General Cycling Discussion - gel cover or new saddle

my cannondale xr800 cyclocross was supposed to come with a fizik pave saddle but rather, came with this painful apparatus. ive used it for a while and am getting more used to it but it still causes minor discomfort.

what is recommended? a gel pad or a new saddle. ive done a few searches and would prefer not to spend 120 CAD$ on a brooks saddle but if i must i might as well. gel pads go for 20$ so it will be alot cheaper.

your thoughts ..?

I have read bad reviews on those gel covers, making the ride worse than not using them at all, because the saddle which was designed to apply pressure on the right pressure pionts, were not effective anymore because the gel was equalizing the pressure on a wider area which inlcudes the softer pionts on your butt.

But every person has a different "anatomical:D " butt and feel.. You might want to try it out by visiting your LBS.

my lbs is mtb only, and the place that i bought my bike from is 250 km away and ill only be going there about 3 weeks from now.

no harm in trying the mtb store though

Mail order a BROOKS!

Saddles are a bit of a lottery - personally I'm very happy with minimalisim - Selle Italia flite. I would be surprised if gel pads helped and would expect the cover to have some movement which could cause more discomfort - I wasn't impressed by those I saw.

A Brooks saddle takes some time to break in. A new ball peen hammer accelerates the process, though. I use a Brooks for touring and long distance rides, but still use my Flite for racing. The gel pads are bulky and tend to restrict the 'boys' movement.:eek:

I had a gel seat once. It felt like I had..ahem..a load in my pants. It was much too squishie for me. Seemed like I got too much movement on the seat (now that was a poor phrase, wasn't it?) as I pedaled. And for that reason, I've stayed away from the gel shorts.

Brooks might not be a great idea if you take your bike offroad. Grit will get into the works, making the saddle squeak like a cat in a blender. The Fizik Pave is a good choice, except for the elastomer shock absorbers, which will squeak as well. Best to get something like a SI Flite or Flite Trans Am.

I'm partial to good old leather saddles... as I have two Brooks B5N (similar to the B17, but less ornate) that are roughly 25 years old.

That being said, a Brooks is great when you are ON the bike, but you need to protect it from the elements (especially rain and snow) when you aren't. You may also find a good "plastic" saddle that would fit your rear end. Less care is needed and you don't have to break it in. But don't expect it to last 25 years.

I was pissed, my cnew cannondale was supposed to have the fizik pave, but it came with this selle royale junky heavy thing.

Ive got a WTB Rocket... a Very cheap seat and very uncomfortable... But after riding with it for 5 months ive got used to it... and i hardly feel it anymore :)

well ive done alot of reading and the selle italias are hated by some and loved by others. that imo is too big of a risk for me to take so i might as well go with a brooks and find a way to protect the underside.

anyway, the b17 is looking good about now..tehn again theres so much info hitting me that ill probably be stuck with my crappy saddle for a while before i can make my decision

Originally posted by pointyhead
I had a gel seat once. It felt like I hada load in my pants. It was much too squishie for me. Seemed like I got too much movement on the seat (now that was a poor phrase, wasn't it?) as I pedaled. And for that reason, I've stayed away from the gel shorts.

I agree with pointyhead. Gel seats really don't make a bad saddle more comfortable.

In the long run, you will be more happy with saddle that suites you better.