Saddle too wide/ narrow?

samsbike

Other than the specialized/ foil on a bum fit system how can you tell if the saddle is too wide or thin?

Thanks

Dandelionclock30

How do you think?
You have to ask someone does my bum look big on this?

imposter2.0

samsbike wrote:

Other than the specialized/ foil on a bum fit system how can you tell if the saddle is too wide or thin?

Thanks

Usually by sitting on it and riding.

marcusjb

Dandelionclock30 wrote:

How do you think?
You have to ask someone does my bum look big on this?

Whilst this is a flippant answer, it's not far from the truth.

Whilst waist size isn't the perfect indicator of sit bone width - it's a start.

You can measure the sit bones by sitting on something like tin foil on a carpeted step - it should leave two indentations for you to measure.

ForumNewbie

I am finding my saddles uncomfortable on my bikes at present. I have just bought a Charge Scoop saddle for my road bike as it gets great reviews, but first few rides have still been uncomfortable. I probably need to play about with the saddle angle and get the height just right.

I think I'm right in thinking that for a road bike, when you are in a more aero position, you should generally have a narrower saddle, whereas a hybrid which is more 'sit up and beg' requires a wider saddle?

norvernrob

My sit bones are just over 100mm, and the 132mm wide Syncros saddle on my Scott was too narrow. I could feel my sit bones weren't on it properly and got pain and numbness in the perineum. I changed the saddle to a 142mm Fizik Antares and the pain has gone.

I have seen guides that say a 25-30mm wider saddle than your sit bones should be fine, but in my case it wasn't.

crankycrank

From what I have seen all the current theories about proper saddle width are hit and miss at best. They work for some but I think trial and error is unfortunately often still the best way to find what works for you. Width is only part of the equation, shape is very important as well. With well over 300 "popular" saddles out there, anyone starting the search for a comfortable saddle has my sympathy.

kajjal

Where the pain is gives you a guide. For me it was the soft tissue in the middle after about an hour. Measured myself and found I needed a wider saddle. Due to where the pain was got one with a cut out as well. Now ride for hours fine on a Specialized Avatar saddle.

ai_1

crankycrank wrote:

From what I have seen all the current theories about proper saddle width are hit and miss at best. They work for some but I think trial and error is unfortunately often still the best way to find what works for you. Width is only part of the equation, shape is very important as well. With well over 300 "popular" saddles out there, anyone starting the search for a comfortable saddle has my sympathy.

I agree. A saddle with a high price or lots of good reviews isn't necessarily going to be comfortable unless it also suits you. You can learn a little from reviews but you can't find out if you're actually going to be comfortable. First get the saddle height right (if you're too high it can make any saddle uncomfortable) then try and get hold of a variety of saddles to test. If you get sit-bone pain it may be fairly straightforward and just a case of finding a saddle that locates and angles the sit-bone pads correctly for you. If you're having soft tissue pain and/or numbness it can be a bit trickier and i'd recommend trying some cut-out designs and also try and get your hands on an Adamo ISM saddle like the Breakaway for a couple of weeks. These feel odd and uncomfortable for the first couple of rides but when you get used to them they can be extremely comfortable.

secretsam

+1 to all the advice about getting fitted - I've got a fat arse and so a bike fit and recommendation to get a wider saddle was most welcome

If you want the ultimate, that new rubber Brooks saddle has good reviews, although it's a bit...odd