife actually

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On 11/25/2020 at 6:01 PM, MikeyG said:

 

I’m desperately trying to get my wife into riding- she has no intention of bombing down spider mountain, but slightly more challenging than the typical hike and bike. She has a bike she likes, but finding a comfy saddle is the next quest. I’m trying to help her understand that the wide super gel beach cruiser seat can be more problematic than the more minimal seat.

Can y’all offer some ideas so I can fill a Christmas gift?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Specialized has several saddles designed for women and offers a 30 day trial to help find the right one. Does she have a quality pair of cycling shorts? Shorts can make the world of difference and many brands offer women specific designs. 

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