Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Saddles for Nonskinny butts

Are there any saddles known for being very comfortable (preferably under $100) for people with nonskinny butts? I dont have much fat, but a heck of a lot of muscle and the saddle I have on right now (and some of the ones I checked out at the lbs today) just dont feel 'right'. Kind of like they are trying to give me a wedgie. I can ride on the one I have now, but its rather uncomfortable.
Thanks

ps- Yes this is a repost from the road forum. Its not getting any replies there.

I really like my brooks... just finishing breaking it in, and its wonderfull. A good set of cycling shorts is also a must.

Paul

I really like my brooks... just finishing breaking it in, and its wonderfull. A good set of cycling shorts is also a must.

Paul

Yeah I am looking at maybe the Brooks B-17. From what I can see, people say good things about them. I have a couple pairs of cycling shorts.

The B-17 is the end all be all. I can't say enough good things about it, other than I doubt I'll ever buy another saddle again. Seriously, it's that hot.

I just purchased a Sella An-Atomica and right out of the box its been great.

http://www.mcmwin.com/saddle%20shop.htm#US%20Models

are your bars higher or lower than the saddle and by how much.

There are wider Brooks: B-67 and the even wider B-33. I am currently riding a B-67. The B-67 is a single rail sprung saddle. The B-33 requires a doohickey to attack to an older type post.

are your bars higher or lower than the saddle and by how much.
Bars are lower. When I am going for a ride they are 2-3" below saddle height. When I am tooling around campus they are about even.

are your bars higher or lower than the saddle and by how much.

My seat height is about 1/2 inch higher than my bars, and I also changed to a shorter stem.

Bars are lower. When I am going for a ride they are 2-3" below saddle height. When I am tooling around campus they are about even.

They usually say to get a Brooks Pro if your bars are lower. And they say go for a B17 if they are around the same height. There is also a B17N, which is the shape of a B17 but narrow like a Pro.

Call Wallbike.com and see what they say. This may be beyond the ken of mere mortals :)

I recently smashed my Specialized BG Sport (which was very comfy) and replaced it with a Specialized Rival 143mm (not the SL version, I need all the rail strength I can get). It's even more comfortable. I regularly spend more than 2 hours in the saddle, and I don't have the tingly/numbness/pressure I get with my fizik pave saddle on my roadie.

It's also available in a 130mm version, depending on your sit bone width. That "wedgie" feeling you're talking about may be because most road saddles are sub-130mm in width -- which is very narrow in my opinion. If your weight isn't going on your sit bones, there's only one place for the saddle to go -- up!

$60 MSRP, you can find it for less on eBay, but it's worth every bit of $60.

It sounds like we may share a bit of physiology, in the seat region. I'm 235/6'2", big legs (18" calves/30" thighs/powerful and proportional glutes).

If it's for a road bike, you might be concerned with weight -- it's listed at 290 grams (again, non-SL version), but weightweenies.com shows it at closer to 320g. Still not super heavy.

They usually say to get a Brooks Pro if your bars are lower. And they say go for a B17 if they are around the same height. There is also a B17N, which is the shape of a B17 but narrow like a Pro.

Call Wallbike.com and see what they say. This may be beyond the ken of mere mortals :)

Thanks for the tip. :beer:


I recently smashed my Specialized BG Sport (which was very comfy) and replaced it with a Specialized Rival 143mm (not the SL version, I need all the rail strength I can get). It's even more comfortable. I regularly spend more than 2 hours in the saddle, and I don't have the tingly/numbness/pressure I get with my fizik pave saddle on my roadie.

It's also available in a 130mm version, depending on your sit bone width. That "wedgie" feeling you're talking about may be because most road saddles are sub-130mm in width -- which is very narrow in my opinion. If your weight isn't going on your sit bones, there's only one place for the saddle to go -- up!

$60 MSRP, you can find it for less on eBay, but it's worth every bit of $60.

It sounds like we may share a bit of physiology, in the seat region. I'm 235/6'2", big legs (18" calves/30" thighs/powerful and proportional glutes).

If it's for a road bike, you might be concerned with weight -- it's listed at 290 grams (again, non-SL version), but weightweenies.com shows it at closer to 320g. Still not super heavy.

Cool I will check out the Specialized saddle. It is for my road bike, but I dont currently race so Im not terribly worried about weight. Im actually 5'7" &165lbs but my shoulders and hips are as wide as people 6-8" taller than me so I just dont fit on the skinny little saddle I have.

Selle San Marco Regals are all I ride. I am 6'2" 220# and used to ride turbomatics, but hated the creaking that developed after a couple of months. The Regals are wider in the rear but have a narrow nose which is important if you have large thighs. With the turbomatics, I would wear out the leather around the nose resulting in about one season out of a saddle. The Regals fit me well and I still use the first one I bought three years ago. Brooks are nice, this makes a nice alternative. I have seen them online from $75 to $125. Richard Sachs sells them on his website for $95. He gives you a choice of white or red. I prefer black myself.

Selle San Marco Regals are all I ride. I am 6'2" 220# and used to ride turbomatics, but hated the creaking that developed after a couple of months. The Regals are wider in the rear but have a narrow nose which is important if you have large thighs. With the turbomatics, I would wear out the leather around the nose resulting in about one season out of a saddle. The Regals fit me well and I still use the first one I bought three years ago. Brooks are nice, this makes a nice alternative. I have seen them online from $75 to $125. Richard Sachs sells them on his website for $95. He gives you a choice of white or red. I prefer black myself.

Thanks for the suggestions and info! I did think that some of the wider saddles looked like they had too wide a nose and that my thighs would be constantly rubbing against the nose causing just as much irritation, but in a different place.

So without being too graphic has anyone found a seat for us men where when you are back on the seat far enough and bent over, you aren't having your privates feeling like Rocky is speedbag training on them?

First order of business: Go to an LBS and use their Butt o Meter, if they have one. That will measure your width of your Ischial bones (Sit bones), and I'm not kidding about the name of the tool! It's the Specialized "Butt-o-Meter!:eek: ;) :D

OK, next issue: The Junk getting crunched: This happens when the saddle is too nose high. If it's too nose low, you'll have butt pain and feel like you are trying to slide forward on the saddle.

Third potential issue: Depending on your stance o the bike, (Upright = wider saddle, Drops and lower bars = narrower saddle), will depend on how wide the saddle needs to be.

If your saddle is too wide, it compresses the sciatic nerve and restricts blood flow to the legs. This can lead to comfort issues at best if you ride a lot of miles, or Sciatica at the worst (Very painful!).:eek:

First order of business: Go to an LBS and use their Butt o Meter, if they have one. That will measure your width of your Ischial bones (Sit bones), and I'm not kidding about the name of the tool! It's the Specialized "Butt-o-Meter!:eek: ;) :D

OK, next issue: The Junk getting crunched: This happens when the saddle is too nose high. If it's too nose low, you'll have butt pain and feel like you are trying to slide forward on the saddle.

Third potential issue: Depending on your stance o the bike, (Upright = wider saddle, Drops and lower bars = narrower saddle), will depend on how wide the saddle needs to be.

If your saddle is too wide, it compresses the sciatic nerve and restricts blood flow to the legs. This can lead to comfort issues at best if you ride a lot of miles, or Sciatica at the worst (Very painful!).:eek:


As usual, some excellent advice here from Mr. Stormcrowe -- gained by much experience I suspect.

I'd like to follow up on the saddle angle bit -- if you have a saddle (like the Rival I suggested above) that is kind of "curvy" in horizontal profile, don't focus on getting the saddle level as in nose-to-back; focus on getting the mid-section of the saddle level. The tail will then "scoop" upward, and the nose will be level to tapered-down (depending on the make/curvature). This will allow you to get a fairly forward position and not have the "punched in the taint" feeling. This is one I learned by experience.

The reasoning I use to explain this is that the rear part (where your sit bones go) will compress and essentially become level with the mid-part of the saddle, so if it's level pre-compression, it will be lower once you're on it, and then the saddle will effectively be tilted up, with the middle pressing on the sensitive bundle of nerves in the middle.

Bars are lower. When I am going for a ride they are 2-3" below saddle height. When I am tooling around campus they are about even.


With the riding posture you've described, I think the Brooks 'Professional' would serve you about best. A Brooks 'Pro' favors a more leaned over position, where your pelvis is rotated forward more, like for a bike with 2-3" of saddle to bar height. The Brooks 'Swift' is the cut down and narrower version of the 'Pro', but with titanium rails and slightly thinner leather, and it is also a beautiful saddle. The 'B-17' favors a more up right position or slightly leaned over position. All the Brooks saddles are most excellent saddles in craftmanship and will last a good 25-30 years or more if taken care of. In my opinion, and in most other rider's opinions, they are the best saddles in the world, and have a cult status following that reflects that.

Here are the relative sizes of the different Brooks saddles for you to mull over, in mm;

Brooks 'B-17' - 170 x 280
'B-17 N (narrow) - 152 x 280
Brooks 'Swift' - 152 x 280
Brooks 'Pro' - 160 x 280

The Brooks 'Pro' and the 'Swift' is more rounded than the 'B-17', lending itself to a more aggressive 'racing' position than the other Brooks saddles. The 'Pro' also has large copper rivets and you can get it for a little over $100. All the previously mentioned saddles come with their own different styles of 'dressing', so you just have to choose which one you like best. As for me, I use to get killer saddle sores on rides more than 30 miles with my old Selle Italia 'Turbomatic 3' saddle. It was a great saddle too, and looked great on my bike, but absolutely killed me on long rides. The clincher came Christmas eve 2004 when I was about 50 miles into a 65 mile ride. I got the saddle sore from hell on that ride. It got so bad it was like sitting on a lit cigarette, wracking my whole lower body with aganozing pain and soaking my bike shorts with blood. Tha last 15 miles were the absolute worst, and had to stop a dozen times just to rest my sore ass.

After I healed up I bought a Brooks 'Pro' from 'Branford Bike', back when they were in Connecticut, and it effectively ended my saddle sore problems forever. Right out of the box it was the most comfortable saddle I ever rode, and I will never, ever ride anything else.

I have been happy with my Brooks B-17.

You might want to check Sella-SMP they come in a wide variety of sizes and types.

Another saddle to look at is the Brooks Conquest, basically a Brooks Pro set up for touring with springs. I ride a Conquest clone, cheaper, but quality leather, and it's no holds barred, the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden.:D My butt is happy with me!;) :p :D

With a size 40 waist I alternate between a Specialized Alias in the widest size, a Brooks B17 and an old no-name road saddle. They all have about the same profile when you look down at them from above...despite the materials used that profile is what works for me.

There's also a B17S that is marketed for women...A little wider and shorter than the regular B17 (177mm) http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30&action=details&sku=SA1268 if you need a little bit wider than a B17 but don't want a really big saddle!

I use Specialized Avatar Gel saddles on my bikes.

First, they come in different widths, and the widest one is *really* wide. Second, they have just enough gel to cushion the sit bones without squishing up a bunch and defeating the purpose of the anatomic groove. Third, they don't require any of the fussy break-in, care, or maintenance of a Brooks; put it on, ride.

I've had plenty of saddles. I tried some top of the line saddles that didn't work for me like the Fi´zi:k Arione and the Fi'zi:k Aliante. My first Brooks was a B-17 and it was much better but I found that it was a bit wide for this bike as the back of my legs were hitting the saddle. I went to a Team Pro and it is perfect. Now I have the Team Pro on my commuter bike and a Swift on my roady. The Swift works for this bike but I wouldn't want it any Narrower. Even the Swift is much wider than the Fi'zi:k's. I think the Specialized saddle systems would be a great choice for a plastic saddle though I've never ridden one.

I was in the same boat.
I checked the width spec for saddles and found most to be about 135mm.

So I seeked out 143mm+ saddle and found them to do the trick. Basically my pressure points on my rear are spaced wide apart.

Specialize Toupe comes in a 143mm. I ended up with a Selle Italia Flyte ProLink (this company makes many like sounding saddle....but the one I got was the wide one with anatomical cutouts and a unique suspension system at the rear that allows the saddle to flex alot).

I've got a Swift on my roadie and it's great for my 2" below bar height. Great buy, check www.lickbike.com as they tend to be the fairest on Brooks pricing. Wall Bike will trade you if your not happy with what you've found not to fit. Pretty sweet if your not real sure about which one to get.
I have a Selle Anatomica on my touring frame and it is the one I would cheer. It's about 5 years old and I feel right at home on it whether a 400 cross state or a quick (on a touring bike?:rolleyes: ) 20 miler.

I'm a Clyde at 230 lbs and either saddle has bee far more comfortable than my old Flite saddles,

Best, John

I've got a Swift on my roadie and it's great for my 2" below bar height. Great buy, check www.lickbike.com as they tend to be the fairest on Brooks pricing. Wall Bike will trade you if your not happy with what you've found not to fit. Pretty sweet if your not real sure about which one to get.
I have a Selle Anatomica on my touring frame and it is the one I would cheer. It's about 5 years old and I feel right at home on it whether a 400 cross state or a quick (on a touring bike?:rolleyes: ) 20 miler.

I'm a Clyde at 230 lbs and either saddle has bee far more comfortable than my old Flite saddles,

Best, John

I was just curious about which Selle Anatomica model you have. I thought they only began commercial manufacture in Jan 2006. Did you get an early pre-production model or a modified Brooks?

Bob

The saddle I really, really like is the Avocet 02 Air 40r. Wide at the back, but narrows quickly through the middle (Regals are still too wide through the middle, IMO) to a narrow nose. Later models had a nice "trough" for yer junk. I've gone on multiple 50-60 mile rides, including a couple miles pedaling in the drops, with NO numbness and NO residual sore butt. BTW, I'm 6', 215#, and ride with a 2" drop from saddle to bars.

The only problem is Avocet went out of business. I found one shop (Palo Alto Bicycles) that had a few left. So I bought three, which should keep me in saddles a nice long time. They still have a couple, so if you're in the Bay Area, check them out.

There is no one perfect saddle that's right for everybody. And wider does NOT equal more comfortable, necessarily. As Tom mentioned, its about your sit bones.

Check out this article by Sheldon Brown (cycling article genius extraordinaire).
http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

use their Butt o Meter,

"Captain, it's too wide! She's breaking up!"

There is no one perfect saddle that's right for everybody. And wider does NOT equal more comfortable, necessarily. As Tom mentioned, its about your sit bones....

Very true, with the caveat that narrower DEFINITELY does not equal more comfortable. In the case of the Avocet saddle I mentioned, it's wide, but not hugely so at the back. What it is, is firmly padded and flat, not humped in the middle, so that when riding, even in the drops, the pressure is on the sit bones not the soft tissues. :)

OTOH, a Fizik Pave that came with my Bianchi is almost exactly the opposite profile to the Avocet - narrow back, humped in the middle. Felt great on 15 mile rides. On 40 mile rides, not so great - too much pressure in the wrong places. :(

YBBMV, of course. (Your Butt Bones May Vary) :D

+1 on the B-17. Make sure it is not nose high. The natural leather flexes like nothing else and molds to you like nothing else either. You just need to find the right Brooks for your butt. If you are average to wide in the hips, the B-17 will likely work out, they seem to be pretty forgiving.

I love my Brook B-17 but like others said, it doesn't work for everyone. I also tried the Brooks Pro for a while but after about 25 miles it was painful for me. I definitely recommend wallbike.com as you can try it for 6 months and return it if you don't like it.

Specialized BG Comfort is quite comfy imo. And not comfy as in too wide or too cushy.

There is no one perfect saddle that's right for everybody. And wider does NOT equal more comfortable, necessarily. As Tom mentioned, its about your sit bones.

+1
Saddle choice seems to be as individual as...... well, as butts. All good advice listed earlier, but just should add to watch the amount of padding - as in width, more is not necessarily a good thing.

I returned to regular cycling last September at 6' 240 lbs. and bought this saddle:
http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=11746
I've got over 800 miles on it with my longest ride to date being 20 miles. No pain, no numbness, no next-day soreness.

When the Brooks Swallow finally was retired,I went with a saddle Nashbar had offered called an oasis. Nylon covered foam/gel(?)
I've had that saddle on my Paramount OS for 11 years and 40K miles.
I've decided to try a narrower lighter saddle.(The FIZICK died a horrible deeath under my clyde butt and Nashbar took it back)and I used a lead from another forum to find something with the right sit bone spacing. Apparently Specialized has a kit to measure the distance on a persons sit bones.
Well, a house brand memorex shoe insole will do the same trick at less cost.
Measuring the indents, I got a chart showing the width of a wide variety of saddles.
Performance had the Cro Mo Railed E3 for $24.95
It met the width criterium and I've had it on the Paramount (albeit inside on the mag trainer) for 3 solid weeks now.
I may switch out to the Oasis for those (over 60 mile)long rides but for now,the E3 is handling the chore nicely.