Which saddle? (not a charge spoon)

getonyourbike

I bought a Charge Spoon for my Fury but it really doesn't suit my butt, put bluntly. So, what saddle but not a charge spoon?

EDIT- sorry, I should have included more info.

cooldad

Perhaps you should go to a shop and sit on a few. Pointless people with varied backsides suggesting random saddles.

The Rookie

With CD, as I'd recommend the Spoon.

Simon

getonyourbike

I think going and trying some is the only way then.

ride_whenever

what doesn't suit about it?

The SDG bell air works for a few people, some of the wtb ones are well liked and I personally like both the gobi (pretty narrow) and the sdg formula fx i-beam saddle.

Shotsaway

getonyourbike wrote:

I bought a Charge Spoon for my Fury but it really doesn't suit my butt

What do you mean by "doesn't suit my butt"?

cooldad

Shotsaway wrote:

getonyourbike wrote:

I bought a Charge Spoon for my Fury but it really doesn't suit my butt

What do you mean by "doesn't suit my butt"?

Excellent saddle so the only option is plastic surgery on your butt.

getonyourbike

it's uncomfortable on my sit bones. I don't know the course of this though, too wide, too narrow. I'm guessing the former. The rest of my undercarriage is fine. I'm going down to visit a good LBS saturday morning, so I'll try some out unless there's a way to make it comfortable, tilt... I tilted it the tiniest, tiniest bit nose down as the boys weren't happy but its always been uncomfortable on my sit bones since I've had it.

Hairylegs66

It's a personal thing - I preferred the Charge Spoon to the Fizik Gobi XM I replaced it with after Xmas; the Fizik makes my butt bones ache after a couple of hours whereas the Charge saddle took about 3 to 4 four hours to have the same effect. Learn from my mistake and try before you buy if you can.

getonyourbike

Mine becomes uncomofortable after less than 10 minutes, more like 5.

Shotsaway

When I first bought a spoon, I thought everybody was mad to recommend them, as it was so uncomfortable. However after a 100 or so miles, it softened up and it is now really comfortable (or maybe I just got used to it?).

getonyourbike

I've done over 800 miles on it and it's still the same

Anonymous

I've found shorts to be just as, if not more important than the saddle.

After going though a few cheap pairs I now have a pair of Specilized lycra shorts, the padding is quite thin, but works a treat.

hard-rider

How can you try saddles before you buy? Do the LBS's fit them to a bike (preferably your own)?

I'm looking for a saddle too but am in the dilemma of not wanting to waste money on a saddle that doesn't suit me. For me it's the bones under the perineum that start killing me. My sit bones can last a lot longer before they begin hurting.

DCR00

I use a Specialized Toupe Team

Two different widths

Pretty light and very comfortable

aaronmroach

Get down an LBS with the Speccy or Bonty ass-ometer it will tell you the width of your sit bones and then they will recomend you a saddle from either the speccy or bonty range, take a tape measure with you measure the wings and length then go online with the dimensions and match them to a saddle.

I recomend the fizik Antares or the selle italia Flite ti classic re release tho.

beelzebomb

Yup, totally agree - one man's perfect saddle is another man's razor blade. I've used SDG Bel Air's now for over 10 years & see no reason to ever change - in fact, they've got better in design & comfort as they've evolved.
Check out the RL range - middle ground in their price structure for Bel Airs.

dunker

another vote for the bel air rl. i found the spoon ok but don't like that the stitching goes across on top the saddle it's poor design imbo (in my butts opinion), i could feel it on longer rides.

getonyourbike

I'm going to a couple of shops tomorrow morning, I'll hopefully ride home with a comfy saddle. (and a lot more )

FSR_XC

aaronmroach wrote:

Get down an LBS with the Speccy or Bonty ass-ometer it will tell you the width of your sit bones and then they will recomend you a saddle from either the speccy or bonty range, take a tape measure with you measure the wings and length then go online with the dimensions and match them to a saddle.

I recomend the fizik Antares or the selle italia Flite ti classic re release tho.

+1

Monkeypump

Reluctant to recommend saddles as they're so linked to individual shape, but I love my spoon and really didn't get on with the SDG bel air it replaced.

Tenuous logic, but maybe the bel air will suit you - it seems quite popular.

getonyourbike

I should find something right for me as with the 2 places combined, they stock:
Selle Italia
Fizik
Brookes
SDG
Charge (not touching one of them again)
and WTB

BenWatson89

"Comfy" saddles generally are not the best. You tend to sink into the padding which means pressure in all the wrong places.

I tend to like either a Selle Italia SLR or a Specialized Phenom as they flex however +1 for going to try many saddles.

See if they have a 'Saddle Library' so you can borrow a saddle for a while whilst you try it out.

Good luck!

getonyourbike

BenWatson89 wrote:

"Comfy" saddles generally are not the best. You tend to sink into the padding which means pressure in all the wrong places.

When you say comfy, you mean that I'm talking about massive padded things with gel everywhere that people put on BSOs. A comfy saddle doesn't necessarily mean thats it s a huge padded thing. Is it good to be in discomfort after 5 minutes. We're talking about well regarded trail saddles, not the humungous things you see, marketed as comfortable. And yes, my butt has 'hardened up' after doing 17 miles a day for 2 months.

getonyourbike

The Fury is now sporting a Fizik Gobi saddle and I got some new gloves (Dakine Covert) while I was at the LBS. We'll see how this one goes. The guy in the shop said that bigger guys seem to prefer the spoon, while lighter ones like me (8 stone) prefer the Gobi.

BennyB

I use a specialized indie xc. Took me ages to find a saddle i liked but ive stuck with it on two bikes now.

getonyourbike

I've only done 5 miles on the gobi today and they were mainly out of the saddle as I had to be home, get changed and be somewhere else within 20 minutes (quite proud of that tbh). But it definitely seemed more comfortable and the flex adds another tiny element of suspension. I'll give it a proper test tomorrow as I'll be hitting the trails again for the first time in 3 weeks And then on monday, I'll see how it fairs on the commute.

getonyourbike

I've done a few more miles on it today and its far more comfortable than the spoon ever was.

diy

Its not just the seat, but the angle, height, position in relation to the pedals etc. Also good gel shorts make a difference.

Personally I would check that my sit bone is actually lining up on the seat properly and if not make adjustments, some times we end up too far forward or back. If that didn't work I would measure the sit bone (sit on a couple of bits of dowel or similar and adjust until lined up and then measure.

paulbox

aaronmroach wrote:

I recomend the fizik Antares or the selle italia Flite ti classic re release tho.

I have a Fizik Tundra on my Anthem and absolutley love it. Also have a much loved Flite ti on my GT but it is well past its best now.

father_jack

trying a saddle at lbs is pointless sure you get the initial does it fit ok, but need to be in saddle for a hour or more on a ride to get an idea if it's comfy. Also as it beds in it changes so new feeling is different to broken in (say brooks)