General Cycling Discussion - Ladies bike seat suggestion?

Hello peoples, i'm new to cycling and am having a problem with my bike seat. I could not find any appropriate forum category as most were on about gears etc.

Without going into specifics, i think my seat is a little uncomfortable especially after the hour mark. I've seen one of those super cushy fat seat types around in kmart and am thinking of getting that for my road bike... but i'm not sure if that fat seat might affect some other aspect of my riding, cuz i don't see too many people around on road bikes with those.. probably for a good reason too.

Also i'll appreciate if anyone here could suggest a some good ladies seat brands.. Appreciate any help from ya'll.

Try a Brooks saddle. They make Women Specific saddles. www.wallbike.com Is a good place to purchase Brooks saddles.

The fat seat you speak of will become very uncomfortable very quickly on a road bike. It is designed for a much more upright position.

There are a number of women's specific saddles available. Terry (www.terrybicycles.com) makes a number of them. Many women have luck with Terry saddles. If Terry's saddles don't work for you, there are a number of other manufacturers that make women's saddles as well.

It's often trial and error. I went through about 4 saddles before I found one I liked, and ironically, it's a men's saddle.

I went to my LBS after trying the seat on my new bike for about two weeks. They put my bike on a trainer and let me try several different types of seats. I could tell withingn a few minutes which ones were comfy and which ones weren't. I settled on a Serfas. It has a 90 day satisfaction guarrantee, too. I have found that you can't really go on recommendations for seats...you just have to try them. Good luck.

check and ask here: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/index.php

It's a women's forum, with a specific subforum for favorite and most-hated saddles.

My wife is using a Specialized women's Dolce Gel saddle. She's doing 42 milers and says it's great No discomfort, has the cut out too. She loves it.

As far as Serfas seats from the bike stores? She used a Serfas from the shop ($29). Said it was comfy. Had one one her single and still has one on the tandem. Onee of those seats with the spandex type covering.

One day we were waliking thru Target. We walked thru the bike section. Looked at the saddles. One saddle looked just like the one we had paid $29 at the bike shop. We bought it as it was only $14.99. I wanted to compare it to the seat on her bike.

We got home and sure enough, same exact saddle! Looked under and the markings exactly the same. Both said "Velo" underneath, only the Target model was sold with all the bulky hardware.

We later bought another to replace the seat on the tandem after it wore out.

So if you want to try one of those comfort seats, taek a look at the models at the LBS and then look at Taget. You just might find the same thing.

Seat at LBS($29.99) or at Target($14.99). Same exact thing except you get the bonus bulky hardware at Target at a lower price! Seat on her Bianchi. 40-60 milers no problems.:D


http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g191/gulpjerryjenny/seat1.jpg

Got lucky and found at Target wit red trim, matches our tandem. Has done 4 centuries on this seat no problem.:D


http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g191/gulpjerryjenny/tandemseat.jpg

Specialized Dolce Gel ($59'ish) on her Trek Pilot. Says it's very comfy, More than the Serfas models, LBS or Target.Does 42 milers every Sat and Sunday. At the end of the ride, she says doesn't even feel like she was on a bike with this seat. :D

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g191/gulpjerryjenny/SpecializedDolce.jpg

I have a Brooks B17. It is just wide enough and the smooth surface eliminates saddle sores completely. It is also just supportive enough to eliminate pressure on the unmentionables. It also has a natural suspension to it(stiff leather). It looks horribly uncomfortable, but fits great

One thing to do that may narrow your choices down considerably: measure the distance between your sitbones. At the very least, your sitbones should be completely supported by your saddle with a little room to spare.

My sitbones are too wide for a great many saddles, including the B-17. There are other factors, of course, but this is a good starting point for many women.

http://www.cyclingforums.com/ has a women's area

Thanks heaps for all the tips/recommendations and Mr Bean for the photos!! At least i've got some idea what to look out for when i try out the seats instead of looking like ditz.

Hurley.girl mentioned that an oversized seat is more suited to a more upright positioned bike. In what ways would it be more uncomfortable on a road bike? pedalling awkwardness because of the bulky structure? thats the only one i can think of...

If it's too wide your thighs hit it, which can lead to chafing and is just generally uncomfortable. I also had some issues with a big bulky saddle creating pressure issues that made my leg go numb.

Terry Womens Fly saddle.

If it's too wide your thighs hit it, which can lead to chafing and is just generally uncomfortable. I also had some issues with a big bulky saddle creating pressure issues that made my leg go numb.

Yup. Those big cushy seats can actually be painful when your thighs rub against them for an hour or more.

Terry Womens Fly saddle.

Actually, the men's version is the Fly - the women's version is the Butterfly. A lot of people like the Terry saddles, especially the Butterfly. http://www.terrybicycles.com

I like the Butterfly, but the best one for me is the Specialized Avatar in 155 mm width. The Specialized ones are nice because they come in multiple widths to accomodate different butts. They have a piece of memory foam that you can sit on in the stores to see how far apart your sit bones (ischial tuberosities) are. I would recommend that first, so you can narrow down your choice a bit. I did NOT do that when I first started looking for saddles, and I think I tried about 14 before I finally found one I liked.

Good luck.