Advice on saddles..

James Q

I know saddles are a personal choice, but I would like a new saddle as I find mine gets uncomfortable after ab out 20 miles. What should I look for in a good saddle? Any recommendations please? budget less then £100 would be great.

Cleat Eastwood

I like the specialized toupe. It looks thin and unforgiving but its the most comfy one i've had - theyve brought out a toupe pro but i dont think any saddles worth 100 squid.

doug5_10

An entirely personal choice, not the easiest thing to buy online as well. I fluked a good fit with my Selle Italia Max Flite Genuine Gel. Saddle swap shop on here is good if you plump for something and get it slightly wrong. If you suffer from pressure problems, a cut out saddle is a good idea.

Nik Cube

Selle Italia turbo - a saddle made for a king

Of course saddles are very personally but I do like a simple answer

Gizmodo

I've been looking for "the" saddle for over 18 months now and I still can't find one that is comfortable over 60 miles. I've tried loads.

Specialised saddles review well in Cycling+ mag, see this review
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... t-12-46355

From Specialised Concept Store web site:

30-DAY SADDLE SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

Specialized offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee* on Body Geometry Saddles to help you reach the ultimate fit.

A big concern for any rider, novice or seasoned veteran, is the comfort on the saddle and to help you decide on the best saddle for you, Specialized wants to give you the opportunity to do so with complete confidence.

*Terms and conditions apply - Find Out More

Sprool

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

I like the specialized toupe. It looks thin and unforgiving but its the most comfy one i've had - theyve brought out a toupe pro but i dont think any saddles worth 100 squid.

^ This.

simon_masterson

Another Charge Spoon user here. I'd never rush to recommend it regardless of price because I bought it on account of how cheap it was, but it is a good saddle that has served me really well.

JayKosta

2 important dimensions of the saddle are:
Its width - measured across the rear section where your 'sit bones' contact the saddle - too little width only gives support in a narrow section in the center of your butt.
The curvature of the width portion so that your weight is really supported by the sit bones - too much curve causes your weight to be supported between the sit bones (which gets uncomfortable).
Find a chair upon which you leave a 'butt print' in the cushion when you stand - measure the distance between the 'dents' and you'll have a better idea of the width of your sit bones. Then look for saddles that would provide support for your dent size.

Don't worry if the saddle that would be comfortable doesn't look like a sleek 'racing saddle'. And don't worry if the saddle is a little heavy - the comfort is worth it.

In my case, I have 3 bikes - 2 have (wide, heavy, comfortable) Brooks B72 saddles.
My performance-bike has a Stella Italia Turbo - and I'm now thinking about replacing the Turbo with something a little wider, but hopefully not as heavy as a B72.

It is also true that if you get stronger as a rider, you'll put less body weight on the seat (and more on the pedals), so a saddle can become more acceptable.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

philvantwo

I bought a brooks swift in honey, maybe a bit heavy but dead comfortable and oh those big copper rivets. Made in birmingham and it will hopefully last forever.

keef66

I never got on with the saddle the bike came with, it seemed to be supporting my entire weight on two tiny spots. Tried a Charge Spoon, partly because of reputation, partly because of tight-fistedness, and found it a big improvement up to say 40 miles. Wanting to be comfortable on all-day rides like I used to be in my youth, I though I'd try the saddle I used to ride then, a Brooks. Went for a B17 Special in honey. Tis a thing of beauty with it's shiny copper rails and hand beaten rivets. Looks a little incongruous on a lightweight road bike, and it weighs about a pound, but it has been incredibly comfortable from day one. I rarely even think about posterior comfort even when I'm cycling for the whole day.

James Q

Cheers guys, I reckon I will try a Charge spoon saddle out, for that money cant go to far wrong, plus my wife really needs a new saddle so will get her one to (but in red, her favourite colour lol)

amaferanga

Charge Knife might suit you better. Similar shape, bit less padding, lighter and (not so important) looks better on a road bike. I never really got on with the Spoon, but I've been using a Knife for years now. They cost a bit more mind, but have a look in the classifieds here as someone is selling an as new one for not much more than a Spoon

simon_masterson

Interesting to read that. Is the stitching on the Knife any better than the Spoon? I've experienced a bit of chafing from that from time to time, and I know I'm not the only one...

amaferanga

I've not had any stitching issues with the Knife or Spoon.

simon_masterson

Good. How much different are they? The marketing blurb seems to make out that the Knife is just a lighter version...

zoltansocrates

Tioga spyder looks mental but v comfy

keef66

The oddly placed stitching on the Spoon never really bothered my @rse, but it was starting to bobble my shorts / tights.

giant_man

+1 - exactly my problem with it too. That and the fact that the thing wasn't very comfortable for me. Cheap yes but effective no.

Ed_tron

I've been unhappy with my stock saddle on my Cannondale Supersix 2012. Back in the day I had a cut-out saddle, on my mtb and it was great. But I am having circulation problems with my stock saddle and Im beginning to wonder if its because there is no cut out? On the turbo my soldier goes numb after about 30 mins. That cant be good?!

houndlegs

Does anyone know if tryasaddle are still going? They had a good thing going,where you could rent saddles to try them. But their website is still the same as it always was,despite supposed to be going live in Feb.
I emailed them a while back but never had a reply.
Shame if it didn't work out,was a good idea.

paul1275s

I use a spoon on my MTB, tried it on the Road Bike, good comfort but did have chafing on the lycra...

the_cyclist_of_catan

keef66 wrote:

I never got on with the saddle the bike came with, it seemed to be supporting my entire weight on two tiny spots.

Same here; it was a lightweight (and pricy) Fizik Arione. The pain was incredible.

keef66 wrote:

Tried a Charge Spoon, partly because of reputation, partly because of tight-fistedness, and found it a big improvement up to say 40 miles.

Same here; 40-60 miles were OK, but the longer I went, the worse it got.

keef66 wrote:

Wanting to be comfortable on all-day rides like I used to be in my youth, I though I'd try the saddle I used to ride then, a Brooks. Went for a B17 Special in honey. Tis a thing of beauty with it's shiny copper rails and hand beaten rivets. Looks a little incongruous on a lightweight road bike, and it weighs about a pound, but it has been incredibly comfortable from day one.

Same here; except mine's black. It's still not like sitting in an armchair, but at the end of a day's riding things like arms, back and especially the legs hurt far more than the backside.

Paulj700

Over the years I've replaced several saddles on differing types of bike. Specialized have yet to let me down.

Toupe and Romin saddles are excelent imho.

marcusww

I bought a spoon based on the hype and it is comfortable on the sit bones but I find the width between thighs too wide and rubs. The best saddle I have is the Specialized Avatar.

lotus49

Ed_tron wrote:

I've been unhappy with my stock saddle on my Cannondale Supersix 2012. Back in the day I had a cut-out saddle, on my mtb and it was great. But I am having circulation problems with my stock saddle and Im beginning to wonder if its because there is no cut out? On the turbo my soldier goes numb after about 30 mins. That cant be good?!

Indeed not. There was another thread here a couple of weeks ago from a chap who ended up with erectile dysfunction as a result of too much pressure in the wrong place :shock:.

Sprool

I have to assume TryASaddle is no longer operating, pity as it was a great idea, I got a sell gel flow from them which didnt work out for me, then sent a load of emails asking for any other cut-out groove saddles were available, but never got any reply. Got a Specialized Phenom test saddle loaned to me by a kindly local bike shop but that was too flexible for my butt weight. Finally took a punt on a Toupe team spec off ebay, 2nd hand and its been marvellous once I got the tilt angle just right.
You can tell on turbo or rollers within 20 mins if a saddle's going to work out for you. The Toupe is the only one so far I've managed a comfortable 50 mins on with no need to stand or adjust position.