Given the recent threads on here abotu partners getting into biking and the good advice i was after some advice myself, both my g/f and my dear mumsy are starting to do some biking, only gentle stuff but are keen to progress, the one problem is the saddle and comfort. We have tried the bike shop trial and what was ok in the shop wasn’t good after 20 mins on the bike, so i am asking for advice. I know everyone is differnt but some general advice or places to look. I personally have grown with my bg saddle and thought it was just a case of getting used to a saddle…
Any of the female stw’s care to offer help?!?

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My mrs insisted on a big comfy saddle when she first started riding the tandem – helfrauds do some. After a few months she went to a smaller one but still a sofa by many folks standards

Many manufacturers have womens saddles that are a different shape.

I would look in halfords – they are not too expensive to use for a few months then get something smaller

Don’t be fooled by very padded saddles – they’re not necessarily comfortable

Shops like Evans have an Arse-ometer for measuring the width of your ‘sit bones’, to identify the right width of saddle

The other factor is underwear. Seams in the wrong place will cause problems

Shops like Evans have an Arse-ometer for measuring the width of your ‘sit bones’, to identify the right width of saddle

If i were to suggest a trip to evans, do i just ask for saddle measurements?

Finally persuaded my other half a while ago to get rid of her sofa saddle after it ripped and all the gel leaked out! She wanted another but I managed to get her to come to the bike shop with me. After much umming and aaahing, using the arse-o-meter etc she bought one of the womens specific Spesh BG saddles…

She loves it now, and even agrees that it’s more comfortable than her old sofa one even though she swore blind at the time that she’d never be able to fit on one of those narrow(?), thin(?) saddles!!!

Well worth getting them down a proper bike shop to have a go on an arse-o-meter… they will find the saddles different for the first few rides, but then get used to them…

Oh, and it’s worth trying to make sure they are sitting properly on the saddle… ie. get them to roll their hips back and take the weight on their sit-bones, rather than their girly-bits… it’s something most blokes don’t need to worry about as things get in the way, but have noticed a few girlies, who are new to cycling, have made this mistake.