Long distance saddle

A guy in work is looking to do lands end to John o groats and is looking for a better saddle for longer distance. What is a good saddle for long distance?

Also he has carpal tunnel, could you also recommend good hybrid bars or set up?

Very personal things saddles. Glib answer is “one that he’s comfortable on” and stock answer is “Brooks”

But what’s his current saddle and why does he want something better?

selle smp or spesh power.

Traditional leather saddles like Brooks have a following among audaxers and tourists for good reason. They conform to the rider’s shape and rely on a hammock effect rather than gel or foam for ‘give’. This avoids pressure build up on soft tissue after hours of riding. He needs to try for himself though, no one knows his arse like he does.

Bike set up and long training rides to acclimatise are also important.

Anything ISM if you value the functionality of yer bits.

A good bike fit and a saddle that provides pelvic support / stability without irritating soft tissue is what any cyclist will benefit from

This may look like a torture device to the untrained eye, but I can honestly say its the most comfortable saddle I have ever owned, and after testing one on a friend’s bike, I paid full price at a Specialized dealer to get one

I tried various Brooks and spesh and fixing saddles I finally settled on a selle smp it’s brilliant,as in I can’t even feel I’m sat on it. For short rides anything seems to work

As you can see already, no single answer to this. One person’s perfect saddle is another person’s torture device. Your friend really needs to try out saddles and confirm what works for him, well in advance of his ride.

I’m also an SMP fan, but they are very different, and you need to get used to the position and make sure they are set up right. Not cheap either. If you shop around, the MTB Hell is one of the cheaper versions, but has a slightly wider nose and more padding than other SMPs, which may or may not suit your friend.

Traditional leather saddles like Brooks have a following among audaxers and tourists for good reason.

I see more audaxers using Charge Spoons than anything else.

Very personal things saddles. Glib answer is “one that he’s comfortable on” and stock answer is “Brooks”

But what’s his current saddle and why does he want something better?

This +1

Despite being a chunky gorilla the only thing’s I’m comfortable on are 130mm race saddles. And weirdly, the charge bucket.

esher_shore, What kind of shape does the Power have?

I like quite a flat saddle; I like the Toupe, didn’t get on with the Romin.

another option is ISM – no pressure on soft bits at all. Very comfy when set up correctly.

Yep, each to their own, I find old style Flite saddles more comfortable than anything else but I also know plenty of people who hate them.

I find old style Flite saddles more comfortable than anything else but I also know plenty of people who hate them.

I find them very comfortable for a long day ride, but weirdly, always complete agony the next day. It’s years since I tried one though, and I’m finding my Spoon less comfortable than I used to, so might give it another go.

Ignore anyone who says a specific model that’s like saying “levis 501 32W 32L” to someone you don’t know what trousers they wear. It’s worth being a little scientific then picking one that fits, there isn’t much to them really!

Corrugated cardboard sit bones test, plus about 20mm.

Cut out – how flexible are your hip flexors, the reality of modern life is you probably need one unless you spend more time walking than sat down, short your hip flexors pull your pelvis forward, pushing your notcher into the saddle.

Flat Vs hammock shaped – personal preference, roadies tend to prefer a hammock to spread pressure front/back, MTBers a flat saddle to move around on. Selle Italia SLR Vs Flite is the obvious example.

For me ~135mm wide, mid sized cut out, flat top fit’s like a glove, spoon isn’t cut out enough and is way too hammock shaped.

I’m not a roadie and only grudgingly got a road bike to do lejog on, and didn’t do much training on it, a few 20-30 mile rides, but…

I did do one 60 mile ride to make sure everything worked as it should and found the standard saddle, that had been fine, cut off all feeling in my tackle beyond 30 miles.

I got one of the extra padded Selle SMPs which solved the problem.

So… whatever kit he gets suggest he does some representative rides.

Again it is the one you already know and are comfortable on.

For me the is the Fabric/Charge range. Currently got a fabric one with a cut out and it is nice. Been good for up to 150m this year. Will be testing it on a 6 day tour in May and a 400miler in June.

After a saddle good shorts are essential. I like the DHB aeron Pro range (or whatever the top end short is now). Chamois cream works for me, reapplied on very long days. For multiple days, a good wash, breathable underwear/trousers after the ride and savlon to treat any rubbing.

Thanks guys a lot of good feed back, i will pass the info on but like you said all back sides are different so he might have to try a few different options out, but at least he will have more options now as all he had heard was the standard “get a brooks” and that’s not to say the brooks isn’t a good saddle but it might not be the one for him. I’ll also recommend chamois cream and a good set of shorts.

My philosophy is saddle shape for support and good shorts for comfort – I’m quite happy on an unpadded saddle for 300km and using decent shorts with chamois cream – best I’ve found is Sportful Top Comfort. Padded saddles have been shown in some cases to increase inflammation rather than reduce it. Tried a leather Brooks for a while, but it was purgatory heard good things about the Cambium though.

Fizik have a range of contact points based on flexibility. I have just picked up a fizik mobius kurve ‘bull’. Read the blurb and reviews and I’ve drank the kool aid.

Can be had relatively cheap from mantel.com