Saddles - Flat vs Curved

joey54321

I know flat vs curved is largely about personal preference, but I am curious about the reasoning.

A lot of companies (Selle Italia, Fabric, Fizik) seem to advise that riders with high levels of flexibility and riding in an 'aggressive position' ride a flatter saddle. Why does high levels of flexibility mean you should ride a flatter saddle?

Bontrager, specialized and SMP saddles that are aimed for 'aggressive' positions (so, riders with high levels of flexibility?) are all curved.

I also find that when riding deep on the drops I sit further back on the curved part of the saddle to 'lift me up' so my 'delicate parts' aren't taking as much pressure, I am guessing that this would be impossible on a flat saddle?

fenix

That flexibility thing is a load of hooey if you ask me. I'm not flexible but my saddle suggests I am.

fat daddy

I have flat and curved saddles, I started off very inflexible, but slowly, bike riding and yoga are making me more and more flexible and the stem spacers are slowly disappearing and the stems are slowly getting longer.

And I agree with Fenix its hooey .... I find both flat and curved equally uncomfortable in any position

imposter2.0

As above - hokum does not stand up to rational or technical explanations.

crankycrank

I think it would be nice if there were some formula that would work for saddle shapes but none of them have ever worked for me and in fact some have steered me towards some of the most uncomfortable saddles I've tried. You still have to mount and ride a saddle to find if it works. Flat or round ends up being more of a comfort thing for most people rather than being a shifty bull or a stationary toad type of rider or whatever.

Alex99

joey54321 wrote:

I know flat vs curved is largely about personal preference, but I am curious about the reasoning.

A lot of companies (Selle Italia, Fabric, Fizik) seem to advise that riders with high levels of flexibility and riding in an 'aggressive position' ride a flatter saddle. Why does high levels of flexibility mean you should ride a flatter saddle?

Bontrager, specialized and SMP saddles that are aimed for 'aggressive' positions (so, riders with high levels of flexibility?) are all curved.

I also find that when riding deep on the drops I sit further back on the curved part of the saddle to 'lift me up' so my 'delicate parts' aren't taking as much pressure, I am guessing that this would be impossible on a flat saddle?

I thought the logic went that if you're more flexible, you'll be able to ride in the drops without having to rotate your pelvis so much and thus avoid grinding you soft bits into oblivion. A curved saddle would allow some forward pelvic rotation (sliding back on the saddle a little at the same time). I'm not sure it really works that way. I have an SMP and I tend to angle it so that the bit I actually sit on is horizontal (the saddle overall looks nose down, but in effect it's not).

Personally I can't ride in a very low position for long because I get bad sensations pedaling with a low femur-torso angle, which also coincides with the onset of numb nuts (left nut, right nut, then both ). Guess that means I'm 'low flexibility' or am just a sensitive flower.

bbrap

The only difference I've found between flat and curved is the ability to slide about more easily. The curved saddles feel to me that I'm locked into a position which if not exactly correct give me aches and pains. I'm fairly flexible (touch floor with flat palm of hand) but rarely ride for long periods in the drops as it gives me neck ache trying to watch where I'm going (prescription lenses).