Pancho McTavish

When I purchased my new Gary Fisher Piranha about a month ago my LBS was kind enough to switch out the stock saddle for a Bontrager Rhythm Pro. I knew that the relatively sharp edges were not going well with my 280+ # posterior and it only got worse the more I rode it. Too much like Papa Bear's bed.

Another LBS measured my rear and I walked out with a new Specialized Sonoma 155.......much, much better for the last two weeks, but not near the comfort level I remember from my days on the Oklahoma Freewheel rides. Of course, my body is not near what it was then either, but I can already feel it improving. I could probably hang with the Sonoma but, as usual, I can't keep from reading reviews.

The saddle saga continues. Last night I bought a Terry Fly Tri gel on E-bay and it has been shipped. I thought the price was not horrible at just a tad over $100.......especially since I got nearly $10 cash back from Bing for using it to search for the saddle plus my E-bay $3-4 cash back. Now if the saddle is as good as I've read.......

Report to follow after a few rides.

Neil_B

Keep us posted on the posterior.

old and new

Few are disappointed in Terry. Your account also speaks to the virtues of LBS.
They absorbed an otherwise costly experiment.

Pancho McTavish

Well....they've invested a total of $20 retail in the whole experiment so far. I really didn't expect a business partner in my adventure so I'm happy for any little thing.

Pancho McTavish

Finally got the new Terry Fly Tri after a false start by the bike shop that I bought it from. They shipped me the wrong Fly model the first time.

The saddle is very nicely appointed with a perforated real leather cover, appropriate anatomical cutout for the male body, vanadium rails and nice gel in the apparently proper amount and position. It is a very smooth looking saddle in contrast to my Specialized Sonoma and the Bontrager Rythm which have a more angular appearance.

I took the Sonoma off and mounted the Terry perfectly level in near the max forward position and tightened it up on the Piranha. The first block told the whole story.......and it was a completely pleasant story. There were no "hot spots", no sharp angles, and nothing but comfort. I now have 25-30 miles on the new saddle and I think I lucked out and got the positioning perfect the first time. In any case, it's so good that I'm not going to mess with it.

The Terry Men's Fly Tri gets a big two thumbs up from me right now. It's not cheap at somewhere around $100 but I guess you get what you pay for.

cyclefreaksix

Thanks for the follow up!!

rdtompki

You may find the Terry just right for you. I have one of these and its well made and feels great right out of the box. My theory is that most saddles work for 5% or less of the population. Nothing wrong with the saddle, it's just that people and bikes are very, very different. In my case the Terry was good for 30+ miles, but much more and even with reapplication of chamois cream I'd be dying with hot spots by 60 miles. I'm now riding a Selle An-atomica - this saddle is a completely different experience and does have the cushy feeling of the Terry for example. What the saddle does have is adjustable tension similar to Brooks and provides a "feel" that doesn't seem to change during the ride. Shorts play a big role in this. I don't have expensive shorts, but the really low end variety are good for an hour, the better Aerotech shorts have seen me through a century.

WolfsBane

Glad to hear. What a difference a proper and comfortable saddle makes... I just switched from the stock saddle that came with my Specialized Allez to a Brooks B17 Special, and man... what a HUGE difference. I feel I can double or triple my distance on the saddle now.

Peter_C

When I bought my Bike, the LBSoffered me a discount 50% if I decided to change seats before leaving with my new bike. To make it even better, they have their four most popular seats pre-mounted on posts, so we took my bike out, I rode it for a bit with seat one, swapped for seat two, rode for a bit, then seat three - and so on, once landed on the seat of my choice, fitted it (Sam made like 6-7 different adjustments and said try this, or try that before he was happy). Then told me I had 30 days on the seat, if I changed my mind, come back and he'd do the process again for me - I asked how many times he does that - til the customer is happy - period!!!

Course, I reminded him of my surgery coming up - so he added a note, I have til 01-30-10 or 300 miles on my trip computer to decide on my seat - have I mentioned I LIKE my LBS?

Pancho McTavish

Now that's a great bike shop!