Adrianinkc

Perfect meaning no discomfort for long rides ? I can't seem to find one that is perfect a few close but after 60 or so miles I start hurting. I have had a BG fit done and have tried specialized toupe, romin, fizik antares VS and regular, aliante VS and regular and a couple bontrager models also. I use bibs craft, castelli, and PI. My first century was torture and I have not done another one since, I know everyone is different but damn I need so help.

rbart4506

my ass says Toupe....Yours probably will have a different answer...

mrbubbles

Yes. Brooks. It molds to your ass.

datlas 

Yes but everyone's is different.

If all else fails you could try drinking the Brooks Kool-aid.

I have one of those 95g all carbon hard no cushion saddles and it's fine with me. I did a >100 mile ride on it recently, no problem.

Also, if you are doing a long ride try to ride standing up for a minute every 20-30 minutes, that may help.

Blackdays

Go for the Brooks if you want to take a huge dump on your Madone and make it an eye sore.

Otherwise, consider the Arione. It's the only one I didn't see listed, and since you hated the Toupe, you might come to love the Arione.

Adrianinkc

Thanks for all the responses. The only thing I worry about the arione is, according to specializeds butt meter I have wide sit bones and have been using the toupe and romin 155. The arione is a lot narrower but I am willing to try it. I always thought the brooks saddle look like crap but if i can't find nothing that works that will be my last resort. I'm planing on going through CC and take advantage of their 60 day warranty, I was thinking of trying the selle italia max flite gel first since it's similar to the toupee but with more padding it looks like.

Blackdays

Try to find a local LBS that will demo the saddle. Many will lend out the saddles for free for a week to two weeks at a time.

Adrianinkc

You're right I can demo the arione from a lbs. I will try this first.

Thulsadoom

No. The evolution of the human form has not allowed for long term tolerance of bicycle saddles.

pchopper

https://www.eriksbikeshop.com/BG-Comf.../PA203/product

This saddle is the only one where I have no pain, no numbess at all, but I guess it falls into the eyesore category

Ultraslide

Assometer says I am 115 mm

Selle Italia SLR = too narrow
Fizik Arione = too narrow
Specialized Romin 144 = jury is still out

Maybe your ass isn't yet used to riding a century on ANY saddle. Your butt will need time to get used to any new saddle. I am giving the Romin from now until fall, and at least one century, unless it is total torture.

Univega

A few things:

1) I tried about 6 saddles before finding one I liked.

2) a good set of bibs helped me a lot. The Assos were well worth the price. Better than Castelli and PI IMHO (I have both also)

3) Have you tried a chamois crčme? I use Assos. There are many others. Search under chamois crčme and give one a try. It may help.

There is more to comfort than just the saddle.

Elvo

Toupe Ti

ct-vt-trekker

Cobb saddles. https://www.cobbcycling.com/

Most reviews are very favorable and it comes with a 6 month no questions asked return policy.

The purists won't like the looks but who cares if you're comfortable.

TMonk

nashbar r2

Trailblazer3

There is such a thing for me -Fizik Antares. Pure goodness for me.

DScott

Theoretically, yes. Personally, I think it boils down to luck. And a certain amount of HTFU.

Frankly, it's shocking to me that there's no more science to saddle fitting than the Spec ass-o-meter. I think Cobb may be on to something, though...

It can help to use good bibs, chamois cream, get a good fit, be willing to experiment and thoroughly wring out any saddle you try. A slight difference in tilt, or position on the seat post can make a bigger difference in comfort than you'd think. S

Th great "best saddle" journey is a very expensive proposition. At least the industry is starting to offer more demo programs.

And the problem with Brooks saddles is they were designed a liong time ago, when bikes fit differently. They're hard to make work for alot of people on modern road bikes with any significant amount of saddle-to-bar drop.

Can you tell I'm just a wee bit bitter about the whole saddle comfort thnig?

Looigi

+1, but a lot depends on your butt and how you ride. What works great for one person can be utter torture for somebody else.

jrobe

Try chamois cream. I blew off this advice for a long time and finally tried it and was shocked at the difference. It markedly reduces the chaffing / rubbing that occurs on the skin even with great shorts. I bet the pros use tons of this stuff to ride long distances every day. I smear this stuff on the whole chamois like a pretty thick layer of butter on longer rides. It works.

The assmeter system is completely useless. It told me to use a wide saddle when, in fact, a narrow saddle is much more comfortable for me.

Use Ebay to try new saddles. I bought and sold 10-12 used saddles on Ebay with very little loss in money before I found the best saddle for me. I used a Fizik Arionne for several years and but eventually switched to a Profile Design time-trial saddle which is almost the exact same shape of a Arionne but with a little more padding. This is totally trial and error and Ebay makes this pretty cheap. Almost every used saddle I bought and sold was in nearly new condition (everyone else is experimenting too).

No saddle will be perfect though. I can't sit on my Lazy-Boy recliner in my living room for 6 hours without a sore butt.

FactVord

I'm surprised no1 has recommended CX saddles. Are they forbidden on pure road bikes or something? I'm probably going to get heat for stating something so flagrant, but this man's in pain!

Machka 

Yes ...

1. Make sure the bicycle fits and is set up correctly for you.

2. Develop a strong core so that you sit on the saddle lightly (sort of 'perch' on it), and so that you sit with good posture. You should not have your full weight on the saddle. You should be able to distribute your weight between your butt and your feet.

3. Ride lots, do lots of other exercise as well (cross train), and become fit. Improving your flexibility, especially the flexibility in the lower back and hamstrings, also helps. Doing these things will help you feel more comfortable on the bicycle for longer periods of time, and will also help you distribute your weight on the bicycle.

4. The saddle you choose should be wide enough, but not too wide, for your sitbones. Find out how wide apart your sitbones are, and determine how wide your saddle should be. Your saddle should also be the right shape for you ... flat, curved up in the back, or whatever. When you try saddles, try several shapes.

5. Extra padding on a saddle or in cycling shorts does not necessarily equal extra comfort. In fact, it often means quite the opposite. With extra padding on a saddle, you sink in and there is extra pressure and friction. With extra padding in cycling shorts, there's an increased chance of bunching, causing friction points. Many of us can ride comfortably with no padding at all, either on the saddle or in the shorts.

6. When it comes to shorts, make sure they fit well ... snug, but not too tight. If they become loose enough to start shifting around, you'll have friction issues. If the shorts have padding, make sure it covers your sitbones. Make sure you are not sitting on the seams, or that the padding doesn't actually cover your sitbones.



Once you get it right, you should be able to ride 100 miles, 200 miles, and longer with little to no butt problems.

I've covered 135,905 km in the past 21 years including 155 rides of 100 miles or longer ... and those 155 rides include not only centuries, but numerous Super Randonneur series, one 1000K randonnee, and four 1200K randonnees. In all that riding, I have only ever had one saddle sore, and very little in the way of saddle-related discomfort.

surgeonstone

This^. However any saddle gets a little uncomfortable after 75- hundred miles without stopping.

LesterOfPuppets

Took me about 12 years to find the perfect saddle for me. Even rolled on an Ideale (pretty much the French version of Brooks) for a couple of years, but nope that wasn't it.

It was the SDG Belair.

AngelGendy

Nothing beats my brooks team pro.

Velo Gator

Adamo.