Change my saddle or not... not sure what to do.

dynamis_dk

I've got two decent light weight Selle Italia seats which were about £60 each so part of me thinks id be wasting money buying yet another but am having problems with comfort at the moment.

I'm finding my backside is killing for a few days after riding using my current saddle and am not sure if i should change saddle or just man it up and stick with it in the hope it'll get better over time. I've only just started to really ride again so is it just lack of being used to it or a sign i should switch saddles for something a but more padded?

Whats everyone else found best?? I'm sure am not the only one with this issue.

delude

How long have you been using it for, and how often do you ride with it?

deadliest

Man up and stick with it . . .

gaz047

try tilting the nose up/down or back/forwards on the rails, may help

dynamis_dk

Used it about 4 times, go out twice a week when i can.

2tired2ride

Deffinatly try to change the angle. On the picture of your bike the nose is pointing up alot. That cant be comtfy. Just tip the nose down so the saddle sits flat then ride it a bit and adjust slightly to find more comfort.

dynamis_dk

I never really thought of that, its all really just as it came setup at the shop... have to do a little tweaking later and see how it feels.

2tired2ride

Your bike shop set it up like that on a xc bike? What are they all dirt jumpers? It will spread the weight more evenly if you chane the saddle to be flat, whereas at the moment it is tipping you weight back and that is not good when your trying to pedal.

(ps shoot the guy who set the bike up for you)

.blitz

2tired2ride wrote:

Deffinatly try to change the angle. On the picture of your bike the nose is pointing up alot. That cant be comtfy. Just tip the nose down so the saddle sits flat then ride it a bit and adjust slightly to find more comfort.

+1
Get the spirit level out. Thin seats are great while the rails hold out but when they start to sag it's time to say goodbye.

Kiblams

I recently had a bash on an excersise bike in a gym on holiday with a massive squishy saddle, after an hour I could barely walk for the pain in my backside! :shock:

Give me a thin hard saddle anyday!

dynamis_dk

Well in the defence of the LBS they might not had actually touched it as the seat post and saddle came with the frame i bought so i expect they just shoved the post and moved on... they did very well for me as they stayed in an extra 20min past closing just to finish building it up so i could take it on the day. I know a few bike stores which would have booted me from the store turn closing time so can't really complain

Girlfriend is taking our daughter swiming tonight so i might have an hour after work to see what position tweaks i find best.

2tired2ride

dynamis_dk wrote:

Well in the defence of the LBS they might not had actually touched it as the seat post and saddle came with the frame i bought so i expect they just shoved the post and moved on... they did very well for me as they stayed in an extra 20min past closing just to finish building it up so i could take it on the day..

I'll let them off.

Surf-Matt

Tweak it and see but ditch it if it still hurts.

Just got a Spesh Phenom SL (the blingy one) and it was comfortable on the very first ride - despite looking like a torture device.

Tank-slapper

I've got 2 WTB Rocket V saddles - one is the posh SLT version and the other is an old cro-mo railed version. They are exactly the same shape and size, but the older saddle is more comfy because it is squidgier. The weight difference is only 30g. Changing the angle makes a bigger difference though. It may take several rides to get it adjusted properly, but start with a flat saddle.

Steve_b77

Definatley get the saddle set level or even a little nose down so the widest bit of the saddle s supporting your sit bones in yer bum

delude

I have found that if it is tilting down you are relying on pushing the handle bars to stay on, using your arms instead of sitting naturally. Very slightly up allows you to stay central to the saddle and actually sit without the need for the constant push.

Curlystays

One thing at a time! The following approach was arrived at from personal experience, so please accept or reject as you like.

Saddle position affects everything you do on the bike, so take it systematically and you should end up with the perfect adjustment. Unless the saddle or your anatomy are freakish in some way, try the following before buying expensive new kit.

Number 1: Set up your default position from which you can make adjustments one at a time until you arrive at the best configuration for you. To set up the default position do the following:

A Set the saddle exactly horizontal.

B Put the bike next to a fence or something you can hang on to and put one pedal at its lowest position. Then adjust the height of the seat pillar so that when you are sitting on the bike with your body upright, not holding the bars, the weight of your leg is just supported when your heel is on the bottom pedal. This gives you your default saddle height.

C Put the pedal at its farthest point forward. Sit upright on the bike again, then put your instep over the spindle of the forwardmost pedal. Adjust the backwards/forwards position of your saddle so that your shin is vertical with the knee perpendicularly above the ankle. This may not always be possible to obtain exactly, in that case make sure the knee is slightly forward of the ankle but never behind it. This gives you your default saddle backwards/forwards position. Check that this adjustment has not prevented you from supporting your heel, as in A above. If it has, keep juggling the two adjustments until they both come right.

D Put your elbow on the point of the saddle and extend your forearm with fingers outstretched towards the handlebar stem. With the front wheel centred, if the tips of your fingers go beyond the centre of the handlebars, then you probably need a longer extension. For a pure road bike a good default position here is a distance from saddle tip to handlebars of elbow-to-fingertips plus the width of your palm. For off-road, this distance will be less and you could make elbow-to-fingertips alone as a starting point. If this distance is way out, buy a cheap extension of about the right length for the time being and then invest in a pukka one when you are sure of your exact needs.
For road, set the top centre of the handlebars 10cm lower than the point of the saddle. Ideally, use a long builder’s spirit level with one end on the point of the saddle to get the true horizontal above the handlebars. Otherwise, measure the vertical distance from saddle point to the ground along a plumb line, and again from centre top of the handlebars to the ground. Obviously the bike must be on a smooth level surface to ensure accuracy. For off-road try 5cm lower as a default.

Number 2: Adjust for your personal comfort. The following is a good procedure.

A Go for a long road ride on your bike with its default settings — at least 100km or so. All new positions feel weird at first, so you need to learn what your default feels like before you can start to adjust it systematically.

B Listen to your body. In other words, take heed of where it hurts. Pain is different from fatigue so do not bother about feeling exhausted, bother about whether it’s your knee or your back or your wrist or your crutch that is causing you pain. Use your common sense to make adjustments: but only adjust one thing at a time, and by small quantifiable amounts. For example, crutch problems may mean you are sitting too high. So lower the saddle; but by just 1cm. Ride it for a day and if the pain is less you are probably on the right track. If the reduced pain persists then, after a week, come down another 1cm. Similarly with all the settings: up, down, in, out, one setting at a time, one small increment at a time. Ride each change and then go on to the next one when you feel you’ve got it right.

C Write it all down. This is essential. Then whenever you dismantle the bike you can be sure it goes back together in your ideal position. Think about persistent problems: if you can never get really comfortable, maybe you need different length cranks, different shaped bends or even different frame angles. By keeping accurate notes you will save yourself a lot of trouble and future expense. You will also probably end up with two or three optimum positions, especially as an off-roader. On-road, off-road, touring, racing even summer/winter can make a few millimetres of adjustment worthwhile.

Once you find your optimum position(s) your biking experience will be transformed. All the best.

dynamis_dk

Well I've just popped into the garden and set it flat with around the right seat height and already it feels a better position. Ain't got time to take it for a spin now but i'm sure it'll improve on things. Hoping to have a decent few hours this weekend so i'll know within 30min or so if its helping the numb bum situation.