Apr 25 2008
Saddle up! But which one?
So, I’m thinking about a new saddle. The one I have is sufficient. But I’m wondering… “Is there something better out there?” I think I get a little uncomfortable in the saddle a little too frequently.
Sure, I know it’s recommended to shift around a lot but I’m wondering if there’s something better for me. Right now I sit on a Terry Fly. I do like the cutaway and it weighs in at 240g with Titanium rails. Is it bad that I have to be too shifty? There are so many seats to choose from… it’s hard to know where to start. I clicked on a banner for Selle Italia while reading Cycling News and saw this.
It’s the Selle Italia Optima… I’m not interested in this seat. I just thought it’s on eof the very interesting options out there. It’s expensive and I wonder how comfy could it be? I also wonder what Ron at Cozy Beehive would think of the engineering on this particular design. Yes, that’s an integrated bottle holder on the back of the seat. Would your bottle stay in on a very bumpy road? How about when you take off on a hard sprint?
Anyway, staying on the subject of Selle Italia… a fellow cyclist swears by them and that’s all he’s ever ridden. I know that it comes down to personal preference and your bum’s particular fit. But… each brand has several models to choose from.
What company and model do you saddle up with and why?
I noticed you brought me under the spot light. I’m no expert on saddles but studies show how cut outs help release pressure on the perinieal areas and soft tissues. Theres also the option of going unconventional. You can try out those saddles that have reduced noses or no nose at all. Although they make more sense in TT applications, it won’t hurt on a road bike if you’re on the drops all the time.
I’ll have to go with the last bit you said. Keep trying. The bottom line is, my butt is different from yours. Another fact from my experience is that when you try out, some evil saddles show their ugly face right on, in the first couple of minutes of the ride. Others are really hard to catch, you may need to ride a long one, perhaps in a big gear for 2-3 hours to catch a culprit.
And you know those fancy Boonen saddles (selle regals). They look awesome with the huge copper rivets, but who know your butt would dig deep into them and make it hard!
So keep trying out saddles and a proper bike fit,especially fore-aft position is probably the single most crucial thing when you play around with settings. You can take advantage of your bike shop while trying, or use the competitive cyclists’s saddle program (www.competitivecyclist.com)
Good luck!
I would agree with Ron. You will have to try a few. For women the issue exists as well and I tried to ride the Fizik Arione but it tried to break my a… before I’d break it in. I’ve passed that saddle on to Alberto and he loves it. I haven’t found MY saddle, yet, but stick with women’s specific ones now. My current saddle (San Marco Aspide Glamour) has a cut out and is wide enough for my sit bones to be supported so I am not putting too much weight on the soft tissues. But there are days when I just can’t get comfortable. I’ll try the Fizik Vitesse next. Problem is: It has to be white
I use the Fizik Arione. I am happy enough with it. Is it the most comfortable saddle I have ever used? Not sure. It is sufficient for sure. I have never really been able to tell a huge difference in saddle comfort. I find that if you change positions, stand and pedal now and again, everything is fine. One thing that I do like about the Arione is that it is a bit longer than other saddles and I think that gives a few more position options.
My saddle of choise is the Selle Italia Flite Gel. I read a lot of positive reviews on it. When I first got it, I wasn’t too sure that I liked it, but after I broke it in and it got to know me, it is the most comfortable saddle that I have ever had. It still has the cutaway, which I like. Going numb down there is kind of scary.
Ron– Sorry to put you under the spot light. Thanks for your input. I was also a little curious of what you thought about the seat with the integrated bottle holder.
Groover– Good to hear success stories. Hope you find the white one.
Chris– My buddy also uses the Fizik Arione. Good point on the length and variable positioning.
Jeff– That’s the seat my neighbor uses and swears by. I think he has an extra one I might be able to try. Yes– going numb is NOT good.
For the last decade I have mainly used Selle Italia Trimatic 3s, and have even built up a little stock of NOS ones bought on E-Bay for the day when the ones I am using wear out. It uses magnesium rails which actually offer a suspension effect. But in the meantime I had a Fizik Atalante on my LeMond go-fast bike and was amazed at how comfortable it was. Unfortunately, it also showed wear pretty easily. On my current go-fast bike I have another Fizik, an Arione, and I just love this saddle. It is easy to move around on it for changing positions during a climb and is narrow enough that there are no hotspots. I guess it is a personal thing since I bought the Arione from someone who used it once and did not like it. I have a Selle Italia SLR on my time trial bike. It is 145 g and really, really uncomfortable but I can bear it for 40 kms.