General Cycling Discussion - Question for the guys

What is a good seat that doesn't make your 'you know what' region go numb? I have a Trek gel something that came with my bike (2001 Trek 7300). After say 15 minutes of riding I start noticing a numbing/tingling sensation in the nether regions. Help please.

There are just sooooo many saddles out there to choose from it's hard to make a recommendation.

Have you been to the LBS to make sure your seat is the right height and angle?

I've seen many folks say in these forums that they have many saddles. My LBS will let me test saddles before purchase or trade those that don't work out. Perhaps your LBS would do the same?

I had one saddle that did the same thing you are complaining of. Once I actually took out my level and set the seat absolutely straight, the problem went away.

Sorry I can't come right out and recommend a specific saddle for you. Just doesn't work that way.

Carl

Carl, thanks for the advice. I'll be stopping by the LBS in a few days and ask. And I'll check the level on the seat. What's the ideal angle? Or is it preference?

Most of the recommendations I have seen as well as my own experience suggests perfectly level front to back or, if preferred only a very slight angle downward in the front.

Sometimes a groove or hole seems to help. The most important thing is to make certain your "sit bones" are resting on the saddle.

Curiously enough, my first inclination was to avoid thin saddles. I bought a hybrid about a year ago and actually told the salesman, "I don't want a skinny seat that will disappear up ........."

Last week I bought my first road bike. It had a thin stock leather saddle which to my absolute amazement is extremely comfortable. I intend to change the saddle on my hybrid this weekend.

The recommendation to keep your saddle level also helps keep the weight off your arms and hands as the saddle tries to push you forward.

Carl

You might want to try a firmly-padded saddle instead of a soft one. With a firm saddle, your sit bones' region supports most of your weight. With a soft one, they sink in, allowing the soft tissues around them to take pressure too. Make any sense...?

I hav a WTB saddle on my mountain bike, one of their upper-end droop-nosed SST models with a high-quality leather cover. It has an ideal amount of firm padding, and a shell with moderate flex (plus it's not ultra-skinny). If you get a WTB, be aware that they have top-end ones with the nice leather covers, and then they've got the baseline models...

Having tried a soft wide saddle on a hire bike I'll be sticking to narrow firm ones.

Personally I like Selle Italia saddles (currently the XO), but it's personal...


Richard

I've been doing lots of "by the seat of my pants"
research (should I seat of my shorts?) into saddles
and found that I really prefer Brooks B-17. Additionally
its most comfortable with a slight (and I mean less than
2cm lift) upward tilt to the nose of the saddle.
I concur with all the above a soft saddle (gel) is
not the answer.
Check out Sheldon Brown's thoughts on
saddles:
A comfortable saddle (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html)

Marty