Saddle sizing
treforest
Posts: 2
Hi all,
My first post! I used to read Cycling Plus years ago and bikeradar is my go-to place for cycling advice.
I currently commute 12.5 miles each way, three times a week. I'm planning to do this all year round. The frequency may increase to four times a week. I also go out with CTC and am thinking about other (touring-oriented) clubs and doing audaxes.
I'm looking for an ergonomic saddle (currently riding non-ergonomic) as I'm worried about soft tissue damage long-term. Having read the review, the Specialized Romin SL looks good. I see they're not made any more, but I've found one in the US on eBay. My current saddle width is 125-130 (difficult to measure accurately?) and the Specialized I've found is a 143. Will it fit? My current saddle feels fine, except for discomfort in the gentleman's area.
I've looked at methods using foil / cardboard to measure sit bone width, but they don't seem all that scientific. I did try the foil-on-the-stairs thing but didn't feel confident about the results. I've looked for a place with a bum-o-meter, but haven't had much luck.
I'm thinking of spending quite a bit to make sure I secure the Romin, so I want to make sure it will be right.
Any advice appreciated. The Specialized auction ends in the small hours of Thursday morning.
My first post! I used to read Cycling Plus years ago and bikeradar is my go-to place for cycling advice.
I currently commute 12.5 miles each way, three times a week. I'm planning to do this all year round. The frequency may increase to four times a week. I also go out with CTC and am thinking about other (touring-oriented) clubs and doing audaxes.
I'm looking for an ergonomic saddle (currently riding non-ergonomic) as I'm worried about soft tissue damage long-term. Having read the review, the Specialized Romin SL looks good. I see they're not made any more, but I've found one in the US on eBay. My current saddle width is 125-130 (difficult to measure accurately?) and the Specialized I've found is a 143. Will it fit? My current saddle feels fine, except for discomfort in the gentleman's area.
I've looked at methods using foil / cardboard to measure sit bone width, but they don't seem all that scientific. I did try the foil-on-the-stairs thing but didn't feel confident about the results. I've looked for a place with a bum-o-meter, but haven't had much luck.
I'm thinking of spending quite a bit to make sure I secure the Romin, so I want to make sure it will be right.
Any advice appreciated. The Specialized auction ends in the small hours of Thursday morning.
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Comments
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Do the current range of Romins have the same shape/width as the SL? Might be worth taking a trial on one of those first. I would be wary of spending a lot of money on a saddle purely based on a review - the reviewer might be a very different shape to you.0
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As James Es states, it's impossible to know if a saddle would suit you based on a magazine review. After all do you know the anatomy of the reviewer and how that compares to your's.
I would be very wary of splashing your cash on a US auction on the basis of what a reviewer has said.
In the past I have tried several saddles that fared well in reviews from leading manufacturers (Fizik, Selle Italia, Specialized) and I'm still looking for that holy grail of the perfect saddle for me.
You have a couple of options to the auction you've targeted.
Find a Specialized Concept Store or Specialized main dealer. They give you a 30 day option to return a saddle if it's not suitable. Not sure if you get your money back or have to opt for a different design/model but at least you have some options if your first choice doesn't suit.
Second option is to start with a few of the lower priced saddles that seem to work for quite a few people - Charge Spoon, Madison Prime, RSP Pro Race. At lewast your initial outlay is low and you can always sell on or swap.0
