Does the quality of your saddle really matter?

cycladianpirate

I only ask because, riding the exact same course twice (a rather pathetic 40km - no doubt a "trip to the shops" for some on this forum), I found that while 'having a go' I had no trouble with the 'rear end' yet suffered badly when tootling along.

My guess is that when you push down hard on the pedals you, necessarily, lift yourself out of the seat and, consequently, exert less pressure.

No doubt for the Giants that are happily doing 300km before breakfast a decent saddle is paramount but for beginners is it a big deal?

Paul E

Yes yes and yes, I very recently changed from a spesh alias 143 to a spesh romin 130 after a bg saddle fit showed the 143 was too wide for me.

The difference is like night and day, the romin even though I am still bedding into it felt like it wasn't there this morning on my usual 12 mile commute even though it's less padded than the alias.

It's transformed how I feel about the bike in fact I can't wait for the ride home in about an hour

danowat

If what you are using suits you, then there is no need for a "quality" saddle.

I've only ever used the saddles that come supplied with my bikes (Specialized BG on my Allez, and San Marco Ponza Power on my Kuota), and I've never felt the need to change them.

I've done nearly 130 miles on the Allez in one go, no problems with the saddle, and today did my first 50 miles on the Kuota, again, no problem.

Maybe some people are more sensitive than others, but "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

acidstrato

the more you ride, the more it hurts...simplez

but quality of a saddle isn't rated by how expensive it is. find one thats comfy for you and stick with it

alistaird

It all depends on you... I'm currently going through a few different ones to test them and see how my 'assets' feel after longer rides!

If it's not comfortable when your just spinning and you're happy with your shorts (another big topic of discussion) then I suggest you do try some different saddles....

Valy

acidstrato wrote:

the more you ride, the more it hurts...simplez

but quality of a saddle isn't rated by how expensive it is. find one thats comfy for you and stick with it

Not necessarily in my experience. Sometimes the saddle hurts during short rides, when I can do 4 hours on the same one without trouble.

______________________________

I found it the other way around - it can hurt when I put the power down and be fine when I'm just going along.I got a Charge Spoon to try out over my Specialized Rival from the Allez as stock. The saddle that came stock on my 2010 hardrock was fine and I never had a problem with it after the initial aches and pains and getting it set up to my liking.

So yeah - a comfy saddle is quite central to cycling as it's much better to not be fidgeting about all the time due to pain.

JackPozzi

I would say that finding the right saddle for you is the most important thing about cycling, it's your primary contact point with the bike and frankly if it's not comfortable, riding is going to be a thoroughly miserable experience. Having said that, on most of my road bikes I've found the saddles they came with to be ok, it's only on the TT bike and the extreme position that brings that I've worked my way through 7 different varieties in the pursuit of comfort...

navrig

Does the comfort of your saddle really matter?

Fixed it for you.

Answer - yes.

Bar Shaker

I have found that shorts with a quality chamois are more important than the saddle.

If I wear one of my best shorts I can ride all day with no aches. If I wear my budget shorts, I am uncomfortable after less than an hour.

rogerthecat

Yes!

Hoopdriver

Absolutely saddles matter. The thing is, nobody can tell you what saddle is best. They are absolutely personal. what works beautifully for one person may be nightmarish for another. And so asking a forum, or anybody for recommendations is just wasted breath or time. ONly you will be able to tell which one works best. But when you find it you will realize - and very quickly - that yes, the right saddle matters a great deal.

Good luck!

rogerthecat

Some LBS have saddles you can try, I have seen orange or purple Fiziks Saddles available, you will know almost immediately if a saddle is right for you.

father_jack

yup doing 16 mile ride on horrible saddle was torture. Swapped over with Brooks and wow.

Mister W

Quality is irrelevant. Comfort is what matters. My saddle is at the lower end of cheap and nasty but I find it very comfortable.

tarbot18

hi father jack im thinking of getting a brooks team pro seen them on ebay for £99 and looks amazing are they really comfy once worn in etc

giant_man

tarbot18 wrote:

hi father jack im thinking of getting a brooks team pro seen them on ebay for £99 and looks amazing are they really comfy once worn in etc

Maybe for you, of course the right saddle is important ....

morrisje

I find under-carriage comfort also depands on your pedaling style.
High cadence pedalling makes things very uncomforatble for me. I guess it's because most of my weight is on the saddle all the time. If I use a bigger gear then more weight is on the pedals and my sit bones don't ache as much.