Cheezerod

there really has been alot of saddle talk recently. I thought that I would throw something out there. I just switched from a cut out saddle to a non-cutout (toupe to arione look-alike). After riding it a while yesterday I have a question for those that ride non-cutout. Do you always feel pressure down threre and just not go numb? I really like the saddle and I did not go numb. I did how ever fear going numb because I could feel alot of pressure inbetween my legs. I have rode a few years on only cut-outs so please help me here. Is this a normal feeling? I am still adjusting the postion, but I can do that on my own.

skanking biker

I always go numb on a narrow "road bike" saddle, even on a cut out. I don't understand why the saddle manufacturers assume all males who ride road bikes have hips smaller than an anorexic supermodel. I mean, some of us were born with wider hips so that no matter how many holes you put in a saddle, it is still going to slice through our pevlis like an a$z hatchet. Any saddle that is wider than a knife's edge is marketed as a "female" saddle. Bottom line is that your saddle has to be wide enough for your sit bones or else your junk goes numb.

dcvelo

I've never used a cutout saddle (using Fizik Aliantes currently) and have never had problems with numbness.

As has been said many times before on BF, it's a pretty individual thing.

Cheezerod

Yes, I understand. this is not I am new here I have no idea what i am doing tread. I am just asking if there is always pressure, it just feels very different to me. its not to narrow my sit bones are supported. I am not going NOT going NUMB. The saddle works for me but I am asking about the pressure. I know something is there now. Before I only got hatcheted by the edges of the cutout. Now I am more supported I guess but there is pressure, is this normal is what I am asking?

skanking biker

most of your weight should be borne by your sit bones. That said, a number of things could be causing "pressure": cheapy bike shorts w/ narrow chamois could be bunching up; saddle angle could be too far down causing you to "fall forward" and put pressure in that area, etc

Cheezerod

when I examined it the saddle was a bit pointed downward. I am trying to find the prefect angle but this saddle is very different from my last. I do often wonder if others level the saddles from the high point on the rear to the nose or if they just level the mid section to the nose?

skanking biker

WTF********** ---what kind of saddle do you have?

try tipping the nose up a bit

Cheezerod

saddles bow alittle in the center, you know what I mean? do you lay a level from end to end? there will be alittle space where the level doesnt touch in the center of the saddle.

Psimet2001 

Correct. They bow. You place the level across it from the rear to the front down the center. Simply use it as a reference though. Adjust to your taste.

As for pressure with non-cutout saddles....yes I always feel some sort of pressure from a non-cutout saddle. Extremely comfortable, but always some pressure. More noticable when just switching from a cutout saddle.

I never thought of it as an issue until I had experienced blood in things that should never have blood after being in the saddle for 12 hours. I've been on cutouts, and mostly a Toupe, ever since.

As for the saddle width issue....that's why Specialized makes a line of saddles that contains saddles of 3 different widths in most of the models (2 widths in the Toupe). I believe that other manufacturers have noticed and are now making some saddles in different widths. I can't remember which ones, but I remember seeing them in a magazine sometime.

I have also noticed more manufacturers listing their widths on their saddles more frequently.

dekindy

If it is a flat saddle like an Arione I think that it is correct to lay the level flat across the entire saddle. But if it is bowed like an Aliante you are supposed to lay the level across the flat part of the saddle on the nose and not the entire saddle.

Arione-look alike, what does that mean? I think you need to be more specific or consult the maker.

Psimet2001 

I used to lay mine on my Aliante across the whole saddle, but the Aliante has a split in the raised section of the rear of the saddle that allowed a torpedo level to sit down a little bit.

It essentially allowed the level to sit on the level section of the nose and still be supported by the rear of the saddle along the same plane....if that makes sense.

Essentially though it really doesn't matter where or how you measure it as long as you are consistent. You're just using it as a reference/baseline for yourself.

SDRider

I have thousands of miles on my Arione saddles and the only time I had a little tingling was after a century ride. It quickly went away though. I've never experienced any numbness with my Fizik saddles.

What kind of shorts do you have?

FIVE ONE SIX

i've never once seen anyone not lay the level across the entire saddle, no matter how curved it was, especially considering you should spend most of the time on the rear of the saddle...

and to the OP, i discovered a few weeks ago that i was sitting too far forward (for the last year) on the saddle, and that's what was causing my numbness. i suggest:

a. having your sitbones measured accurately.

b. if you have the same problem i did, move your saddle a bit forward, for the sole purpose of changing your position on it. it helped for me, and i normally ride with mine slightly nose down, because if i ride with it nose up it puts pressure where it shouldn't put pressure...

jimbud

I ride a Aliante and it's by far the most comfortable saddle I've owned. I've found that a "nose up" saddle position seams to be most comfortable and have noticed other riders using Aliantes have the same nose up position.

Cheezerod

I have it alit nose down, I leveled the saddle down the middle across the nose. the back of teh saddle is abit high. when i get home I am going to lay a level across the entire saddle down the middle (the soft center part of arione) and see where that leads. I just seem not to be comfy, close but not there. My plan is to move this saddle to my cross bike then buy a real fizik arione for my road. (the saddle I am seeting up is the S2 from nuevation.) its pretty much the same saddle give a mill here or there. like i said above i am not getting numb i am just not comfy. I think that is a problem dialing thins hugh saddle in.

dekindy

Then if you have an Aliante you are not doing it right. Do a search and you quickly learn that most owners and fitters level the nose as a starting point. That puts the saddle in the best position for most riders to utilize the natural curve of this saddle. It is not flat like the Arione.

Psimet2001 

...do most owners and fitters use a calibrated level?? If not then they are not doing it right and will have no way of knowing if the seat is in the right position. Unless, of course, they sit on it....

Honestly it absolutley does not matter how you place a level on your seat as long as you do it consistantly for you. If you place it the same way everytime then you can check against your baseline, setup on other rigs, etc...

Proximo

I have an Aliante and started with it level (measured using a board across the top of the saddle with an Angle-finder on top). That worked great until I started climbing steep hills then I started getting numbness. Tilting it forward 3 degrees, and making sure I was sitting on the widest part of the saddle was enough to fix the problem. YMMV.