Why are saddles a pain in the ?

flyer
flyer Posts: 608
edited May 2009 in Road beginners
I sold my Toupe gel and bought Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow Saddle , both around the same price. The Selle is slightly better but I still get "uncomfortable" after about 1 hour in the saddle.

I use high quality Gore and Assos shorts and I have had the saddle position checked and its the correct width.

Has anyone and tips, I am a bit heavy at 12st 10Ib, that could be a problem.

Or is it just a case of all saddles will be uncomfortable?

Problem is you can't just try saddles and take them back

Please let me know if you have had similar problems and what you would recommend

Thanks

Flyer

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    It really can be just a case of hit and miss and it is indeed a pain in the *rse.

    I was lucky, I tried a Fizik Aliante early on in my cycling career and it was great. Selle Italia dealers usually do demo saddles for you to try.

    I'd recommend a Fizik but I can't because it might be awful for you! Try one though if you can.

    A good way is to buy off eBay, if you don't like it then flog it for pretty much the same money. I know of a few people who discovered their favourite saddles this way.

    Good luck, you are not alone.
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    You may eventually get round to a Selle An-Atomica, after many saddles and much expense, this is the ultimate! No more discomfort, I can cycle all day, day after day.

    By the way, Bontrager saddles have a 30 day comfort or refund guarantee, and some bike shops will loan saddles, if you ask around. You might get lucky, but if you have a backside like mine, then none of the usual suspects will be completely comfortable.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Since this is in the beginners column I'm going to suggest that maybe you're expecting a
    bit too much from any saddle. I've been using different ones for quite a few years now
    and still haven't found one that has lived up to it's hype. Not saying that I haven't found a few fairly comfortable saddles, which I have, but there is such a thing as *ss time(for lack of better words) in which you develope, let's call it, a tolerance for bike saddles.
    Sort of a "the more you ride the less it hurts" type of thing. As for me I've developed a liking for the, so called, sit bone type saddles and the ones with cutouts seem to do the trick also. It's a very personal thing. Just looking around you'll see that hardly any two people have the same saddle. Good luck in your search.

    Dennis Noward
  • Infamous
    Infamous Posts: 1,130
    lower your saddle 5mm.
  • Stone Glider
    Stone Glider Posts: 1,227
    Try reducing your tyre pressures slightly. You don't have to be "hard" on yourself.
    The older I get the faster I was
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    dennisn wrote:
    Since this is in the beginners column I'm going to suggest that maybe you're expecting a
    bit too much from any saddle. I've been using different ones for quite a few years now
    and still haven't found one that has lived up to it's hype. Not saying that I haven't found a few fairly comfortable saddles, which I have, but there is such a thing as *ss time(for lack of better words) in which you develope, let's call it, a tolerance for bike saddles.
    Sort of a "the more you ride the less it hurts" type of thing    . As for me I've developed a liking for the, so called, sit bone type saddles and the ones with cutouts seem to do the trick also. It's a very personal thing. Just looking around you'll see that hardly any two people have the same saddle. Good luck in your search.

    Dennis Noward

    When I had time off riding last year and my rather long current stint, I noticed myself getting uncofortable much quicker. There does seem to be an *rse hardening period...
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    I'm a lot heavier than you - and originally tried the gel-type saddles.


    It was only when I switched to the Selle SLR saddle (that has MUCH less padding than the gel saddles) that I found my comfort zone.

    All that extra padding was just making things tighter down there. Less padding gave me more room.


    Go figure.
  • anweledig
    anweledig Posts: 21
    I swear by my brooks. For me it's just comfort but it has to break in to you. As other posters have said though saddles are very personal and what is ideal for me may be sheer agony for you. Unlike other kinds of saddle though a leather saddle forms to your shape over time which gives you a better chance of a good fit.
    exercise.png
  • John Stevenson
    John Stevenson Posts: 962
    If the hull of a saddle doesn't fit your bum, no amount of gel or other hype will help.

    However, even if it more or less fits you, there's also an acclimatisation period while you get used to it.
    John Stevenson
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    flyer wrote:
    I sold my Toupe gel and bought Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow Saddle , both around the same price. The Selle is slightly better but I still get "uncomfortable" after about 1 hour in the saddle.

    I use high quality Gore and Assos shorts and I have had the saddle position checked and its the correct width.

    Has anyone and tips, I am a bit heavy at 12st 10Ib, that could be a problem.

    Or is it just a case of all saddles will be uncomfortable?

    Problem is you can't just try saddles and take them back

    Please let me know if you have had similar problems and what you would recommend

    Thanks

    Flyer

    You just haven't found your ideal saddle for YOUR bum yet that's all. You will do, just a matter of time. Every saddle is different of course. Try as many as you can and you will find it. The ideal saddle is the holy grail of cycling imo.
  • superruss01
    superruss01 Posts: 12
    Also try looking at adjusting your position slightly, if your sat too upright you'll be putting a lot more weight on your backside than if you lean a little further forward.
    Could just reduce the amount of overall pressure your putting on yourself.
    If you can get hold of a selle san marco rolls saddle they are brilliant but look very retro. I use one on my commuting road bike and its not made me uncomfortable once, and i have done some 4-5 hour rides on it too over the winter.
  • Stumpy Ade
    Stumpy Ade Posts: 81
    I would give my right arm to be 12st 10, on thinking about it I still wouldn't be close :D

    Anyway although I haven't had the same arse ache problem I do suffer from numbness in the area between my arse and tackle ( the medical profession must rue the day they let me slip through the net :) ) . I have my saddle tilted slightly forward.

    Is it a case of saddle back = arse ache. Saddle forward = area between arse and tackle, numbness ?
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Stumpy Ade wrote:
    I would give my right arm to be 12st 10, on thinking about it I still wouldn't be close :D

    Anyway although I haven't had the same ars* ache problem I do suffer from numbness in the area between my ars* and tackle ( the medical profession must rue the day they let me slip through the net :) ) . I have my saddle tilted slightly forward.

    Is it a case of saddle back = ars* ache. Saddle forward = area between ars* and tackle, numbness ?

    I've been told that although you would think tilting the saddle forward would actually relieve pressure on the perineum (bit between your bum and tackle), it actually makes it worse as it forces you forward and onto that area.

    I used to tilt forward but got really raw in that area from all the excess pressure. Now my saddle is pretty much dead level and it's comfort - both front AND back.

    I'm just guessing - but maybe you should start slowly moving the tilt the opposite way until you find your 'happy' spot.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I can confirm that; nose slightly down and you tend to slide forwards and this puts more pressure on the perineum. I have mine dead level or ever so slightly nose up, and sit happily for hours on my comfy parts.

    Wasn't always so; bike came with an Aliante which was just the wrong shape for my @rse. Switched to a Charge Spoon for less than £20 following many favourable reports in this forum, and now I'm in saddle heaven.
  • Infamous
    Infamous Posts: 1,130
    Stumpy Ade wrote:
    I would give my right arm to be 12st 10, on thinking about it I still wouldn't be close :D
    Your username would be even more appropriate if you did.
  • SpinningJenny
    SpinningJenny Posts: 889
    Stumpy Ade wrote:

    Anyway although I haven't had the same ars* ache problem I do suffer from numbness in the area between my ars* and tackle ( the medical profession must rue the day they let me slip through the net :) ) . I have my saddle tilted slightly forward.

    It's called the perineum, I think. But I reckon more people will know what area you're talking about from your description, rather than the medical term! :D
    Ned Flanders: “You were bicycling two abreast?”
    Homer Simpson: “I wish. We were bicycling to a lake.”

    Specialized Rockhopper Pro Disc 08
  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    flyer wrote:
    I sold my Toupe gel and bought Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow Saddle , both around the same price. The Selle is slightly better but I still get "uncomfortable" after about 1 hour in the saddle.

    I use high quality Gore and Assos shorts and I have had the saddle position checked and its the correct width.

    Has anyone and tips, I am a bit heavy at 12st 10Ib, that could be a problem.

    Or is it just a case of all saddles will be uncomfortable?

    Problem is you can't just try saddles and take them back

    Please let me know if you have had similar problems and what you would recommend

    Thanks

    Flyer

    Have you tried a slightly wider saddle? - Bioflex Sprint or Bioflex Tempo.

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bioflex-Sprint-Me ... 1|294%3A50

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/gents-bioflex-spr ... 1|294%3A50

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bioflex-Tempo-Men ... 1|294%3A50

    Cheap enough for a quick try - resell if its no good.
  • flyer
    flyer Posts: 608
    Hey guys thanks for all the advise.

    I went into a "Trek" dealer today who measure my ar*** and he also asked me to take the bike in. It was a 20 mile trip but it was worth it, he said the saddle was too far back and moved it fwd by 10-15mm.

    Guess what, I went for a 25 mile ride and its much better, if soemone had told me moving it by a few mm would have made such a difference I wouldn't have believed them!!!

    So far so good but its much better, the shop said the bones were not sat in the ultimate position on the saddle.

    Thanks Again

    Flyer
  • Stumpy Ade
    Stumpy Ade Posts: 81
    flyer wrote:
    Hey guys thanks for all the advise.

    I went into a "Trek" dealer today who measured my ar***
    Flyer

    :shock: :D

    Spinning Jenny, perineum I'm going to try and work that into a conversation over the weekend. See if I can impress my cycling buddies ( not very likley ).

    Will try tilting saddle back a little to see if that eases the problem with my perineum. :wink:

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