Saddle Advice

Surf-Matt

I have a white Spesh Rival on mine - comfy and only £50.

Might upgrade to a Toupe soonish - got the very similar Phenom SL (ti and carbon) on my MTB and it's fantastic.

dennisn

I'm not sure that saddles come under the heading of "upgrades". I suppose you could upgrade to a better looking saddle(racier, different color, lighter weight). Me I'm looking for comfort. That's the only saddle upgrade I want.

gkerr4

I love the toupe saddle - really good - looks like a torture device but is actually very comfortable.

They tend to split opinion here though - if you like it you will love it, but if you don't you will hate it! - you never hear someone say "oh yeah, my Toupe it's ok like.."

saddles are a personal choice but it can work out an expensive hobby if you don;t get it right - that said, toupes are always "in demand" either on the classified here or on ebay so you could always try it and not lose too much money if you don't like it.

dennisn

I bought a fair share of saddles in my day and can say without hesitation that they have all been well built, durable, fairly lightweight, and even a bit stylish. I don't buy really expensive ones or really cheap ones. The major saddle makers make good quality stuff in an array of shapes, looks, sizes, colors, weights, and materials. Pretty much none of which guarantees that they will be comfortable for you. I tend to prefer the sit bone type
or one with a cutout. But that's just me. I have a friend who complains about his saddle all the time(soreness, numbness) but because it looks "cool" he puts up with it. Go figure.
He did spend a ton of money on it so I'm thinking he also needs to justify it to himself.

NoNotAgain

Mate, don't buy a saddle by the looks. As always in life, size matters.
The most beautiful, racy looking saddle will be no good if it doesn't fit your arse.
And TBH concerning style, there is no way to be any better than a Selle Italia SLR.

Surf-Matt

djbarren wrote:

I like the look of this one.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/bg-toupe-team-saddle-ec018198

anyone have any experience of this saddle?

I have the Phenom SL which is basically an MTB'd version of this - comfy for me but it needs to fit or it's useless.

rokkala

What saddles have worked for you in the past?

For what its worth i originally had a Selle Italia Transam, not good, Charge Spoon - very good, and got a Flite Geniune Gel saddle with new bike which is also very comfortable, not greatly surprising though as they have roughly same shape and width, but the flite genuine gel comes in white.

Neil Buckley

I run with a Arione which is working well for me, I did LEJOG with a Felt ownbrand saddle, not a a single problem with 1080miles of riding......

soveda

Surf-Matt wrote:

djbarren wrote:

I like the look of this one.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/bg-toupe-team-saddle-ec018198

anyone have any experience of this saddle?

I have the Phenom SL which is basically an MTB'd version of this - comfy for me but it needs to fit or it's useless.

[

Seconded, I've got the Phenom on my Defy and my Cindercone, suits me but not everyone.
The Toupe is flexible but relatively hard, I've not dared try it yet - looks and feels too painful!

bicyclerubber

Choosing a saddle is a very personal thing.

You should look at as wide a range as you can before making a choice and its likely that you will need a different saddle on each bike - depending on the type of riding you do.

Having tried, literally, dozens, I have settled on the http://www.SMP4Bike.co.uk range from Selle SMP

I am sure that they won't be perfect for absolutely everyone, but they are well worth a look.

pottssteve

Sorry to ask a slightly different question, but it's saddle related:

Is it possible to measure your own @rse accurately to decide on the correct saddle size? If so, how do you measure - where to where? I've been recommended a Specialized Toupe Gel and they come in 2 sizes. Also, does anyone think the extra 10 quid for the gel is worth it?
Thanks,
Steve

gkerr4

pottssteve wrote:

Sorry to ask a slightly different question, but it's saddle related:

Is it possible to measure your own @rse accurately to decide on the correct saddle size? If so, how do you measure - where to where? I've been recommended a Specialized Toupe Gel and they come in 2 sizes. Also, does anyone think the extra 10 quid for the gel is worth it?
Thanks,
Steve

the measuring process is that you sit on a gel cushion thing for a few minutes and when you stand up there are two dome-shaped indents where your sit-bones have compresses the gel. The measurement is taken from the centre of each indent.

I read somewhere (forgotten where) that the 143 covers 90+% of people! (or something like that!)

There are people who like the gel and people who like the regular - I have the regular and not tried the gel - I am curious about this too but from what I have read on various forums (fora?) people who have tried both usually prefer the std one. I believe that the gel doesn't add a lot except a bit of weight!

pottssteve

Thanks for the info gkerr4,

I was wondering whether you can measure your own butt effectively at home? Reason is, my LBS is charging the equivalent of 100 quid for the toupe gel but I can get it online for 80 if I know my size. If I get my @rse measured in the shop they'll expect me to buy it there!!!

greeny12

For what it's worth, I've tried both the Toupe Gel 143 and Selle Italia SLR Team Issue and for me, the Selle Italia has worked out way better in terms of comfort over distance.

My Toupe is white and has been used for less than 1K miles, so it's in decent nick if not absolutely mint. If anybody is interested in buying it, PM me and I'm sure we can do a deal!!