How long should it take to break a saddle in?

hard-rider

I recently bought a Charge Spoon saddle to replace the Scott saddle that came on my Scott Scale MTB. I've done around 300kms on it now but still cannot get 100% comfortable on it. It feels hard and it seems to be applying pressure around my perineum area. I bought the Spoon based on the good reviews it gets and it's cheap so if it doesn't work out it isn't a big loss. I read that a saddle should be given time to break in but wondered how long that should take. Should 300kms of riding enough to break it in?

For those that didn't get on with the Spoon what saddle did you finally find comfortable?

IBISMojoHDamon

Have you tried tilting it slightly first?

EyesintheSky

I'd of thought 300km would be fine! Although as IBIS said, have you tried just moving it around?

cooldad

Unless they are good old solid leather things, they don't really need 'breaking in'. Fiddle with position and if no joy sell it. I'll offer you a tenner as it's old and has had your obvious on it (as long as it's not white).t

hard-rider

TBH I haven't really played around with it that much apart from adjusting the forward / back position on the rails and up or down a notch from level but that was soon after installing the saddle. The saddle is level at the moment, well the nose is level, the back part flares upwards. I should and will try titling it again but wanted to be sure the discomfort wasn't because of it still requiring a break in.

CourtHMP

This may sound odd, but in my experience, it's as much about breaking your arse in, as it is about breaking the saddle in. It takes time for your bum to get used to a new saddle. I use a Fikik Gobi saddle, but I had to borrow a friend's bike for a couple of weeks recently, when mine was in the bike shop. He has a, wider (and well-broken in) WTB saddle, but it still took me a couple of weeks before I started to feel comfortable on that.

.blitz

Must admit I find Spoons very comfortable & unobtrusive when new, although they don't last too long and tend to sag with wear. I still like them but if you're looking for something similar only better try a Prologo Vertigo Max.

Thewaylander

Suffering this same issue on this saddle, feels like sitting ona lump of rock

Have been fiddling with it and got it slightly better so i'm hopeful i may tune ti "just right" but on the whole am hating it pasionately.

hard-rider

.blitz wrote:

Must admit I find Spoons very comfortable & unobtrusive when new, although they don't last too long and tend to sag with wear. I still like them but if you're looking for something similar only better try a Prologo Vertigo Max.

I can't quite describe what it is but if I sit further back on the saddle I feel too much pressure on my sit bones. If I sit slightly forward then too much pressure on the perineum. I'll look at the Vertigo Max but if it's similar to the Spoon then will probably have the same issue with it.

dry664

Get a few old used ones off ebay that are different shapes to try. I did the second and was amazed to find that the best saddle for my overdeveloped sitbones was a Fizik Aliante. When you find what you are after just sell them all and get yourself a shiny new version of the one that fits best.

mrmonkfinger

Have to agree with the "do the rounds of ebay seconds until you find a nice shape" approach.

I ended up using some Felt mega-light road saddle I bought for a tenner from a bargain bin for ages and ages and ages until it collapsed under the weight of my fat arse. Awesomely comfortable despite being tiny. And a £5 Selle Italian don't-know-the-name until that did the same. Tried some funky Scott & Specialized saddles, not a chance. Currently using an £8 Funn camoflage thingummy - we'll see how that goes.

Having said all that I have had a Brooks leather job on my road bike (complete with waxed moustache and the phrase "tally ho") for yonks, and wouldn't swap it for anything else, although I wouldn't touch a leather saddle on a MTB.

IBISMojoHDamon

CourtHMP wrote:

it's as much about breaking your ars* in, as it is about breaking the saddle in. It takes time for your bum to get used to a new saddle. I use a Fizik Gobi saddle,

+1

I agree with all of the above... If you were to go run a half marathon, you would ache in places that you didn't know existed, If you were to do an aerobics class, you would be in pain for days... I would play with the positioning of the saddle before you start spending more money on stuff that you may have the same issues with.

The next point is the Fizik Gobi saddle, these are expensive as saddles go but are truly one of the most comfortable saddles you can get, for some, a bit like the Spoon, but the good thing about Fizik is that they do a demo saddle option, you can try it out for a period of time, say 30 days and decide if it's the right saddle for you..

Also, Bontrager do a bum measuring device that selects you one of 3 or 4 colours which decides the width of the saddle right for the width of your butt!... They then do a 30 day unconditional comfort guarantee so if you don't get on with it, you just take it back and it costs you nothing... Saddles start at £40 and go up to around £80 depending on saddle rail (Steel / Titanium) etc..

prawny

Has your LBS got a saddle library? There's a couple by me with one but I don't know what things are like in the algarve.
You can try a dew different ones and then buy one that fits your @rse.

Although, the spoon was a revalation for me when I first sat on it. I bought one to get me home from work when I was doing a 40 mile round trip and my new brooks was killing me. I never took it off and the brooks went on here

.blitz

mrmonkfinger wrote:

Currently using an £8 Funn camoflage thingummy

have got one of those meself they're alright eh

hard-rider

Unfortunately, it's pretty limiting here with regards to LBS saddle choice and test saddles. My nearest LBS only has test saddles for Specialized saddles and at close to €200 I'll pass on those (I know I could pretend it was no good and order a little cheaper on line but I don't like to do that to small businesses - don't mind if it a large retail chain). My other choice of LBS has Fizik but no Gobi test saddles unfortunately. I'll look further a field to see what else is available to try. In the meantime I'll play with the saddle adjustment.

I appreciate that you need to condition your rear end to the saddle but for the last six weeks I've been riding 3 times a week for 20-30kms per ride so would hope my bum is conditioned by now. The strange thing is that on some rides the saddle feels great and I don't notice it then on some rides it may irritate me from the word go and I end up in discomfort and not enjoying the ride.

IBISMojoHDamon

Stupid question maybe, but are you wearing padded cycle shorts with no underwear under them?...

EyesintheSky

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

Stupid question maybe, but are you wearing padded cycle shorts with no underwear under them?...

You're supposed to wear underwear?

1mancity2

EyesintheSky wrote:

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

Stupid question maybe, but are you wearing padded cycle shorts with no underwear under them?...

You're supposed to wear underwear?

Nope the under shorts are your grundies.

njee20

No.

My nearest LBS only has test saddles for Specialized saddles and at close to €200 I'll pass on those

Shouldn't be that expensive, c£50+ over here, not super cheap, but not €200 either. I used to use Phenom SLs and liked them, use Toupes on my road bikes. MTB has a Bontrager Evoke RXL Carbon, which is actually really comfy, but they're about £120.

hard-rider

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

Stupid question maybe, but are you wearing padded cycle shorts with no underwear under them?...

Yes, that is nothing under the padded shorts.

njee20 wrote:

No.

My nearest LBS only has test saddles for Specialized saddles and at close to €200 I'll pass on those

Shouldn't be that expensive, c£50+ over here, not super cheap, but not €200 either. I used to use Phenom SLs and liked them, use Toupes on my road bikes. MTB has a Bontrager Evoke RXL Carbon, which is actually really comfy, but they're about £120.

There is a shop around 80kms away that sells Bontrager stuff so will give them a call and see if they have any test saddles.

EyesintheSky

1mancity2 wrote:

EyesintheSky wrote:

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

Stupid question maybe, but are you wearing padded cycle shorts with no underwear under them?...

You're supposed to wear underwear?

Nope the under shorts are your grundies.

Ahh, makes sense now, you learn something new everyday eh 8)

IBISMojoHDamon

EyesintheSky wrote:

1mancity2 wrote:

EyesintheSky wrote:

IBISMojoHDamon wrote:

Stupid question maybe, but are you wearing padded cycle shorts with no underwear under them?...

You're supposed to wear underwear?

Nope the under shorts are your grundies.

Ahh, makes sense now, you learn something new everyday eh 8)

The Cycle shorts with padding won't work as well as they should with a layer of underwear between you and them... The seams on your undercrackers will rub and hold the sweat / dampness in... which will make it very uncomfortable...

snotty badger

Doesn't really help but I've found my Charge Spoon comfy from day one, to the point I don't wear padded shorts anymore!

YeehaaMcgee

cooldad wrote:

Unless they are good old solid leather things, they don't really need 'breaking in'. Fiddle with position and if no joy sell it. I'll offer you a tenner as it's old and has had your obvious on it (as long as it's not white).t

+ Potato.
Might be that your saddle is just the wrong shape for your undercarriage.