Fifty Plus (50+) - What kind of Saddle

I was looking for a thread to see, what kind of saddle would be recommended, I am riding a early 80's Falcon steel bike, about 12miles daily then every once in awhile I will ride up to 36 miles. I am currently using a specialized telluride that is getting worn out. Any suggestions?

I'll go first.....Brooks B-17! It'll be perfect for that bike. :D

I'll go first.....Brooks B-17! It'll be perfect for that bike. :D

I'll Second the brooks recommendation. Not only is it the most comfortable saddle made, but it would be a perfect fit for your ride.

I have Brooks B-17s on both my commuting bike (2000 Bianchi San Remo frame) and my fun bike (Peter Mooney custom steel frame)

I'll be the first to warn you that there are certain butts that will not be entertained by a Brooks- Of any age, any price or any letters that are after the name.

Terry Fly (http://www.terrybicycles.com/saddles/product.html?idc=4320bd96d2). :beer:

I'll throw my 2 cents in with the B17 crowd ------- what they said. Lp

i have a brooks b-17 on my commuter, and a terry fly on my roadie. saddles are a very "individual taste" kind of thing. good luck in your search.

be well,

jim

Brooks Pro -- 50k miles / 80k km and counting ...

Brooks Imperial. With the cut out. It should be available soon. Keep your eye out.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/seat2.jpg

I'll be the first to warn you that there are certain butts that will not be entertained by a Brooks- Of any age, any price or any letters that are after the name.

Charlie P,

While this may be true, try one from Bill at wallbike.com, he gives you a six month trial period. He'll tell you that the return rate is VERY low!

Any LWB recumbent seat will do you fine. Easyracers and Sun EZ series seats are particularly comfortable. bk

Be sure not to give up on whatever saddle you get until you've ridden it for a month or so.

I think that finding the right saddle is a hunt and peck kind of thing. A saddle that suits one person well might feel like a picked fence to somebody else.

I will say this: When you find a saddle that suits you, buy two because when the first one wears out that exact model won't be available anymore. Brooks is an exception to this rule.

I'll put in another vote for a B17. A little pure neatsfoot oil will help it break in faster.

BTW, when I was looking for some most places had never heard of it. When I asked they looked at me as if I had an eye in the middle of my forehead. Tack shop is the best bet.

I'll put in another vote for a B17. A little pure neatsfoot oil will help ruin it faster.

I fixed it for you. ;)

I was looking for a thread to see, what kind of saddle would be recommended, I am riding a early 80's Falcon steel bike, about 12miles daily then every once in awhile I will ride up to 36 miles. I am currently using a specialized telluride that is getting worn out. Any suggestions?

Take a look at the new Rido R2. A bit strange-looking, but their previous model is the most comfortable I've ever ridden and they are very inexpensive.
I'll be getting the R2 soon.

I'll put in another vote for a B17. A little pure neatsfoot oil will help it break in faster.

BTW, when I was looking for some most places had never heard of it. When I asked they looked at me as if I had an eye in the middle of my forehead. Tack shop is the best bet.

Not to change the subject, but I think that the stories about breaking in Brooks saddles are greatly overstated. I've got three of them and about 100 miles of ordinary riding with no exotic treatments has been adequate for me.

Give whatever you have a chance before changing. Any saddle is uncomfortable to an unhardened butt. Most saddles that come on decent bikes are fine once you adjust to them. This adjustment might take a few hundred or a bit more miles.

A note on the Brooks cult... While Brooks users are far and away the most vocal, as far as I can tell out on the road they are still in the small minority. While riding the TransAmerica I saw very few Brooks saddles among the long distance riders (I can only remember one). On nearby century rides there is a similar dearth of Brooks saddles.

I am not saying this to knock Brooks saddles, but to point out that the impression you will get from the discussion forums is not matched with what you are likely to see on the road. Some people love them, but they do not have the universal acceptance that you might assume from reading forums.

My personal experience is that they are comfortable enough when new, but nothing all that special. I didn't like mine after it was really broken in and after a lot of wet weather riding. I didn't find it to have advantages that outweighed it's heaviness.

Personally I have the saddles that came with most of my bikes still on them and would be OK with any of them for a coast to coast trip as long as I had some base miles in on it.

The saddles I would avoid are anything too wide or anything too padded.

Saddle recommendations are worthless. Any place the rider and the bike come into contact is an area for choices made by that particular rider because what works great for one might be awful for another. So when it comes to saddles/shorts, gloves/bars or pedal/shoes its best to experiment yourself.

Terry Fly (http://www.terrybicycles.com/saddles/product.html?idc=4320bd96d2). :beer:

My vote also based on the info provided. Keep in mind that saddle choice and comfort is different for almost every rider. Go to some of the posts on saddles on the road section. For every comment saying saddle X is the best thing since sliced bread there is someone calling saddle X a torture device.

I bought a Terry Fly saddle as a rainy day stand in for my Brooks B17. I found it to be very comfortable for about 30 miles, but then my bottom starts crying out for its Brooks. Now I carry a plastic grocery bag to use as a rain cover for the B17 and the Terry is on one of my mountain bikes where I rarely sit long enough to pass the comfort limits of the saddle.

I just got a new Brooks B-17, and took my first ride on it today. It was only 22 miles, but I have to say I was very happy with it. Yes, it's pretty hard, but the shape seems to be a very good fit for me, and after 22 miles my butt wasn't sore at all. I have no doubt that when it gets broken in it will only get better. I have no intention of trying to speed up the breaking-in process with any kind of snake oil products. I will break it in with my butt over the next few hundred miles.

One of the problems on saddle fit is the width. What size butt do you have and how does it match up to a saddle width?

Specialised shops have a Seating foam in which the can tell what width and quality of saddle they want to sell you. Does not always relate to how big the butt is as it measures the sitbone width. I am small- almost "Petite" but according to the specialised shop- I need a 165 mm wide saddle.

And then there is the type of bikes aswell. Mountain or comfort bike and you would normally need a wider saddle as you will be sitting down more. Road or Mountain bike and you need a narrow nose to the saddle so you do not chafe.

None of which works for me as I just buy the San Marco "Aero" or the Selle Italia "Gel max" in 145 and they fit me on all the bikes----Except the Tandem. There I do need a wide saddle and the Selle "Trans Am" is ok for about 65 miles.

Brooks Imperial. With the cut out. It should be available soon. Keep your eye out.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/seat2.jpg

Why go for the imitation when you can have the real thing?

http://mcmwin.com/saddle%20shop%20new.htm?gclid=CPHI8cm19ZUCFQOuFQodeWlwjQ

HI,
My first bike this year was MTB with a WTB saddle with V_ cutout , it seemed a little rude with its hard nose and upward tilt.
Then I learned how to adjust the seat correctly, what a difference 1/2 inch can make.
Now I have been riding 4 mos on the MTB bought a vintage ROadie of E-Bait, and the first ride gave me saddle sores , This was on a good old broke in B17, I believe that the slight change in pedals and angles of attack actually caused me to change my ridding style and apply pressure to a new place that wasn;t already caloused up, hence the painful rub, SO I went by my LBS and bought some of the glide stuff for the undercarriage, it really sticks there and prevents some of the rub.
I am sold on Lotion for the motion rubs,
The cheeaper seat seems fine now. I have the B17 on the Vintage roadie and its sweet ride..
DOug
if you buy a b17 only use the brooks saddle conditioner its less likely to strech the seat.

Give whatever you have a chance before changing. Any saddle is uncomfortable to an unhardened butt. Most saddles that come on decent bikes are fine once you adjust to them. This adjustment might take a few hundred or a bit more miles.

A note on the Brooks cult... While Brooks users are far and away the most vocal, as far as I can tell out on the road they are still in the small minority. While riding the TransAmerica I saw very few Brooks saddles among the long distance riders (I can only remember one). On nearby century rides there is a similar dearth of Brooks saddles.

I am not saying this to knock Brooks saddles, but to point out that the impression you will get from the discussion forums is not matched with what you are likely to see on the road. Some people love them, but they do not have the universal acceptance that you might assume from reading forums.

My personal experience is that they are comfortable enough when new, but nothing all that special. I didn't like mine after it was really broken in and after a lot of wet weather riding. I didn't find it to have advantages that outweighed it's heaviness.

Personally I have the saddles that came with most of my bikes still on them and would be OK with any of them for a coast to coast trip as long as I had some base miles in on it.

The saddles I would avoid are anything too wide or anything too padded.


staehpj1,

Cult? Come on. Yes, we're vocal. We have to be in order to be heard above the nay sayers. I've never read anything that could make me think there was any kind of universal acceptance of Brooks saddles. You filled more space not knocking Brooks saddles than you did with pointing out the positive points of another brand.


Charlie P,

staehpj1 was correct in recommending you avoid anything too wide or too soft. The adjustment of whatever saddle you buy is going to depend on the shape of YOUR rump. Start out level. Just eyeball it. The only tool you need is the appropriate sized wrench. Ride and tweak. If you happen to arrive at a comfortable position and it happens to be nose up, it's not necessarily wrong. It's yours. Don't be afraid to try something just because some know-it-all(s) says you shouldn't.

I have a brooks saddle on each of the three bicycles I ride. All three are like sitting on a leather covered brick. I hope they remain that hard. All three are adjusted somewhat nose up. All three are very comfortable on short and long rides. BTW, you can tweak the tension nut if you think it will help. Just don't get carried away. Don't get suckered into wierd break in treatments, either.

I know a few folks who really like their slotted saddles. I know someone who rides what I would consider a sofa cushion on a pole. Try a Brooks (try a search) or a Selle Something or one of the Terry models. In order for any of them to be comfortable you are going to have to make it Yours.

Good Luck.

Cult? Come on. Yes, we're vocal. We have to be in order to be heard above the nay sayers. I've never read anything that could make me think there was any kind of universal acceptance of Brooks saddles.
Well it sure looks pretty cultish to me when a question about a saddle is answered by multiple answers many of which give no qualification to their choice and many of which seem to imply that there is one choice and there are many similar Brooks threads going at any time on multiple forums. This balanced against a general cycling population that seem to not be biased in the Brooks direction even in the long distance day after day touring part of the population.


You filled more space not knocking Brooks saddles than you did with pointing out the positive points of another brand.
Actually I didn't knock the Brooks at all. I think the only two negative things I said were that I personally found it uncomfortable after a lot of riding in the rain let it break in more than I would have liked and the fact that it is very heavy. Both of those are true. I agreed that it was acceptably comfortable when new.

I did also question the level of praise it gets, but I think that is a service to the potential saddle buyer who reading some of the posts on Brooks saddles would get the impression that he shouldn't even try the saddle that came on his bike. It kind of bugs me when I see posts from guys who don't even have their new bike yet and have never ridden with either the saddle that comes on their bike or a brooks, but are convinced that they need to pitch the OEM one and buy a Brooks without even trying the new one let alone giving it 500 miles or so to adjust to it.

I didn't "point out positive points of another brand" mostly because they are all just saddles, not something that I see a great deal of reason to obsess over. What I suggested was that he give whatever saddle came with the bike a chance. In my experience if my butt is sore after a ride it is probably the result of either lack of conditioning or poor riding position. I have six different saddles on my bikes, all but one (or maybe two, I forget) of them was an OEM saddle that shipped with a bike, I would not hesitate to use any of the six if I were leaving on another 4000+ mile Trans America tour. So why should I recommend a particular saddle?

Why get so bent out of shape about what saddle people prefer? To each butt, his own saddle preference. Brooks, Terry, Selle Italia, Specialized, Fizik, San Marco, whatever works.

You might as well stick with the original saddle on your new bike until your butt breaks in. Most saddles are tolerable for short rides once you are toughened up a bit. Then you can try different saddles until you find the one that works best for you. What works for someone else doesn't matter much. Whether a small minority or overwhelming majority of people choose a given saddle doesn't matter at all. What works for you is what matters.

I fixed it for you. ;)

Please note I said "a little". Agreed, if you treat it like a baseball glove you will ruin it. In my case I have a saddle that is 35 years old and was dry as a bone. Had I tried to ride it like that it would have surely cracked.

I'm very happy with my Neuvation S3, but then I like my BD Mercier Draco a lot too. I guess that makes me a BF iconoclast...

Terry Fly (http://www.terrybicycles.com/saddles/product.html?idc=4320bd96d2). :beer:


Ron, thanks for linking up the Fly info.
The Tri Gel description states that it is a good choice for distance riders and those with lower back issues. I have the latter. Do you happen to have any experience with that model, or know of it's applicability for those with lumbar issues?

Ron, thanks for linking up the Fly info.
The Tri Gel description states that it is a good choice for distance riders and those with lower back issues. I have the latter. Do you happen to have any experience with that model, or know of it's applicability for those with lumbar issues?
As someone who has suffered with lower back problems, I have a few comments.

I haven't used the Terry Fly myself so I won't comment specifically on it. I can say that I know people who use the Fly and like it. I will also say that I have my doubts that saddle choice makes a big difference that is specific to lower back problems.

I have found that a few things helped a lot with my lower back issues. I can't claim that what worked for me will work for everyone else, but will share in the hope they do for someone here.

My back pain comes in attacks which used to last weeks and when it is acting up, the key for me is to continue to do my stretches. I am worse off if I "rest" or take a day off from stretching or being active.
Staying well hydrated is critical. This makes a huge difference. Drink lots of water, I am convinced that plain water is the best thing for you.
An upright riding posture does not help, but actually makes things worse. You may not be able to ride with a very aggressive handlebar position at first, but it is a good idea to lean that way and as you are able lower the bars a bit at a time until you are riding with the bars at least a couple inches below the saddle and preferably lower.
At the very early onset of back pain stopping and stretching will head off an episode.
Keeping your core muscles toned is essential to maintain good back health for those with lower back problems. I find an exercise ball useful for this.

Stretches that I do only take a few minutes. There were a bunch that the PT taught me but three simple ones seem to be what works for me.

Press-ups - These look a little like push ups, but are different. You leave your hips on the floor and do the push up motion with your arms. The key is to bend the lower back way down at L4 and L5.
Hip stretches - Lying flat on back with left foot on floor and knee bent 90 degrees, put right ankle just above left knee. Push right knee forward with hands as far as it goes and hold 20 seconds. The pull right knee back as far as it goes and hold 20 seconds. do same for other side and repeat.
Hamstring (back of thigh) Stretch - Lying flat on back. Raise left leg up. Grab leg and pull up further until you feel a gentle pull in the hamstring Hold for 10 - 20 seconds. Switch sides. Repeat. I usually stretch my calves as part of this. If that doesn't work for you you might try adding a separate calf stretch.


Exercises to keep the core in shape help a lot too. I find indoor rowing pleasant and helpful. I usually follow it with some exercises on an exercise ball, some of which I use light dumbbells for.

With all of the above I have now been mostly pain free for several years despite having had dire reports from several doctors. I used to spend a couple months a year in PT, took numerous courses of oral steroids, was constantly on muscle relaxers and pain meds, had epidural steroid injections, and was told I needed surgery.

Great suggestions, Staehpj1. Especially the abbreviated excersizes (how quickly I forget)

Hydration is a factor especially where I ride. The discs have no circulation system per se and need to absorb moisture from that passing by. Staying well hydrated is essential, by the time I'm thirsty, it is too late.

I too learned the "up-right" riding posture actually led to more compression of the spine, hence more issues. I took the hybrid back to the store. I now own a roadie and am progressively changing stem parts for the riding position you suggest...it'll get there as I stretch into it.

The saddle I'm using is a Specialized Toupe` 155, though I'm not settled on it. If I can try the Brooks or the Fly before the return date on the Toupe`I may give them a try.

FWIW: I have friends who love the Specialized Toupe.