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I popped into a a branch of large bike chain (is there more than 1 ?...okay it was Evans) today asking to be sized up for a width specific Specialized saddle, but was told not to bother getting measured and if I was looking for additional comfort to just buy the widest.
I left a little bewildered without purchasing; Should everybody really buy the widest model (155mm in an Avatar) ?
So has anybody tried a few widths and found anything but the widest to be the comfiest ? Was he talking tripe, Are Specialized talking tripe ?
I tried one of those Specialized devices to measure how fat my arse is and bought the 155 Avatar on it's readings. I couldn't get on with it, sold it and got a Charge Spoon which was much cheaper and comfortable.
Well I did wonder if he'd already visually sized up my arse but the suggestion I read was that fat isn't gong to change where your sit-bones are and the theory, I think, is on supporting the bones (not the fat)
p.s. this was to be a saddle for my road bike
Strange, I used the Specialized ass-o-meter several years ago and in its recommendation used 143mm BG saddles - and I'm far from slender in the ass or sit bone. Have Henge saddles on both bikes and have found them far more comfortable than the Spoons, Belair and Gobi saddles I've also had over the years.
I tried the Specialized ass-o-meter as the spec saddle I had was awful after 50 moiles. Apparently I had the right one, so I sold it and I'm now Brook's and spooned up.
...I'm willing to consider that he is right but I'm going to try one other shop to try and get measured - it might measure me as a large anyhow.
The ass-o-metre said I was a 143 and the wife was a 155. We're both very comfortable on our bfax saddles. I think the chap in Evans might just have been talking out of his hat.
Never sat on the measuring thing, but have physically sat on two different width (albeit different models) saddles. I now have two 130mm wide ones, both of which are very comfy and are different models. The 143 I tried was just wrong.
I got measured and was recommended the 143 wide Avatar. Feels great and has lasted me years, worth the money imo.
Salesman selling what's easiest rather than getting the right sized saddle, I reckon.
(In my experience about 2/3 of people end up with the middle size on the arseometer)