I’ve been faffing with my bike set up for ages, I’m struggling to get comfortable and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s the saddle.  I’ve got a Burgtec Cloud and no matter what I do with it, I can’t find that sweet spot where it feels comfy to sit on.  Is it just me – am I missing something?  Should you be able to get comfy on any saddle?  Or are some of them just torture implements.  I’ve used a ton of saddles over the years from the likes of Selle Italia and Fizik but this Burgtec seems to have defeated me!

No, no, yes. We’re all shaped differently so one size fits all will never work, ditch it and try something else.

FWIW reviews I have read about the Burgtec have been mixed enough to put me off. Twice I’ve bought saddles (SDG Bel Air and Fabric Scoop) which were well regarded but I had one ride on and got rid.

No, you should not be able to get comfy on any saddle. We are all shaped differently and some backsides are incompatible with some saddles.

I, for example, cannot bear more than 20 minutes on the much lauded charge spoon. I also struggle with Ergon saddles.

Charge spoon= hideous for my bum

Brooks b17= awesome.

I bet you can find loads of folk on here whose experience is the total opposite.

I bought a selle Italia leather saddle that look the same a brooks, same dimension and construction. It was hideous!

All bum’s are not the same.

I’m intrigued by the Ergon saddles as I’ve found their products to generally be pretty well designed but expensive.  So one of their saddles might be a bit of a pricey punt!

Time to head to a local shop with saddles that are on a 30 day ‘try and return’ basis, who can measured your arse and swap out a few things.

I *think* Bontrager, Fabric and Selle Italia all do 30 day return if your but doesn’t like….

What’s on your other bikes ? I tend to stick with similar saddles – all fairly flat. Two spoons, a pose Selle Italia and a Fizik.

Try and go for something you have used previously. Can you swap the saddle from another bike to check (before going to the expense of another saddle to find it’s not the saddle’s fault)

You can buy saddles second hand on here then it’s not so bad if it does not work out.

I tend to get fizik saddles now. I had a brief dalliance with Fabric but they were unbearable. I’m sure you will find people say the exact opposite.

I’ve got a Charge Spoon on everything and it’s ‘alright’. I pretty much got the point where that was as good as it was going to get without a significant outlay of faff, time and money trying others, especially as every time you try a new one it’s basically a roll of the dice as to whether to will be comfy or not, and it probably won’t.

Try some others mate, life’s too short to have a sore arse.

I’d suggest trying the Fabric Scoop Radius as it’s cheap and a lot of people seem to get on with it (apart from someone up the thread obvs).

Ergon and SQLabs have templates for measuring your sit bones, and those will give you an idea what suits you

As others have said, very personal thing

As above – very personal

One thing maybe worth trying is to alter the angle of the seat. I like a slightly nose up seat but the one I used this summer needed to be what looks like ridiculously nose up to be comfy because when the nose is liftet the bit you actually sit on is level.  Its a bontrager SSR and has a noticable “scooped” shape to it viewed from the side

The charge spoon looks similar to me – a distinct change of angle of the nose to the rear but I have not used one

Saddles = buy & try

Unfortunately this is the only method that works. I’ve found almost all recommendations are irrelevant unless it’s for a generic works well for most people kinda review, even then I’ve not got on with some.

Cloud saddles are horrid, have had lots of saddles can get on with most for a few hours, but uncomfy from minute 1 on a burgtec cloud, measure as mentioned,your trumpton will thank you👍🏼

I bet you can find loads of folk on here whose experience is the total opposite.

Yeah, didn’t get on at all with the Brooks, used a Spoon with no issues for years.

Current favourite is the Spesh Phenom. I used an Ergon for a couple of years, but found the width of the nose started to cause chaffage on my inner thighs. My legs must have got fatter, but now I prefer a skinnier-nosed saddle.

@The Beard – if you are local to Essex I’ve a stash of saddles you are welcome to try.

I’ve tried various saddles over the last six years, having issues on the turbo from ~45mins and outdoors after ~2 hours.

Short commutes can be ridden on pretty much any saddle for me.

For longer rides, the Selle SMP (Extra) I’ve had for the last year or so with it’s quirky shape, has been by far the best solution for me.

I had a cloud and gave it away!

For reference always got on with original SDG Bel-airs, then charge scoops.

Switched all my bikes now* to Ergon SM Pro (or sport, not sure Pro is worth paying extra for). Defo size specific so worth measuring.

*have a brooks on my Orbea Vibe, expected to have to remove it after one ride, but I’m wearing it in slowly. Probably be perfect in about 2027 😉

I’ve had a few Clouds on demo bikes. I’m usually pretty OK with most saddles, but those are hideous. The only cloud containing a brick, IME…

I tried all sorts of saddles, Brookes, Ergon, ISM etc and finally settled on a Specialized Phenom. The Brookes was a close second but had chafing issues which were resolved by the Phenom. Specialized have a 30 day trial too and I tried a few using this before the Phenom was chosen.

Doesn’t everyone have a box full of ‘nearly’ saddles? We should start an exchange scheme.

I’m a bit weird in that I’ve never noticed a difference between any saddle, only its impact on my reach based on the clamp:rail location.

I rarely wear liners.

I’m a big fan of the short nosed saddles, especially the Spesh Power – I have them on the two bikes that do the biggest mileage, as a cheaper alternative I bought a Prime Doyenne Shorty for my CX bike as the Vitus thing it came with was just bearable for a 50min CX race, for actual riding it was horrendous, way too narrow, the Doyenne is on a par with the Spesh Power and much cheaper.

I picked up a new (to me) XC HT last autumn and that had some cheapo saddle on it, previous owner kept their preferred one, and wanting to get out on it I had a Spesh Bridge Comp in the shed and for a “standard” shaped, cheap saddle it’s excellent at least as comfy as the Power and the Shorty, if a smidge longer.

I never had problems with saddles then all of a sudden I was struggling to find a comfy saddle a few years ago when I got a new bike. I recalled one day that the comfiest saddle that I had previously was a WTB Rocket. I got one of those and the problem is fixed.

Maybe start by trying to remember which saddles have worked well in the past.

A saddle swap shop is a great idea! Maybe as part of the classifieds section or something. It does feel a bit like a good technical article for the mag – how to find the right saddle. There’s such a huge range with so many different fitting options, idmatch, retül, spine concept… I do feel arsemap is a missed opportunity there.

Think I might cave on price and try an Ergon out, there’s less of them on fleabay second hand so I presume people must get on with them quite well.

I think steeper seat tube angles are to blame. Never had an issue on older bikes but my Transition was a pig to find a saddle that suited. Tried a few saddles from other bikes I got on well with but they just didn’t work on that bike. Longer climbs caused pressure on my sit bones. Was fitted for an Ergon but had the same issue as other saddles. Ended up on a SDG Bel Air 3.0 which has been great.

@The-Beard PM me if you want a deal on a 3 ride old Ergon.

Love my WTB Speed V Comp.A proper big and comfortable saddle.I,m dreading the day when I have to find a replacement. Any of you guys ever seen one for sale?I think a few battered specimens on ebay are overpriced.