Specialized Toupe alternatives

shinsplint

Hi chaps, i've used a Toupe on both my bikes for a couple of years now, and think I need a change.

Whilst initially I found it a comfy saddle and ideal shape for me, over time it seems to be getting more uncomfortable on the sitbones. Up until my recent 4 week spell off the bike, my sitbone area was permanently bruised. On my first ride back out, it was uncomfortable from the off.

I have tried many bibshorts, some of which help, but im now thinking my saddle may be too harsh as there is little/no padding.

I've tried minor positioning adjustments too, but not much further on really.

Are there any similarly shaped, yet more forgiving saddles out there? I've tried the Selle Italia Max Gel Flow, which was worse for me.

Thanks for any help.

alan_sherman

I went for the lower spec, but more padded alias. Which Specialised have now stopped selling
So also interested in options for the same shape but more padding. The Romin was no good for me.

verloren

Try the Romin - same idea as the Toupe, but one notch more comfortable. I've ridden both and I'd agree with that assessment; it's not exactly luxurious, but if the Toupe is already pretty close for you then the Romin should be great.

shinsplint

Cheers guys, I tried a Romin once but I think it was the wrong size for me (130). Now looking out for a 143 version.

OutandAbout

I too ride a Toupe, only really on rides no longer than 2 hours. Now it may look weird the SMP Evolution, but I sat on one in an Endurance ride for 11 hours with absolutely no discomfort, and it is not heavily padded. It would be my choice for longer rides hands down.

northpole

I'm wondering if you may have damaged the Toupe - if it was initially comfortable, what could have changed to alter that? The Toupe can be a bit fragile and on one I owned a few years back I managed to snap one of the plastic/ carbon supports. It suddenly became uncomfortable and it wasn't at all obvious to me that it had been damaged.

If looking at the Romin, I read somewhere that the profile is more rounded than the Toupe such that, quite often, the next size up is likely to suit better. If you don't get the size and position just right with the Romin, it will be quite uncomfortable in my experience - worth persevering with though. Also note that the Romin comes in two variants - normal and Evo. The Evo has a narrower front section suited for a slightly more aggressive riding position. The Pro versions have oversized carbon rails and are considerably stiffer/ feel less compliant than the lesser titanium railed versions.

Peter

shinsplint

Thanks Peter,

I have a Toupe on both the summer and winter bikes, and I don't think they're damaged in any way. Will check them out though in case.

IShaggy

alan sherman wrote:

I went for the lower spec, but more padded alias. Which Specialised have now stopped selling
So also interested in options for the same shape but more padding. The Romin was no good for me.

They still sell Avatar, which is the gel version of the alias.

Omar Little

I had a toupe and found it reasonable in terms of comfort but when it came time to replace i decided to try a few demo saddles . Best of the lot was the romin evo which i now use.

The standard romin i found the nose section a bit big and was rubbing on my shorts a bit.