Womens saddles

joannesmith2818

Hi all,
I have been riding for a month or so, and am really enjoying it. However there is one thing bugging me. I often get sore in my lady bits (sorry guys). This happens even on short 30 minute rides. Now I bought myself some good bib shorts and do not wear underwear. I have had my bike seat height etc fitted properly. Now I feel my only option is to replace the cruddy seat the bike came with. I have a Carrera zelos and it came with a pretty generic looking seat. Now I have been looking at some of the women’s saddles, and to my delight they seem to have convenient holes which I am assuming will relieve the pressure down there.
So my question, which saddle would you ladies recommend? I have heard the Specialised ruby saddle is good but it’s like 1/3 of the price of my bike. I have also looked at much cheaper ones but would just like to hear what others find comfortable. I know it can be a case of trial and error, but I dont have enough money to make too many errors!!
Thanks for you help in advance!

stannie

That is a difficult one. Saddles are always very individual.
I like Selle Italia Lady saddle, but NOT Selle Italia Diva Gel although they look very similar.
The Specialized Ruby is OK too. I used to have a Fizik Vitesse which was very comfy. Then they changed the design and the new one was not good.
In reality you just have to try a few and work out which one is best for you. But a specialist ladies saddle is definitely better than a generic men's one.

joannesmith2818

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sel ... 6#features

I thought this one looked reasonable in price! Is this the one mean?

stannie

No - sorry.
More like this one
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sel ... e-ec051724

But as I said it might be OK for you. We are all different.

47p2

I have one of these Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow Small Saddles in my parts box for sale if you're interested. PM me for more info if you wish
It's in great condition, came on a track bike I bought last year but is unsuitable for my bottom

The one on the right in the image below

SFT

Your lbs should have a number of test saddles you can try out. Also, try a saddle fit, Selle Italian stockists will do this. Also, do you use chamois cream? If you don't, try it.

stannie

A LBS stocking ladies test saddles? really? I would like to see that!

joannesmith2818

Hi, thankyou for all of the replies.

^ I have been to sooo many bike shops and non had more than 1 saddle to try....normally none. I went to a shop which had the biggest selection of saddles I could find.....tones of men's saddles and just 2 for women. Luckily the saddle they had was of a reasonable price and happened to fit my ass. I am finding it soooo much better. I honestly thought the whole women's saddle thing was a gimmick to make more money, but it really isn't. Also it is black....not pink...another bonus for women's gear.

And I haven't heard of this chamois cream, so I will look it up . Thanks all!

Baby Trek

I have been through three different brands of cycling shorts and four saddles to find the right one! I am afraid that price does not necessarily come into it either...sometimes what you pay DOES make a difference.
In the end I have found the Altura Synergy Pro shorts pad and Selle Italia gel diva saddle (as used by Laura Trott!) to work for me.
Do you have a local bike shop because sometimes they will lend you a saddle to try for a week???

Green_Medic

It's a very personal thing.. my commuter bike has a Specialized saddle on which works a treat, came with the bike. Though I have bought a new bike recently and the saddle that came with it is awful (for me). So I went to my LBS and they have a Selle Italia fitting system, they then gives you various saddle options at various prices, that should suit you. Selle Italia also have a 30 day money back guarantee which is rather handy, so you can test and return if it's not good.

I think ebay might be a good place to start, mainly due to the amount of people who have saddles that they don't like... but could be prefect for someone else!

cyclingsaddles

Hi girls!! I agree that each woman has to find her own saddle, there is not one saddle that is good for all of us! However, I can tell you what saddle is the best for me: http://www.fizik.it/saddles/women-saddles/women-vesta/. Maybe you want to try it!

Frannybobs

I've read somewhere that you should measure the width of your sit bones as it's those you should be sitting on - not further back or forward. I'm quite lucky that I seem to adapt to saddles pretty well and have never had to replace a saddle - probably all the natural extra padding I have!!

Dandelionclock30

I use a Specialized Riva saddle on both my mountain bike and my road bike.They cost £25.00 each and I think its a great saddle, I've no complaints.

mrushton

saddles are basically 2 sorts. Shell like the ones mentioned above where a plastic or composite shell has a leather/plastic cover over a foam/gel padding and frame type eg Brooks where a piece of leather is stretched over a metal frame. Both have their fans. We have the Selle Anatomica Titanico on 5 bikes. The advantage of this saddle is its cutout to relieve pressure and the saddle moves with you

Lolly

Hi. I've recently bought a VP Initial bike, and the saddle on it was like a torture instrument! I have bought a Selle Italia Diva Gel saddle, and its not too bad, I have a little "issue" but i'm not sure if that's down to not having found a comfy position yet!

paul_sw

My daughter has been road cycling with me for a year or so, and been using my spare bike (luckily she's the same height as me at the moment). She's starting to increase her distances and now my saddle is causing problems. I'm on the look out for a women's saddle for her and wondered if anyone has one for sale so she can start her search for her ideal saddle....

Cyclum

I have a Fizik and it does me well. Although when it arrived I was disappointed to find that it looked almost identical to my old, uncomfortable one. It seems appearances mean nothing - it's a completely different ride!

I also recall reading that large padded saddles aren't necessarily the best option - "the bigger the saddle, the more surface area there is to rub".

Good luck.