Comfortable saddle suggestions

alim0229

Hi there

I'm looking to replace the standard saddle on my road bike which is just not very comfortable - just hurts to sit on after an hour so. No matter how long I spend in the saddle it hasn't improved over the years

Any suggestions on more comfortable saddles. I've already been to LBS's and they all seem to stock a small range which they then seem to push

I'm happy to compromise on weight for comfort if this helps. I'd rather avoid Brooks as don't want to break it in. I'm doing some touring soon so anything that would provide all day comfort would be great

Thanks

imposter2.0

None of the recommendations you get here are going to mean anything unfortunately - because what is comfortable for one person, might be hell for another. The best you can hope for is to try a few and see what works for you.

bmxboy10

I’ve tried a few and the Specialized Toupe is great as is the original San Marco Regale Racing.

Matthewfalle

Selle Italia SLRs work perfectly for me but hellish for oyther people.

imposter is right on this one occasion.

cooldad

Get a big bucket and a supply of vinegar. Fill bucket. Sit in it for an hour a day.

After a while your arris will be so pickled you'll feel no pain.

Also works for painful piles.



Or not.

sh3p

Check selle Italia for a local dealer that does IDmatch ..will measure you for a recommended saddle size ..csn change if no good within 30days for a different size ..

flasher

Most good bike shops have a selection of tester saddles, best try those.

Matthewfalle

Oh - and just check that whatever you buy fits the saddle rails on your seat post: carbon rails don't, for example, fit Ritchey WCS or Cervelo S5 rails.

wilks321

I was in same position as you could not get comfy on a saddle till I read a review on these saddles so I took a gamble and purchased one. It worked for me very comfy on long rides. It's the Selle SMP Extra Road Saddle.

trekvet

You don't say which bit "hurts", so could be your sit bones are suffering, or you are going numb. I was the latter so I got a Specialized Romin Evo Expert Gel, which fixed it for me. Ps. I now run tyres 23/25 at 70/85 psi. which helps too.

mercia_man

Don't assume you have to break in a Brooks. My B17 Titanium was comfortable from the off and has just got better in the years since I bought it. No other saddle I own has compared to it for all-day comfort on multi-day cycle tours. The Cambium is trendy but there is nothing like traditional leather for moulding into a unique personal fit.

Obviously, as others have said, what suits one person may not suit another, so single recommendations are not that useful. But there is a reason why Brooks leather saddles are the most popular with long-distance touring and audax cyclists.

mugensi

I have Prologo Kappa PAS saddles on my 3 road bikes. They work great for me.

on-yer-bike

Ive tried tens of saddles and have never found a comfortable one. Ive had bike fits, tried different bibs but I am always uncomfortable. On the turbo I have to wear two pairs of bib shorts. For me a comfortable saddle that you can put on a race bike doesn't exist.

bianchimoon

Go to a bike shop that measures your sit bones and get the right size, that's half the battle won.

on-yer-bike

bianchimoon wrote:

Go to a bike shop that measures your sit bones and get the right size, that's half the battle won.

Been there done that more than once

cgfw201

I went through the whole Fizik range before finding the Specilized Romin, which I've had for 3000+ hours on the bike since with zero pain whatsoever.

Matthewfalle

on-yer-bike wrote:

Ive tried tens of saddles and have never found a comfortable one. Ive had bike fits, tried different bibs but I am always uncomfortable. On the turbo I have to wear two pairs of bib shorts. For me a comfortable saddle that you can put on a race bike doesn't exist.

I don't understand what you mean by "a comfortable saddle that you can put on a race bike doesn't exist"

Can you explain please.

Moontrane

on-yer-bike wrote:

Ive tried tens of saddles and have never found a comfortable one. Ive had bike fits, tried different bibs but I am always uncomfortable. On the turbo I have to wear two pairs of bib shorts. For me a comfortable saddle that you can put on a race bike doesn't exist.

I've tried dozens of saddles and had two bike fits. The two that hurt the least are the San Marco Strada and Rolls. Keep searching.

Dorset_Boy

Definitely go to a bike shop and get your sit bones properly measured for starters, and be honest in your answers to questions they ask. Ensure you can exchange within a reasonable period if it still isn't right.

What works for me may not work for you - it's too personal which is why you need to be measured.

If I said a pair of size 8 nike trainers were the most comfortable thing every but you were size 10, do you still think they'd be comfortable for you? some people have wide sit bones some narrow, others in between. That has to be the starting point.

cyberknight

Charge spoon seems to be a perennial favourite and yu can sell them at little loss if you dont get on with it .Another thing to check is saddle height/ set back and tilt as its aamazing how much a few mm either way can alter your ride, if my saddles to high i can feel pressure on the perenium aka between the nads.

ZMC888

I love Fizik Arione. Some people hate them.

zefs

Measure your sit bones and add 20-30mm to the measurement to find the saddle width that you need.
A curved saddle with cutout helps to solve issues on the saddle area (if you have found the correct saddle height/fore aft/angle for you). If nothing works try getting a professional bike fit.

Matthewfalle

zefs wrote:

Measure your sit bones and add 20-30mm to the measurement to find the saddle width that you need.
A curved saddle with cutout helps to solve issues on the saddle area (if you have found the correct saddle height/fore aft/angle for you). If nothing works try getting a professional bike fit.

Bike fit has nothing to do with saddle comfort.