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How do you choose a (road bike) saddle?
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40mpgFull Member
The saddle which came with my road bike (Fizic Arione) is not great – I get a numb todger if I’m tucked for any period (and its always windy, so this happens a fair bit). Also, following a session with a tape measure, squatting in the living room and bemused looks from wife and kids, I confirm I’ve got very narrow sit bones, which probably accounts for the ache I get from them after a few hours in the saddle.
How do I go about rectifying this with out spending lots of money on a succession of saddles until I find the right one? Is it just worth visiting my local specialized dealer as they’re the only ones I’m aware of who actually measure and do different widths?
Any tips gratefully received
djgloverFree MemberMy giant came with a Fizik Arione and it was awful, Ive never taken a stock saddle off so quickly. I took a punt on a Fabric Scoop as I thought the shape would be similar enough to the old charge spoon I had and it was. They have loads of give in the middle. There are different types for different riding, I got the one that is designed for Aero. Obviously its had to recommend only what works for me but they are great saddles
allan23Free MemberI got lucky, Selle SDG Extra Gel, it was a guess work purchase.
Apparently you can get Sell SDG test saddles from some dealers – no idea if that’s a UK thing or not.
Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition
Latest Singletrack VideosFresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...rocketmanFree MemberIs it just worth visiting my local specialized dealer as they’re the only ones I’m aware of who actually measure and do different widths?
They are pretty good ime
Get measured & choose a saddle, ride around on it for a while and if you don’t like it and it’s in a saleable condition you can swap it for a different one no problem
Surprising how many saddles in the shop have little marks on the rails
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberSelle Italia and Fizik also do fitting services.
Rule of thumb, the width is the width, if you’ve measured your sit bones with some cardboard then the specialized site has the corresponding saddle widths. The shape of the saddle and tapering of sit-bones has an effect, but unless you have a strange position or pick an odd saddle it’s fairly consistent.
If you need a cut out then you need a cut out. It’s partially down to position, mostly down to your hip flexors. Cycling leads to shortened hip flexors as the range of movement isn’t enough to stretch them, as does an office job, watching TV and sleeping on your side.
There’s then the shape of the top of the saddle front to back, some are flat, some are hollowed out slightly so you sit ‘in’ the saddle. This much is personal preference, MTB’s tend to be flat to allow movement, roadies tend to prefer the hollowed out as it’s more supportive.
Then there’s how much padding you want.
If you look at Selle Italia’s site they categorize their saddles S and L (narrow, wide), and 1,2,3 pertaining to how much of a cut out they have, but you’d have to look at the saddles to figure out the shape/padding.
Just go on ebay, buy some you think you’ll like, and sell them again if you don’t get on with them. There’s loads of nearly new saddles on there for just this reason.
iaincFull Memberalso worth having a look at ISM Saddles, which take away the potential for numbness through their unique design. I have them on all my bikes, different versions thereof.
mrblobbyFree MemberDidn’t like the Airone either for much the same reason.
Pop down your LBS and see what test saddles they have. Can be painful and time consuming process. Can’t always tell until a few rides in whether a saddle is going to work for you. And then further changes in position can lead to a previously comfortable saddle no longer working for you (an Antares worked for me for a while, then got lower and I had to change.)
I tried most Specialized saddles but found them quite uncomfortable, especially on a turbo. And their test policy sucks (thankfully my local store was a bit more friendly.)
FWIW I’m currently on a SLR Flow.
Just go on ebay, buy some you think you’ll like, and sell them again if you don’t get on with them. There’s loads of nearly new saddles on there for just this reason.
This is a good tip.
mrjmtFree MemberI tried most Specialized saddles but found them quite uncomfortable, especially on a turbo. And their test policy sucks (thankfully my local store was a bit more friendly.)
Don’t know if this varies from store to store then as I recently bought a spesh saddle from edinburgh co-op after sitting on their bum-ometer. They said you can ride it for up to 3 months then return for a refund if you’re not happy. They said they just send them back to spesh who probably ebay them.
Mine fits great and got rid of my numbness problem thanks to the cutout.
davidtaylforthFree MemberBuy a few different shaped ones off ebay and go from there.
The Arione is pretty flat and narrow and never really worked well for me. The old curvy Aliante I find very comfy for an aggressive position on the road bike.
Also, make sure you’ve got comfy shorts that fit nicely. I like the DHB ones from Wiggle as they have a small pad.
freeagentFree MemberCharge Spoon here on both road bikes.
I’ve done plenty of long rides and the saddle/my arse has always been fine.mrblobbyFree MemberDon’t know if this varies from store to store
The official policy (here) is you can return it and get credit to buy another Specialized saddle so confident are they that you will find a saddle that suits in their range. Not very helpful if none suit.
Also, make sure you’ve got comfy shorts that fit nicely. I like the DHB ones from Wiggle as they have a small pad.
The Cytech pad is excellent in the Aeron Pro shorts.
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberI tried most Specialized saddles but found them quite uncomfortable, especially on a turbo. And their test policy sucks (thankfully my local store was a bit more friendly.)
+1 Try them on the turbo, the fixed position will tell you in 30minutes if it’s the right saddle or not, it want until i started using the turbo seriously that I got picky about saddles. 30minutes on the turbo is like 100miles on the road!
avdave2Full MemberI had a saddle on my mountain bike that I really like and had the brilliant idea of putting the same thing on my road bike. Now that’s thinking outside the box for you. 🙂
dovebikerFull MemberThe fact that your are experiencing numbness suggest that you aren’t able to rotate your pelvis enough to benefit from the shape of the saddle and therefore you should use this to inform your selection – Fizik’s own selection guide makes this clear. Also adjusting bar drop and reach may help as you sound as though you are pulling yourself forward onto the nose of the saddle. My own experience is that saddle shape is for support and padding in your shorts is for comfort – soft gel saddles have been shown to increase soft-tissue inflammation rather than reduce it. It really is a process of trial and elimination I’m afraid – one person’s recommendations is another’s instrument of torture.
40mpgFull MemberCould someone explain this rotating pelvis stuff please, what it is and what it does.
Cycling leads to shortened hip flexors as the range of movement isn’t enough to stretch them, as does an office job, watching TV and sleeping on your side.
is pretty much my entire life!
jonbaFree MemberSome shops will have demo saddles. This might be a good bet.
I, like others, have found the charge scoop (and now Fabric brand) to fit so all my bikes have one of their saddles on in one form or another.
Basic ones on the commuter/mtb through to the lighter ones with cut out on my roadie.
If you have a saddle that fits you might be able to use that as a comparison. Whip it off and take it to a shop with you.
zaneladFree MemberCharge Spoon here on both road bikes.
Me too, just get a new one for each bike.
Cheap and comfy, what more could you want.
imnFull MemberNo personal experience, but Bontrager offer a “Unconditional Comfort Guarantee” which I think allows exchange within 30 days.
steve_b77Free MemberFunnily enough I rather like the Arione, and for that matter the Tundra II on my MTB’s.
I seem to like quite flat and hard saddles for some reason. I used to used Spoons, but they got uncomfortable on long rides.
davidtaylforthFree MemberCould someone explain this rotating pelvis stuff please, what it is and what it does.
Tricky to do if you fit a really short stem with lots of spacers under it. Also, makes a mockery of the “sit bone width” marketing bollocks, since you’re not actually sitting on your sitz bones
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz-VlJjqQhY[/video]
TiRedFull MemberI seem to have a saddle-shaped a*se despite very narrow sit bones. I also have never had problems with an Arione. How far back is your saddle compared with your bottom bracket. If you are a long way back with a tight hip angle, then there will be “compression” issues. I rode for three hours on Saturday mainly on the drops and not the slightest numbness. My saddle nose is only 5 cm behind the BB (UCI limit).
I like the Aliante too, but for absolute comfort, nothing beats a Selle Italia original Flite Ti saddle.
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