Originally Posted by bianchi10

I always feel the need to post on threads regarding "need help with a saddle" type question since I was that guy several years ago. Here is what I learned and what I can pass on from being the person to now having some experience....

no matter how many times this is posted you will always get 1-25 people that say..."a saddle is very personal and what works for me may not work for you." This is true, but that doesn't help you at all. If you are at square 1 then you need to realize that you have nowhere to go but forward from here. If you try a saddle and it is uncomfotable then try to pinpoint what isn't comfortable about it. For instance...does it leave abrassions on the inner part of your thighs, can you feel that your sit bones are sitting off the edges, Does it feel like you are sitting on 2 rulers on their edges....etc. I would start a list on computer or on paper and write down what you like and dislike about each saddle you try. Some places have a good return policy and some places have a saddle demo program such as paying $20 up front and you can try any demo saddle for "X" amount of time and if you buy that saddle that deposite goes towards the purchase. If you can find a place like that then try a lot of saddles and remember to write down the likes/dislikes.

Also keep in mind that if you are only doing 10 miles per session (Not trying to make it sound like its nothing), your sit bones/body really isn't getting enough time in the saddle to get used to sitting on a saddle. I find that even with my saddle I love (Fizik arione) it sometimes takes 5-10 miles before my butt "settles" in and feels comfortable. You may have also read or been told that having a lot of cushion isn't what you will want for longer bike rides. To elaborate on this, I for one am one for a comfortable saddle. To ME, that means the saddles has a little bit of the right padding in the right places. That being said, some people preffer a really hard saddle but it takes getting used to. NOBODY jumps on a carbon fiber saddle with no padding and loves it right off the bat. It goes back to what I said earlier, it takes time for your body to aquire that type of saddle.

Now, you have several different shapes to choose from and if you are anything like I was this made my choosing even more difficult. How the heck do you know which one to try??? answer.....You dont. Just try one and write down what you like/dislike. some people really need a saddle with the "love channel" or perineal relief whole down the saddle and some don tlike it at all. Some like a saddle like the fizik aliante where it "cradles" your body. Great saddle with a good amount of padding. The thing you need to know about those saddles are it eliminates the ability to move around on the saddle. What does that mean and why would you want to move around on a saddle? sitting on the back of the saddle where you sit bones are supposed to generally be, but after 10-50-100+ miles sitting in one place starts to hurt so being able to move to the front or even farther back is nice. Usually people (like myself) that like this option choose something like a fizik arione where the top of the saddle is very flat. If you look into a saddle with the perineal relief know that sometimes it can displace the pressure points and be painful on your sitbones or muscle tissue. Saddles such as the SMP are very extreme and if you dont get the right fit it will hurt badly. like I said above, I felt like I was sitting on 2 rulers that were put on there edge.

In just under 4 years I have ridden 12 saddles and the ONLY one that didn't make me bleed was the fizik arione. Dont expect to put on a saddle and know within 5 minutes that it is the wrong one for you. It will take some time on it. Some people have the gift to jump on any saddle and ride without any issues. Then there are people like me on the other end of the table that have sensitive rear ends and can take a long time possible never finding that saddle that cuddles your butt with comfort as you pedal along! good luck! Hope that helps a little bit.