[Closed] Road saddle- where to start?

hora - Member

I'll order a new (not tatty) Charge Spoon in black for the road bike

tempt sir with a charge scoop? - much like the spoon, only a bit lighter, and no seams.

I think if you only got sit bone ache, then you were on your way to a winner anyway - that's where you should be supported, and often if you're not used to the time in saddle (and on road it's lots of time in saddle vs off road!) or position on bike etc. then you're bound to get some achy arse. It's when you get numbness, ass chafing, sores etc. that you know you've got the wrong saddle.

The ideal I've found is something that noticeably supports sit bones without relying on too much soft tissue to support around that area, which of course varies massively between individuals.

Reminds me of the time a Rolls literally made my arse bleed after three weeks use on tour.

Scoop it is.

You will understand once you have done some proper cycling

I'm going to do 3x40miles a week on the road. I don't think thats bad.

Get your sit bones measured. You need three things:

a) To know what width you need
b) To know how your hips rest which is affected by the shape of the saddle across its width, its profile.
c)To know according to posture how you perineum sits on the saddle.

I had the same issue as you, cured by moving from a 135mm width to 145mm and a flat profile.

cloudnine - Member
Charge spoon / scoop / knife.. seem well liked.

Is anyone riding frequently able to comment on whether the stitching has had an adverse effect on their lycra?

[quote=hora ]No. I've found that I like my padded inner lycra under green cargo shorts. It doesn't flap etc either. Sorry if its not 'road' and its probably abit american or amateur but I think grown men in lycra shorts should either be elite/top club riders/pro's.
Anyone else- it looks creepy as ****.

Well you're the one complaining about being uncomfortable 🙄

Yeah, what aracer said. I'm expecting a "What medical treatment for open sores" thread soon. The quicker you realise that lycra is more comfortable on road bikes the quicker you won;t be wondering why your groin feels like someone went at it with sandpaper or, like the last time I rode to work in jeans the long way around, how someone seems to have kicked you repeatedly in the balls without you noticing.

It's all about the best equipment for the job really.

Is anyone riding frequently able to comment on whether the stitching has had an adverse effect on their lycra?

No problems from mine on my mtb.

Oh and I use Selle Italia SLR on both my road bikes. They work really well for me but aren't super cheap

Is anyone riding frequently able to comment on whether the stitching has had an adverse effect on their lycra?

I have Spoons on all my bikes. There's a small amount of bobbling on the inside thigh area of my bibs, but that's over a few thousand km. Given how comfortable I find the saddle I'm quite happy to take a slightly reduced lifespan of my shorts.

Ref the Lycra thing. Tried it, no more comfort than baggies, with the added advantage of not looking like a sex pest at work.

Heaven forbid, I'm even going to start doing the commute one day a week to my other office which is a 120km round trip, all in baggies, with a helmet that's got a peak, and a rucksack 🙂

Well you're the one complaining about being uncomfortable

I just can't face 'just' lycra on its own. I like to wear clothes not look line Basildon's alternative Super hero to Batman.

I wont be doing centuries on the bike. Its for getting out after or before work.

Weekends are for off road.

Went from a san marco regal-e (which was nice but has limited padded
zones) to a prologo scratch .... sweeeeet 🙂

I've just swapped out 2 Specialized Phenom's from my MTB's and a Romin pro from my road bike and put £20.00 spoons on all 3. Road one is taking a bit of tweeking but not having the probs I had with others after 3+ hours. Decent padding in shorts makes a lot of difference.

[quote=hora ]I just can't face 'just' lycra on its own. I like to wear clothes not look line Basildon's alternative Super hero to Batman.

I think you need to face the fact that most people think you look silly on a road bike whatever you wear, and those who don't will think you look more silly with your clothing choice. Up to you though if you want to look more silly and be more uncomfortable.

It is comfy though. If I felt uncomfortable I'd switch.

Mountain biking- I just can't wear padded shorts no matter what.

Ah, so clearly you're right and thousands of roadies are wrong then.

I'm not a roadie. I'm using a road bike to train on. I've no interest in 'crits, road gangs, Sportifs etc etc. I don't want to develop arms like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, I don't want to plaster myself in a manufacturers logos to pretend I'm a pro-rider, nor do I want to wear a cycling amateur club tshirt and ride with 10 other same-shirted club members trying to beast ourselves/forget about a marriage gone stale. I don't want to worry over stats, obsess with detail, worry about Strava-esque type problems.

I'll do my ride, enjoy it and hang the bike up afterwards and smile/relax.

I've said it before, road is my dirty hotel mistress where you shoot and leave, mountain bike is my beloved wife who I love.

Ride, shoot the breeze, go home.

To be honest, in my experience (baggies for touring etc. in spite of only wearing lycra on the road bike), baggies can be worn quite comfortably as long as there's no seams that end up between the sadddle/arse interface. Seriously, if someone wants to look a bit more normal on a bike, it can be done without any major impact on comfort - aching sit bones as per the OP will NOT be due to wearing baggies, they're far more likely to cause saddle sores.

Get your sit bones measured. You need three things:

a) To know what width you need
b) To know how your hips rest which is affected by the shape of the saddle across its width, its profile.
c)To know according to posture how you perineum sits on the saddle.

This.

The Consultant Urologist who carried out my op told me the proportion of men he was treating that cycled regularly had increased markedly in the last 5 years. You may or may not be doing damage down there but, if you are, it is a gradual process which can have some very nasty end results. He was actually in the process of writing a paper on the subject at the time.

The answer is a saddle that fits you - not one that's comfy/a favourite amongst the masses/a bargain.

Nobby on the mountain bike over the past few months I've had bell end numbness, etc since I've gone from my WTB rocket V (that had to be binned as it fell apart) and onto what I could find in the spares box. Did worry me alittle what it must be doing to nerves etc down there longterm.

(BTW I don't wear cargo pants off road) - the pants stay, I'll investigate a decent fitting here in Manchester for offroad and on road saddles.

Kryton57 - Member

Is anyone riding frequently able to comment on whether the stitching has had an adverse effect on their lycra?

i've got a spoon on my commuter, it's eaten 2 pairs of shorts in 2 years, i ride about 100km/week, the saddle is starting to look a bit shabby.

i'd change it, but:

1) my bum really likes the shape.
2) i'm kind of curious to see how this saddle vs shorts battle plays out...

The answer is a saddle that fits you - not one that's comfy/a favourite amongst the masses/a bargain.

I had my sit bones measured, and the result was the most uncomfortable saddle I have ever used.

I'm not a roadie. I'm using a road bike to train on. I've no interest in 'crits, road gangs, Sportifs etc etc. I don't want to develop arms like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, I don't want to plaster myself in a manufacturers logos to pretend I'm a pro-rider, nor do I want to wear a cycling amateur club tshirt and ride with 10 other same-shirted club members trying to beast ourselves/forget about a marriage gone stale. I don't want to worry over stats, obsess with detail, worry about Strava-esque type problems.

...Yet.

Yet?

Everyone likes nailing someone from the office? 😆

As above, give a Fizik Aliante a try, i was always a mountain biker and i could not get on with Charge Spoon on either MTB or road bike, the Aliante was recommended to be by bike fitter and it has been great, never had any issues at all when coupled with decent shorts.

I think if you only got sit bone ache, then you were on your way to a winner anyway - that's where you should be supported

+1

If this is a new saddle, it could well be the first time you have actually sat on your Ischial Tuberosities properly. It is completely normal to find this uncomfortable, for a while. If it doesn't improve for a couple of months, then pop to your local spesh dealer and get yourself a saddle with some science behind it.

I think you need to face the fact that most people think you look silly on a road bike whatever you wear, and those who don't will think you look more silly with your clothing choice. Up to you though if you want to look more silly and be more uncomfortable.

How does that work then? I think people in Lycra look silly.

Quite like that monologue earlier hora..

Why do people get into a sport and think they must progress along a 'career hobby' conveyor belt as defined by their peers?

"Nice bike, are you planning any Sportives this year"

- No I'm going to ride and enjoy my bike thanks.

I don't care if I'm 10th on a particular stretch of trail against 200 total strangers. Who gives a **** about Strava, wheelsizes (what we 'should' be riding now) or what I should be wearing? Is it a conformist uniform.

You're asking about comfort. people as saying that Lycra without baggies is more comfortable.

Its not snagging and its not flapping though.

Its the sitbones I asked about in my OP. Sitbone comfort isnt improved by taking away a thin layer of fabric from the equation.

Yes but it's you so all bets are off.

Anyway, to add to the consensus, it sounds like you've probably actually found a good saddle but aren't yet used to sitting in the right way (eg sit bones). Give it a few rides.

I'll pick up a secondhand scoop too when one pops up.

I don't care if I'm 10th on a particular stretch of trail against 200 total strangers. Who gives a **** about Strava, wheelsizes (what we 'should' be riding now) or what I should be wearing? Is it a conformist uniform.

...says the man with a long list of past equipment that closely resembles the en-vogue STW guidline du jour...

Are you calling me a fashion cyclist(TM)? 😯

No I'm suggesting your not as non-conformist as you may think.

My advice, use the money you've saved to get a really nice man bag... 😀

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The Boardman saddle that came on my CX bike is surprisingly comfortable for me and there are usually lots on e bay unused.I think the roadie brand snobs find them too conformist so probably right up your street 😉

At the risk of providing a predictably STW answer I find just about any saddle is OK until Im ****ed at which point just about any saddle is torture.

Hence you should get an reasonably acceptable saddle then MTFU.

edit: Hora its a short but well worn step between bibs under baggies and full lycra, denial is often part of the journey but the outcome is inevitable.

Nobby on the mountain bike over the past few months I've had bell end numbness, etc since I've gone from my WTB rocket V (that had to be binned as it fell apart) and onto what I could find in the spares box. Did worry me alittle what it must be doing to nerves etc down there longterm.

The real issue is when folk don't notice.

What he was saying is that by not getting a saddle that fits many are putting pressure on the urethra itself which doesn't tend to manifest as pain or numbness. This can eventually cause 'scarring' internally which, if untreated, can worsen over time to the point where flow is restricted. Many cyclists, as they get older, find themselves having to get up & pee during the night &/or more frequently than most during the day - this can be a sign that there is a restriction and the bladder is not emptying itself properly when you go. Fast forward, as the restriction worsens, the bladder retains more urine which will usually start a series of urine infections. These become more frequent as things deteriorate and worst case is the infection backs itself up the system to your kidneys. This is something you really don't want.

The current trend towards saddle fittings etc is one of the very few 'innovations' not to be a load of marketing bull.

I'm not dismissing any other opinions but, from personal experience, I'd never buy another saddle without making sure it's the right size/shape for my ample butt.

I ride in baggies, I ride in lycra, and sometimes I ride in lycra with baggies over the top. And to be perfectly honest, I've never really noticed [i]any[/i] difference.

Nobby, pun on name.. thank you for your insight. It should be a new (and important) topic I think. Even a stw mag article