Originally Posted by hmai18
There are a lot of saddle options out there, and I know that saddles preferences vary from one person to the next, but is there any consensus on the need for a cutout in the perinal region to relieve numbness or to prevent long-term damage to the boys? I'm 20 and plan to be riding for a long time into the future. Is the cutout necessary, or just hype? I mean, riders have been using "regular" saddles for decades. I ride using proper bike shorts with a pretty plush chamois; will that be enough?
I've been looking at the Selle Italia SLR series and am trying to decide whether to get a regular SLR, an SLR XP or the SLR Gel Flow. I've also been thinking about the Fizik saddles, and while they have the split at the back and some other technology in the saddle, none of them offer the cutout. I've thought about the Specialized Avatar/Alias saddles, but think they may be too heavy for my tastes. The worst thing about saddle shopping is that I doubt many shops will let you try a saddle for a period of time before committing to the purchase, and with saddles going for $100 a pop, experimentation can get pretty expensive.
Here is my experience: I've been riding on a Specialized Alias, and it is totally comfortable. I just got my new bike, and had a Fizik Arione installed. At the end of my first ride, for the first time ever I had pain in the perenial area. During the fitting, that was an issue (pressure in the perenial area) when I got down on the aero bars. In fairness, the new bike is set up a bit more aggressively for racing, so it might be apples and oranges. I have riden long distances and raced the Alias, and it is a wonderful saddle. I hope that I am able to keep the Arione. I will get more perspective today - I am going to do an interval workout with it.