Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Seats for Women and Gloves

I know there are a billion 'what saddle is most comfortable' threads out there, but I need specific info for a woman's saddle. I read enough to finally convince myself that Gel was bad and Brooks was good. Then my wife asks for a comfortable saddle and I quickly think...why Brooks of course. But then I started wondering, what about all those woman specific saddles out there.. Women are different from men I think.

So from an Athena perspective, or a Clyde that knows, what is the best saddle for women from a comfort perspective.

The second part is gloves. Do you guys wear them?

Gloves is velly goot.
Why?
I recently came off my bike at 35 km/hr. I chipped a tooth ... when my face slammed into the bitument. I also ripped the living daylights out of the palms of my gloves :eek:

What do you do instinctively when you fall? You put your hands out to save yourself. This is natural. This is good. This hurts like blazes if you aren't covering those contact points with leather.

Wear gloves. Most of the time, they make the ride more comfortable - they ALWAYS make the accident more comfortable :rolleyes:

Richard

Saddles. Saddles are a different issue. Sadly, I know of only one way to work out if a saddle is comfortable or not and that is to ride on the rotten thing. You can reduce the guess work by asking the advice of someone who is the same gender and who has a similar bottom size ... but such creatures are rare. I'm afraid it's ride it and see :eek:

Me? I get on very well with the Bontrager saddle that came with my bike ... and which has been condemned by every other forum post that mentions it.

Ride the saddle on your bike. Try to work out why it isn't working for you, then try to find something that addresses that issue. BUT, it is hit and miss, and it all depends on YOUR bottom, no-one elses :rolleyes:

Richard

Terry makes a very good woman specific saddle.

All around:
http://www.terrybicycles.com/saddles/product.html?idc=db08912e8e
One example:
http://www.terrybicycles.com/product_images/thumb/2143990.gif


There are others at the Terry site as well.

My wife uses the Specialized Dolce Gel saddle. Has a cutout like the Terry but more cush. She loved it so much that after a year, she demanded another for the tandem.

We ride mostly smooth bike trails. Roads only when we have to but has done 84 miles on the saddle without issues.

And gloves? Heck yeah. No slip sweat grip of the handlebars. Protection on a fall. But mostly I use them to brush glass from my tire while rolling. This wears the glove so I don't buy real expensive gloves.

Make sure you try on the gloves. Wife loves Nike gloves but the PI($30) seem to run a bit small. She bought a pair than later found out that they were a bit tight between the fingers, very uncomfy. While sizing, make sure you have slack to open and close hands into a fist with comfort.

IMO, I find that the $30-$40 gloves aren't any better than the $20 specials.

I use a WTB Comfort V saddle (http://www.wtb.com/saddles_comfortv.html) which does the trick pretty well. Gloves? Absolutely. Protection, yeah, but pressure points are the main reasons I wear these. I wouldn't be without 'em. I'm a PI fan.

I think there is a women's forum. As to Brooks, the claim is that the leather is broken in to the individual that rides the saddle.

I think there is a women's forum. As to Brooks, the claim is that the leather is broken in to the individual that rides the saddle.
Yes, there is a womens forum. You'll have to PM snowy if you are a woman for an invite!:D

I am not a woman
I like women
I am not one

I am not a woman
I like women
I am not one
That wasn't specifically directed at you or anyone in particular......

I know you are a guy!:p It was directed at any women that might read the thread.....we do have some in the Athena's after all that venture outside of the Athena thread and lurk.:p

about a month ago my partner came home from work, hopped off her bike and
said "i need a new seat". she had one of those large gel type seats, we
called it the barkalounger. WOW, a trip to the bike store. she looked at
all the seats they had, wasn't impressed by any of them. i offered to
swap out a pretty new brooks B-68; she agreed, i think just to placate
me. she tried it for about a week and said it was ok, but not perfect.
so i offered to let her try my pretty comfortable B-17, she rode it for about
10 days; we made some of the usual adjustments. then i wanted to know
when i was going to get it back, she said the b-17 was working out pretty
well- in fact it felt quite good, actually the best bike seat she ever had.
thought my ears were winking out there, as she is the one in the past who said
she would rather sit on a pointed fence post than ride one of those hard leather seats.
guess i lost my seat to her seat.

Terry makes a very good woman specific saddle.

All around:
http://www.terrybicycles.com/saddles/product.html?idc=db08912e8e
One example:
http://www.terrybicycles.com/product_images/thumb/2143990.gif


There are others at the Terry site as well.

You can get the Terry Butterfly in pink. :) Cheri ditched her Brooks for a pink Butterfly.

You can get the Terry Butterfly in pink. :) Cheri ditched her Brooks for a pink Butterfly.

Gee, I think that might be what gets my wife riding, a pink saddle......

One question about saddles in general, if they best feature of a Brooks is the fact the cover is leather and conforms to the rider, then wouldn't that apply to ANY leather covered saddle? Including several in the Terry line?

Woosterca, I think the Brooks is only leather, not filled with any cushioning other than springs. I equate it to a horse saddle.

If I would dare get my tom-boy of a wife a pink saddle I would be beat on severely.

I have a Terry Liberator woman specific saddle on my commuter it's comfy and a sprung Brooks B66 on my Sunday rider. I love the Brooks but I don't want it stolen off the commuter.

Terry is "leather" but more leather-covered. I think the cut-out does help take pressure off certain areas.

Yes gloves

Woosterca, I think the Brooks is only leather, not filled with any cushioning other than springs. I equate it to a horse saddle.

If I would dare get my tom-boy of a wife a pink saddle I would be beat on severely.

Different for me, wife loves pink, if she were a good rider, and we were both doing some long haul riding, then I'd get her the Pink Trek Pilot 5.2WSD, and the regular Pilot 5.2 for me, if we were wern't both a little over the weight limits for a carbon bike:D I might try and get her on the Trek Navigator 2.0 WSD in the red, and tell her it's very dark pink:rolleyes: , although I don't think she would accept it, a nice pink saddle on top though, with a solid seat post, and she might be accepting.....;)