How many saddles have you tried?
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greasedscotsman wrote:
Haha, that's given me a good laugh- glad to see the issue runs right to the top!0 -
Can't click on that link.0
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Lets face it, about 200km they all get a bit uncomfortable but the best I've ridden lately was a 1980s Rolls. Don't know why I didn't buy one back in the day.
I think I too have an industry standard arse though.BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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I have tried 6.0
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Alu bike came with some kind of Selle Italia thing but that was too narrow and too rounded for my undercarriage. Proper @rse-hatchet.
Tried a Spoon which was wider / flatter / better, but after 40 miles was still a bit tender on the sitbones. Oh, and the stitching was eating my shorts.
Then I tried a Brooks B17 Special. It weighs a ton but it looks lovely, and I can sit on that all day and my sitbones don't complain.
Pleased with my purchase, but appalled by the rocketing prices, I tried a racier looking leather saddle from Spa Cycles for the carbon bike. It's a Chinese copy of a Brooks Swallow, seriously thick leather, but similarly comfortable for long rides.
However, I don't know if my nether regions are changing shape as I age but I now occasionally get some discomfort when peeing after a long ride. Which suggests I'm putting too much pressure in the wrong place, and I'm going to have to start exploring the world of cutout saddles. I'm strangely attracted to the Specialized Power, but they don't seem to be selling the budget version here so it's an £80 gamble to give one a go.
I suppose I should drag my @rse into one of the Concept stores, get it measured and maybe sit on a few saddles...0 -
Five or six. Arione. Spoon. C17 & C15. Several others I forget. Plus the B17.
The B17 is by far and away the most comfy, though.They use their cars as shopping baskets; they use their cars as overcoats.0 -
One per bike. So far I haven't had to swap any of them. My backside just seems to cope with whatever is on the bike when purchased. Guess I have been luck so far.0
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I tried 4 saddles until the Charge Soon got recommended and it fits me well.
I even had my seat bones measured, but the saddle that came from that didn't seem a great improvement on what I already had. As well as this measurement, your riding position also affects comfort, I think.
A few month ago I completed London to Brighton and back, 124 miles, so I guess the Soon is OK for me.0 -
I have tried a few, binned off the standard cheap selle itallia x1 saddles that came on the bikes (got 3 brand new ones for sale cheap if anyone is interested)
Selle italia slr flow - used for a few thousand miles of pain (also for sale ha)
Bought a Specialized romin evo on recommendations from here, still didnt get on with that amazingly, now on the holiday bike.
Got a charge spoon on the MTB and after 2 hours is painful
Bought a Prologo kappa evo2 last year for the summer bike when i built it, and have done a few 100 mile rides on it so bought one for the winter bike, and about to buy a third for the MTB.
I still wouldnt say its comfortable, but more bearable than the others i have tried.
I still get uncomfortable even with castelli shorts and the progetto x2 air pad and on longer rides i need chamois cream. I still get the odd little sore and have one right now.My winter bike is exactly the same as my summer bike,,, but dirty...0 -
Stupid question, but have you tried different bib shorts? I have a few pairs, different brands and models and the difference in feel (with the same saddle) is night and day. Assos are the best shorts Ive worn and feel far more comfortable than old cheaper shorts. To the point where I end up choosing which shorts to wear, depending on the distance that I plan on doing."The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby0
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Fizik - Arione - like but don't love
Bontrager Paradigm R - Fine, but nothing special
Fizik - Tundra (MTB) - Fine but rails bent
Fizik - Gobi (MTB) - Excellent
SDG Duster (MTB/Road) - FIne but broke easily
Plus like 20 saddles I can't remember the name of, a few Selle Royals and some OEM heavyweight crap.
I find that it's mostly down to getting the bike on the flat and the line halfway down the bubble (nose about a degree down?) of the spirit level especially for hard flat perches. An otherwise comfortable saddle can be incredibly painful if it's at the wrong angle.
Might try an Antres next.0 -
There is a small degree to which one model of saddle might differ in comfort or geometry from another similar one intended by another manufacturer for the same use....
But the differences tend to be tiny.
In much of a lifetime on one bicycle or another, I have never felt the need to change a saddle.
I've mucked about with seat height, reach/rake, angle and so on.... but other than in the case of the more traditional leather seats from Brookes and the like, it is much like trying to find the difference between cheap hatchbacks or discount sofas.... There is so little difference that within a score of miles it will not be noticed.
By habit as much as anything, I seem to buy Selle Italia products and seem to have passed that preference on to my children....
I am beyond serious TT times and do not buy by weight.... I just pick a cheapish saddle and it has always worked so far.
The manufacturers and the cycling press might get a thrill and some income out of the agony of choice.... but most of what is out there would be impossible to distinguish from its competition without the brand name written on it.0 -
ben@31 wrote:Stupid question, but have you tried different bib shorts? I have a few pairs, different brands and models and the difference in feel (with the same saddle) is night and day. Assos are the best shorts Ive worn and feel far more comfortable than old cheaper shorts. To the point where I end up choosing which shorts to wear, depending on the distance that I plan on doing.
The OP has not mentioned how long he is in the saddle for though.
I would have thought you want to find a saddle thats comfortable for two to three hours when wearing your not best bib shorts.
You then wear the better (Assos here too) bib shorts for the longer time in saddle rides.
If you need to wear Assos for two to three hour rides then your saddle needs changing IMO.0 -
15 or was it 16?0
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Funnily enough, I'm happy with the saddle that came with my bike, which just so happens to be a re-badged Charge Spoon. Bears the branding of the bike manufacturer.0
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In two years I've had 6.
The one that came on my BSO, my 1st purchased saddle, the one that came with my second bike, my 1st carbon saddle, a fizik one and one I borrowed from a mate to test.
So far my 1st purchase was the most comfortable and the one I now use, which I probably should have stayed with. I just need one that's black and red as opposed to black an white.0 -
In my younger days I used to stare at such threads in wonder ...as I hopped onto any bike and the saddle was just fine. Then in my late 40's ouch - no saddle would get comfy....
I finally found comfort in a brooks B17 imperial - have them on all my bikes now. for me it was age things - a bit of wear in the hips mean't I had to be more careful about saddle choice......0 -
Original giant branded saddle, pro turnix, Fizik Antares vsx and charge spoon all tried and discarded. Currently got an aliante vs on one bike and an Antares on the other. Both are close to being spot on. Just ordered an aliante r3 in the new large size, see how that goes.0
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Two
The Selle Italia X1 on my old Cube and now the Specialized Toupé Sport
I'm not quite used to the spesh one yet but the old selle italia was pretty good.
I want to try out a Fizik Antares though.0 -
Dannbodge wrote:Two
The Selle Italia X1 on my old Cube and now the Specialized Toupé Sport
I'm not quite used to the spesh one yet but the old selle italia was pretty good.
I want to try out a Fizik Antares though.
do you want to buy any more X1's? ill sell you 3 for the price of one!My winter bike is exactly the same as my summer bike,,, but dirty...0 -
Fudgey wrote:Dannbodge wrote:Two
The Selle Italia X1 on my old Cube and now the Specialized Toupé Sport
I'm not quite used to the spesh one yet but the old selle italia was pretty good.
I want to try out a Fizik Antares though.
do you want to buy any more X1's? ill sell you 3 for the price of one!
I'm okay thanks
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Tried two of the wider fizik saddles recently. Aliante R3 large - had to level it across the whole length to get it vaguely comfortable but still caused significant numbage in the gentleman's area. So last throw of the dice, thought I'd go the whole hog and try the saddle recommended by the fizik spine concept app and got hold of an Antares R1 large.
First impressions are that this might be the one. Over half an hour on the turbo and no significant discomfort to report. So might sell on the Aliante large now - or keep it for when I get even more inflexible than I am now!0 -
Tried a few, but once I landed on the Fizik Aliante I never switched. It's getting worn so I guess it's about time though.0
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A few before I discovered the Charge Spoon, then used it exclusively. I've just changed my road bike and thought it may be an idea to try a few "newer" ideas, so did - and went through the "BG" measurement process to try those new saddles - and......I've got a new Spoon on the new bike.Trail fun - Transition Bandit
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris0 -
Loads!
San Marco Rolls
Giant bog standard one that came on a bike (surprisingly good until the padding disintergrated)
Specialized Toupe
Fizik Arione
Selle San Marco one with a cut out
Fizik Arione (tried again)
Fizik Anteras (had 3 of these and all were comfy to a degree)
Fizik Arione (really wanted this saddle to work)
Fabric Scoop Flat (the cheap one at £40, loved it so bought another for my race bike)
Really cannot wax lyrical enough about the Fabric saddle, have both bikes kitted out with them now and they are comfortable over any distance (have done a few rides way over 100 miles with zero issues).Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!0 -
The lower end Giant saddles are an instrument of torture rejected by the Spanish inquisition as being too inhumane, they are the worst saddle I've ever sat on by a huge margin. I've seen grown men reduced to tears and finishing an 80km ride by never sitting down for the last 10km, its not that bad for me but leaves the nether regions numb for a good few hours which is not exactly something to relish, they are too narrow and you end up sitting perched on your perineum, the only person I know who can get on with them has the cross sectional area of a broom handle.
I use a Charge spoon for longer rides and love it, I have 3, one of which I keep in our overseas office to put on rental bikes (the local rental shop has Giants!). For my everyday rides I have a Charge Knife on my MTB and my commuter has a Bontrager Inform (RXL) in the wider fitting, for my commute of 7 miles I don't bother with padded shorts and the Bonty is fine.
The generic Merida saddle (can be found branded as Merida, Carrera, Boardman and Voodoo amongst others) isn't at all bad and I have a spare one in our overseas office for guests.Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
The Rookie wrote:The lower end Giant saddles are an instrument of torture rejected by the Spanish inquisition as being too inhumane, they are the worst saddle I've ever sat on by a huge margin.
Snap! the most painful saddle I have ever sat on!
Tried a few over the years with varying degrees of bum pain/numbness/can't sit down for 2 days etc, eventually tried a Brooks Swift and ended up with one on both my road bikes. Looks good on my old Peugeot but a little out of place on my Giant.0 -
If you get your sit bones measured you shouldn't have to try so many saddles. Before I learned about that I tried a lot of saddles, now I rarely have problems with saddles since I just select the correct width for my butt.0
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