I think I need a new saddle. My Specialized Body Geometry must be ten years old now and it is giving me a seriously sore arse after just one days commute (24 miles on fairly smooth track, wearing padded lycra undershorts). If I want to step up to commuting more than once a week then I need a bit more comfort!

So, how do I find a new saddle that fits me better?

I’ve heard tell of people finding their size by sitting on a bit of corrugated cardboard. How does one interpret this and use it to pick a saddle?

Or do I just present my piece of cardboard with two cheek prints and a skid mark to my LBS and see what they recommend?

Just get a cheap Gusset R series/Charge Spoon and a WTB Rocket V and you’ll be covered by at least one of them. 😉

Bend over and color your arse where your sit bones are with lipstick (the redder the better) and then sit on a piece of rolled up paper/newpaper in your normal cycling position.

Measure the distance between the red marks and look for a saddle of those dimensions.

Bend over and color your arse where your sit bones are with lipstick

Ahhh.. just like old Uncle Jack used to do when I visited him.

I’m not sure he was a real uncle…

For a saddle – arguable the most vital component where comfort is concerned – I would definitely seek out a decent LBS. They should either be able to put your bike on a turbo and let you try out their test models or just lend them to you (with a deposit).

I quite like the fisik saddles and their dealers tend to keep in demo saddles which you can borrow. They have the fit based on flexibility system which i quite like the idea of i ride the gobi which matches my flexibility on the mtb but the arione on the road bike which im ‘not flexible enough’ for but still really like it

Bend over and color your arse where your sit bones are with lipstick (the redder the better)

yep, I was just making that advice up 😛

It might work though – the inspiration came from watching some boot fitters looking for problematic ridges in ski boots.

yep, I was just making that advice up

So I can give this lipstick back to my secretary?

Further info: I’m a big lad (15-odd-stone of tight rippling muscle and pies) so I have a relatively immodest arse.

I’m all for spending time in the LBS trying saddles, but I find that most saddles feel fine for a short while (possibly due to the excess ass padding) so it is hard to judge, hence why I was hoping for something a bit more empirical.

So I can give this lipstick back to my secretary?

Surely you had her apply it, so nothing to give back ? 😀

I think Specialized dealers and possibly Bontrager have a board with some memory foam (or something) on….
You sit on it and the indents tell you how wide your butt is. Specialized body geometry saddles come in various widths to try & match your butt.

The Charge Spoon is an odd one. Loads of people rave about it, but I am just about ready to give up on mine. I got one for my Inbred, and have never found it that comfy. I put it down to the fact that I wasn’t used to riding my hardtail and so just need to mtfu.
But, following that cheap cycle surgery deal a couple of weeks ago, I got another Spoon for my FSR.
By the end of this weekend just gone in Wales, my butt was really sore. Much worse than it would have been if I’d have been on the Specialized saddle that the bike came with.

I reckon I am going to give up on the Spoons and either go back to Specialized. I did have a WTB one ages ago that was very comfy. Only problem was that it had quite a wide back, so getting off the back of the bike once descents was a bit difficult.

+1 what stumpy says re Charge saddles, binned mine today after suffering sore back on recent rides. Found the “spine” of the saddle had collapsed and the base was hitting the seatpost, not good 😕
LBS only had some Madison saddles so picked the Prime and with my discount cost not much more than a Spoon.
12mls of Mabie “secrets” and I can certainly recommend it. ie Madison Prime

Buy a brooks and let it mould to the shape of your arse, can’t fail to make it fit.