Road Cycling - Saddle suggestions wanted...

Hello;

I'm pretty sick of spending nearly $100 for a saddle, only to have my butt feel like it was beat with a meat-tenderizer when I'm done riding! My current saddle is a Selle Italia Flite Ti (non-Gel) and I hate it (although it looks cool :) I, like many of you, don't have a ton of body fat so I don't have much "natural cushion" which makes this decision pretty important (I'm 6'1" and weigh 165 lbs.) My typical ride (on my Trek 5200) is about 35 miles long, yet every time I ride, I come back with a really sore rear!

Anyway, what are some saddles that you roadies are having good luck with? I'm considering try this Aireon SL Suspension saddle from SuperGo:
http://www.supergo.com/static/item_21113.asp

http://www.supergo.com/images/items/seats/full/Aireon_Suspension_seat-f.jpg

http://www.supergo.com/images/items/seats/full/Aireon_Suspension_seat_rr-f.jpg

For $30, I figure it's worth it and the rubber dampers look promising!

I'm a guy, so don't suggest any women's saddles :D

The WTB SST is a high-quality leather-covered saddle with a nicely-shaped tail, dense padding, and a slightly wider nose with more padding than your Flite. It's most commonly used on racing mountain bikes but maybe worth a look. I like mine (use it on my mountain bike). Here's what it looks like, nothing too eyecatching:

http://cambriabike.com/saddles/images/wtb_sst_classic_saddle.jpg

That's from here: http://cambriabike.com/saddles/tioga_to_wtb.htm Your LBS may be able to order one, if you think it looks like it has potential. Make sure to get the leather one.

I use the WTB Speed V, and like it.

I have used the Ti Flite and loved it. I upgraded to Flite gel last year. How much seat time do you have on the saddle? Let anything else you will have to break in the saddle and your butt. Just because I use and love the Flite saddle does not mean that it will work for you. I tried many saddle to find the right one for me. If I could find one, I would to have a Turbo. If you have a LBS that will work with you, try before you buy. I have about $800 of saddle sitting in my shop.
Good luck

todd-

i'm not sure how well you'll like that aireon if you dont like the flite. they just seem very similar in shape, both are narrow and have rounded edges. but the suspension does look very promising.

i ride a selle italia prolink cutout, it's VERY different from the flite. whereas the flite is rounded and narrow, the prolink is flat and wide. and also, the cutout version of the prolink has a prominent dip where your private parts go in addition to the actual cutout itself. so your sit bones take ALL the pressure. and it also has an elastomer suspension system. unfortunately, it is kinda expensive ($80-ish), but i find it to be great since i'm not incredibly fond of the flite either.

Thanks for your input, djgustashaw!

While doing some research on the Selle Italia Prolink saddle you are talking about, I found this interesting link on Selle Italia's site regarding how choose a saddle:

How to choose your saddle (http://www.selleitalia.com/products/scheda.php3?itemid=30)

Some of what they say confuses me though, for example:


If you find yourself getting sore on the "sit" bones, tilt the seat down a little. Try it again and adjust it a little at a time. If you find yourself getting sore in the front soft tissue area, raise the nose a little.

Well, it's my "sit bone" that is hurtin me, so are they suggesting I lower the nose (front) of the saddle??? The above quote almost seems backwards... you'd think that if my "sit-bone" was sore, I'd want to try to move some of the pressure towards the front of the saddle, hense tilt the nose up???

I have been playing with my saddle lately. My sit bones hurt a little to. So first I tilted up and my soft tissue area killed me! I put it back at level now and I am back to being "ok" but my sit bones still are a little tender after riding. I have yet to tilt down, but I have trouble sitting back far enough,,,I am always pushing back on the seat. The other problem i have is a pulling feel in my inner sit bone/hip area. It feels like i either am stretching something or my saddle is pressing to hard up in there. I don't know.

hmm yea thats what i was thinking, too. doesn't make much sense. all i can say is to experiement with your saddle, but remember that you need to adjust in VERY small increments, like millimeters. i prefer to run my saddle completely level.

also, if your sit bones are getting sore, i'm not sure if a prolink would be good for you... saddles are 100% personal so someone else might disagree w/me here, but i find that the prolink puts ALL of your weight right onto your sit bones and NONE on your private parts. after about 75 miles it can begin to get pretty sore; nothing horrendous, it's quite tolerable, but still. i was also experimenting with different saddles earlier this week, and put an OLD flite (no gel, it's like 15 years old, one of the VERY originals lol) on, and i found that it wasn't as bad as i remembered. it didn't put quite as much pressure on my sit bones, but i preferred the zero-private parts-pressure of the prolink.

also, after i did a ten-hour ride last week, someone let me try out their fizik aliante. it felt like heaven for the brief ride around the parking lot. unfortunately, its $150 for the cheapest model :(

Not to get "too physical" here, but it would be my "inner sit bone" that hurts... if that makes any sense? I.e., when I'm sitting on a normal chair, there is no pain, it's just when I sit on my bike seat. I'm wondering if that means I could use a wider/flatter seat?

I agree with the "zero-private parts-pressure" theory... that's what I'm trying to maintain as well. I've read too many articles about how bad it is to put too much pressure there :o

Just to throw a new curve into the thread, what are your guys/gals' best anti-soreness techniques? Here are mine:

When you come to a mild-to-moderate uphill grade, shift to a slow-turning gear and treat your bike like a StairMaster for about 30 seconds, to take the weight off your seat and sort of reset your circuit breaker.
If you come to a long gradual downgrade, put your cranks at 6 and 12, straighten one leg and rest the other leg's thigh across the seat, or put the cranks at 3 and 9 and take the opportunity to stand up and stretch your calves by dipping your heels.
Drum roll please... asprin or ibuprofen :)

the prolink seems to put all its pressure on the bottom of my sit bones, the same part of them that supports you while sitting in a chair. and for the record, i had the same problem with the flite and my inner sit bones. so maybe the prolink would be good for you after all :D
i'd recommend that you find a good lbs that will let you try one out for awhile before you buy. even if they wont let you borrow one for a few days, i'd at LEAST make sure that they let you mount it on one of the showroom bikes so you can spin it around the lot or on a trainer. if you have an lbs that you've been shopping at for awhile and know the guys who work there, i don't see why they would have a problem letting you borrow one, though.

Just to throw a new curve into the thread, what are your guys/gals' best anti-soreness techniques?

i DEFINITELY second the ibprofen. but if i'm on a long flat section, i shift into a big gear and grind along while floating a bit with my thighs over my saddle.

Well I do agree that a rider needs to learn to get out of the seat every so often. I get out of mine about every 15 minutes or so and stay out for about 2 minutes. But even with doing that I could not find a seat that was bearable (in the last 18 years) past 65-70 miles until I bought a Brooks Swift; now I can ride for over 100 miles with some discomfort but it's liveable; heck I did a 158 mile ride last year (repeating this year in September) and was then in pain BUT I made it whereas with any other seat I would quit at 70 miles tops.

Has anyone tried the ProLink without the cutout? How about with the Gel? How does it compare to the Flite Gel?

Use SI Flites on the MTBs but have them tipped slightly forward. Pretty comfortable for me but not for huge rides (then again the whole mtb position isn't good for long rides in the saddle for me).

On the road bike I use an SI XO Trans AM (with the hole) - most comfortable thing I've ever ridden (now after 1000mi) but it seemed a bit painful when I first got it. Fine tuned the position - it is now way forward on the rails and dead flat and my bars are 8cm below saddle top.

I reckon a combo of factors make it comfortabke (in no particular order):
- nice design (shape, padding etc)
- flex in rails
- break-in of materials (they've shaped somewhat to me)
- position of saddle (I used the trainer to help with rough fitting and long rides to fine tune)
- butt getting tougher: I've always reckoned that the more time you spend in the sadlle, the more you get used to it.

I have a Selle San Marco ODS, its very comfortable, i have it tilted slighty forward, and forward on the rails. I am having to replace it as it is ripped after dropping the bike a few times.

I am going to buy a Bodyfit Intake race saddle pretty soon, so i will let you know how it feels when i get it, heres a pic:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/bodyfit%20intake%20race%20saddle.jpg

I recently switched to the Selle Italia Prolink Trans Am saddle (http://www.greenfishsports.com/product.asp?0=228&1=236&3=77) and after going through an initial break in period (for it an my butt) I've been very pleased with it. I'll be putting another one on my Lemond Nevada City when I build it up.

Zack

About 2 months ago, I switched to the Specialized Milano. Granted, it's not the purest of racing seats, but is still pretty light and narrow. It has the cutout for you naughty bits.

At 260, I have the same problem as someone who is lean but for different reasons obviously. Just my weight on the seat can make things very uncomfortable. I can tell you from personal experience that I've been through 3 seats, all with fairly adequate break-in time and still had discomfort which limited my distance. When I switched to the Milano, I literally went for my longest ride ever at the time of 20 miles and had zero problems. I highly recommend it.

BROOKS

well I wondered if anyone was going to mention Brooks.
Thanks 1oldroadie.
I'd further the brooks comment and say
B17.
do a search on Brooks here at BF, there are more than a few
threads about breakin, set up etc.
If you need more info let us know.

Marty

I looked down this thread and wondered at the prices charged for plastic saddles that never get any more comfortable than when you first try them. Forget stitching, gel, dampers, Titanium rails...if you are one of those cyclists with a tender butt and want to put in big miles, listen to the old-school advice and buy a saddle that doesn't break you in......a Brooks.

If it's not a brooks, it's not a saddle.