Can anyone suggest a good comfortable saddle for women?

KHodge
KHodge Posts: 27
edited September 2013 in Women's cycling forum
I lost my old one (stolen bike) and it was never quite as comfortable as it should have been anyway. What does anyone find works well and doesn't...ahem...rub?

Comments

  • Ka12
    Ka12 Posts: 216
    I use a Selle Italia Lady Diva Gel Flow, I know it is a popular saddle and it works for me but it might not suit for everyone.

    Some brands like Specialized have certain stores which offer a 30 day money back guarantee so that you can test out the saddles. Some bike shops also have test saddles, I borrowed a Selle Italia one before buying mine.
  • Dandelionclock30
    Dandelionclock30 Posts: 306
    Specialized Riva I find very comfortable ,I have one on each of my bikes, they cost £24.00 and are available from all the Specialized Stores and places like the Edinburgh Bike Company.
    Also they come in 3 different widths and you can sit on a special cushion that measures your sit bones
  • hjghg5
    hjghg5 Posts: 97
    I also like the selle italia ones. I can never remember which is which but I started with the more chunky one and now use the lighter one.
  • jezzpalmer
    jezzpalmer Posts: 389
    Ka12 wrote:
    I use a Selle Italia Lady Diva Gel Flow

    My wife has just moved away from one of these ^ to a Selle SMP saddle, she's tried about 5 different saddles in the search comfort she only bought a cheap one (TRK) to see if the SMP shape was any good for her, but liked it so much she bought another for her other bike.
    It's quite heavy, but she's not bothered by that; lighter ones are avail but the price gets tasty.

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=23428

    I've ridden with it and I find it horrendous.
  • chezzacad
    chezzacad Posts: 16
    Find a good cycle shop and get measured everybodies sit bones are different and you will find the best saddle for you there. Also consider whether you bike it set up properly. I bought a bike off the peg so to speak a year ago and now since I've progressed and doing the miles 150+ a week I'm finding the bike uncomfortable. Its a womens specific bike. You can see where I actually sit on the saddle because I've rubbed off some of the colouring! :D
  • maringirl
    maringirl Posts: 195
    +1 for Selle Italia Lady Gelflow
  • stannie
    stannie Posts: 167
    maringirl wrote:
    +1 for Selle Italia Lady Gelflow
    It just goes to show everyone is different. I had one of these and found it very uncomfy. I am trying a Fizik Arione Donna at the moment which is much better, but still not great.
    ....................................................................................................
    Waterford RS-14
    Trek Domane SL6
    Ridley Noah SL

    A woman can never have too many bikes!
  • marylogic
    marylogic Posts: 355
    I have a Fizik CP Vitesse. It was good for a 200K audax last week (combined with padded pants and padded shorts) but I know everyone's different so it may be a case of trial and error. It's certainly lasted well anyway, I got it about 7 years ago.
  • Alitogata
    Alitogata Posts: 148
    I ride a Soma Kamisori, without using padded shorts or leggings on audax 200K and I'm totally satisfied ..( I prefer not so soft of padded saddles ). But I'm short and with rather narrow sit bones. If you want to find the right saddle for you, you have to measure how wide are your sit bones and buy the saddle of the right width for your anatomy.
  • TooOldForThis
    TooOldForThis Posts: 22
    After getting a 3rd degree tear giving birth to our son my wife found it impossible to ride for more than 30 minutes on the standard saddle on her boardman.

    We took a gamble on a Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow and now she wounders how she'd ever managed without it. After a few hours in the saddle she's still happy to go out again the next day.

    She always uses padded shorts.
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    Alitogata wrote:
    . But I'm short and with rather narrow sit bones. If you want to find the right saddle for you, you have to measure how wide are your sit bones and buy the saddle of the right width for your anatomy.

    The owner (a woman) of Rivet saddles might argue with this theory

    http://rivetcycleworks.com/which-saddle ... ht-for-me/
    M.Rushton
  • Velonutter
    Velonutter Posts: 2,437
    Both my daughter and wife swear by the Charge Ladle, hard wearing and dead comfortable.
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Velonutter wrote:
    Both my daughter and wife swear by the Charge Ladle, hard wearing and dead comfortable.

    +1, that's what Mrs. C has found to be the most comfortable. She's tried a lot, I know, I bought them ! :roll: :lol:
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • turbo_hamster
    turbo_hamster Posts: 122
    I am not knocking women's saddles by any means. However, I swapped saddles with my chap, as I was fed up with him whinging on and on about the Specialized Toupe Gel saddle that came with his bike. He got the Terry Liberator girl's saddle off my bike and a lot of the whinging stopped.

    It took me about 150 miles to get used to the Toupe Gel. It is almost unpadded, tiny, looks and feels hard as a board. And yet, once my buttocks got used to it, it became un-noticable. I have been using it for about 5 years, have done a training week in Majorca, done long rides over 80 miles and whilst I get sore eventually, it is a pretty good saddle for me.

    Saddles are incredibly difficult to choose. I would never have chosen the Toupe Gel for myself. If someone had loaned me one, I would have returned it after 50 miles, convinced it would never work for me.

    I would suggest that even a strong experienced cyclist might benefit from several short rides on a new saddle, rather than condemning one after one long, painful ride.
  • The Real Gromit
    The Real Gromit Posts: 19
    The womens equivalent of the toupe is pretty comfy as well- I think it's called the Ruby (although confusingly it isn't the one I got as standard on my Spesh Ruby bike). I did the marmotte on that last year and didn't have any problems. I have since swapped to a Selle Italia Gel Flow Diva. It's a bit heavier but is sooooo comfy!
  • carrock
    carrock Posts: 1,103
    My wife has a ruby. The saddle on that is the Lithia which is a comfy saddle. The ruby is a race saddle. There is another saddle called a jett which is halfway between the 2.
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    I'm a Selle SMP fan. I use the Dynamic on my road bike and the TRK on my commute/hack bike. I would agree about the price too. The cost of the Dynamic was a shocker but it's so comfortable I just swallowed and paid up.

    If it's possible to borrow saddles to try out that would be the cheapest way to go, otherwise buying and selling is the only other option :)
  • jaxf
    jaxf Posts: 109
    Both Cycling Plus and Women's Cycling have just done women's saddle reviews. (it's like buses, you wait a few years for a review, and then 2 come along in the same month)
    WC says best for comfort is Specialized Lithia Comp Gel £50.
    CP says Specialized Body Geometry Riva £25.

    I couldn't wait for a review, so bought a couple of Fizik Vestas at £90 per, and they are great.

    Most LBSs will let you take a saddle for a bit to see if it suits you.
  • proto
    proto Posts: 1,483
    My daughter has been using a Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow for a couple of years, thought it okay but not great. Female racer friend suggested she tries a man's saddle - Specialized Toupe 143. She was very dubious as previously she'd tried a Specialized Jet 130, but turns out it's the best saddle she's used. Quite a few of the women racers I know use them. Etape, Dragon Ride, no problem
  • Levi_501
    Levi_501 Posts: 1,105
    Wifey has the WTB Deva

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