Road Cycling - My Saddle's Killing Me!

The stock saddle that came with my Canno R600 (CODA Expert Road w/manganese rails) is just murder. I'm aware that buying the right saddle may involve some trial and error in getting one contoured to my inner bits. But can anyone offer any suggestions for a nice, juicy, plush, cradle for me?

Hey--

I've had good luck with the Terry Ti Men's Race. I've heard the Specialized Body Geometry saddles are nice. If all else fails there's always the Selle Italia Flite.

mtbr.com and roadbikereview.com both have saddle reviews in thier respective component sections.

Ride on!

-M

Our "local" REI (it's about 35mi away) has a sort of saddle selector where you can try out about 8 different brands. It's an odd-ball looking machine that allows you to rotate in and sort of lock in place the different ones and then there's a set of bars to lean on and pedals so you can get an idea of what it might be like on a bike.

If you have an REI in your area, you might give them a call. Another big shop might have something like that too.

J

Best luck I've had is with TERRY and SERFAS saddles. The thing to remember is that if you do not ride at least several times a week and for 10 or so minimum miles your bottom is going to be sore no matter what saddle you get. That area of the anatomy has to toughen up just like the other muscles used for biking. Keep riding! It's got to get better.

I've had very good performance from a selle italia turbomatic 3. I too have heared that the Terry Mens saddle is a good one. good luck vikeaz

I've had a Body Geometry and suffered through a slew of basic racing saddles, but no matter how many miles I did there were always some parts that just wouldn't toughen up!
Body Geometry is good, but I've never ridden anything as comfortable as my Serfass Rx...both for my butt and other tender parts.
I ride six days a week, and I have no desire to change anything about my Serfass.

In desparation to come up with something new and thrilling, bicycle saddle designers have given in to eye appeal rather than ***-comfort.

Man, I have tried a million different saddles. Well, at least 30. I say, stay away from the long noses. They are sexy looking, but jeez. Get a blunt nosed saddle. Only your tail bone needs support. The rest is unecessary contact.

Try a gel saddle. They are "O.K.", but not all that they promise to be.

You know who made a good seat? Schwinn (well, I think it was actually Messinger for Schwinn) back in the '70's. It was called a Comfort Form and was on their lightweights like Varsity and Continentals. It was a racing style saddle, but had two really stiff springs under the rear. It provided a firm base so that energy would not be unecessarily lost to the saddle. Still, it took the shock out of the bad bumps. If you can find one at a rummage sale, collector, thrift store, or old-time bike mechanic, grab it. Sure, man, poo-poo me. The old-timers know what I am talking about.

Hope you find a solution for your fanny.

Mike

Sorry there is no way around it, you have to find the saddle that your butt likes best. For me Selle Italia was the one.(Prolink) It has a very soft ride!

I have 2 Terrys: A Terry Sport (Actually a women's saddle, but who cares, it's comfortable) on my touring bike and a Terry Liberator on my road bike. Love 'em both.

I believe Terry also has a money-back guarantee, but with the quality of their products that's always been a moot point...

I agree Terry makes an excellent product. I will reccomend another one. SDG Ventura Comp or Pro. They are superbly comfortable, a real good deal. Also another bonus is you don't pay that Selle Italia price.

Definitely try the Serfas Dual Density. My first 50 mile ride on this seat was painless as compared to the sock Selle Italia Flite I had after 10 miles.

Good Luck

Another satisfied Terry customer here. I tried four saddles (including Body Geometry) before settling on the Men's Liberator as the saddle for my touring bike and our tandem. I am currrently testing the Terry Fly on my weekend sportster Trek. But this is definitely YMMV territory, and depends on your anatomy. You may have to expend some bucks before finding the one that works--but it is worth it.

I've never met anyone who's unhappy with the Serfas Rx. It's not slim and sexy, but I'm not ashamed to have it on my titanium, Record 10-equipped thoroughbred. I've had it for six months, done a double century on it, and had no problems with my 48 year-old skinny tush.

Here's an old timer solution, try a Brook's Pre-Softened leather Saddle. Adjust the tension screw at the nose to your preferred hardnes or softness. Soften the leather some more with Neatsfoot oil, re-apply regulary to keep the leather from drying. The saddle will form to YOUR shape, a little patience is required, but you will be AMAZED at how good this saddle can feel.

Learn how to sit on your saddle set at a level or slightly nose up position. If you need it "nose down" your height is probably set too high, and you will develop wrist, elbow and/or shoulder problems from having to keep pushing yourself back, even though you may not notice you are doing so.

Dont listen to anyone elses butt, they are not the same as yours. Its like asking "What size shoe is best".
It helps if you know what to look for. Feel where the weight is supported. It should be on your "sit bones" not between them.

The only saddle which will adapt to you is a Brooks leather. If you can have a little patience over the first few weeks, you will get a few decades of comfy cycling.

Ive pulled saddles apart and cut pieces of Sorbothane to add padding. Its a neat material used in boot inner soles, with nice elastic properties.

I have experienced 3 different Selle Italia over the past years and have found they are always reasonably comfortable so get my vote.

However...

The best thing I ever did was invest in a high quality pair of bib shorts with a decent chamois - it made a massive difference and ironed out the slight differences in saddle comfort or geometry!

You know what's funny? I have seen a lot of those Coda saddles in the bargain bins at the local shops.

I have a Specialized Body Geometry and though it is a little stiff and takes some getting used to, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. I'm thinking about getting one for my mountain bike too.
Other than that, some friends have had good luck with the Terry Fly and the Selle Italia Flight saddles.

I have been using my Flite Italia Transalps saddle for for over 6 years now and I am a very happy camper, coz' the saddle has already contour to my butt, and to keep it in good shape I once in a while rub the leather with a baby oil I mean the saddle, what else are you thinking and really dry it
:dance:

Back in September, I said I had no desire to change anything about my Serfass RX. Well, the top cover got slashed in a nasty garage incident (the bike survived). I replaced the RX with a Koobi Tri, but I think I've found the point of diminishing returns.
The Tri is a great saddle that does everything it's supposed to. It's light, with hollow ti rails, it's got a split nose design that effectively stops numbness, and it's got just the right amount of gel on top. It's an excellent balance of light weight, design, and anatomical attention to detail without getting too plush.
But at $139, I don't think I'd do it again, even with the free socks and saddle cover they throw in...

http://www.abs-sports.com/

try the super saddle.........I have two of them very
comfortable !!

The stock saddle that came with my Canno R600 (CODA Expert Road w/manganese rails) is just murder. I'm aware that buying the right saddle may involve some trial and error in getting one contoured to my inner bits. But can anyone offer any suggestions for a nice, juicy, plush, cradle for me?

The big padded saddles are aimed at people who don't ride much and buy based on what looks like it will be easy on the butt rather than what is actually comfortable. If you poke around, you'll see people have strong opinions on different saddles that are of the same style. That's because they feel different -- go to a local shop, and let them help you pick one that fits. Many shops will let you return saddles you don't like, so your chances of getting one that feels good is excellent.

buy,try and repeat until comfortable... Use the forums or eBay or some of the loaner programs/demo available. Good luck in your search. No amount of asking the forums helped me find a saddle that fit me.

Ok, listening carefully because this is not about a saddle, its about why a saddle would be hurting you.

A typical problem with saddle pain is not properly siting on the saddle due to position. If your saddle is too far forward in relation to the bottom bracket and in proportion to your body, you end up hanging down on the saddle and are actually putting the pressure on your pubic bones, not sit bones. You then think the saddle is horrible but it won't matter how many saddles you try.

You can try moving the saddle back in increments and trying, or my suggestion is to use the Competitivecyclist.com fit calculator and see what it says on saddle setback. Start there and adjust as needed. Once the pain is solved, then move on to minor comfort with the actual saddle choice. Your Coda saddle is actually a good start because its not too narrow or wide, moderate padding, and no holes.

Obviously this may not be your problem, but if it is you will be amazed at how it helps.

My only piece of advice is that once you find a saddle that works, buy a couple of them if you can. They're likely to be discontinued and you'll be searching again.

(stuff)

8.6 year bump! :twitchy:

I've never met anyone who's unhappy with the Serfas Rx. It's not slim and sexy, but I'm not ashamed to have it on my titanium, Record 10-equipped thoroughbred. I've had it for six months, done a double century on it, and had no problems with my 48 year-old skinny tush.

The Rx is on my rain bike. It's a bit squishy for serious speed.

I like the Ravx Race-X.