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Old 04-10-18 | 12:43 AM
  #7  
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canklecat
Me duelen las nalgas
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Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 13,519
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From: Texas

Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel

Check out the Selle Italias ranging from the SLS Kit Carbonio at the low end to the SLR and SL Flite Flow at the upper end. Profile is nearly identical to your old saddle.

I've been riding the SLS Kit Carbonio for two months, about 700 miles, no complaints. It's the 131mm width -- my sit bones are pretty narrow -- but I probably could have handled the 140mm width. Snagged it for only $20 -- it was the last one an Amazon vendor had, fulfilled and shipped by Amazon so it arrived the same day. I expected a major transition since I'd been riding a thickly padded, Lycra over foam woman's saddle styled like a short nosed old style Selle Turbo. But after two or three rides of 20-30 miles to get the angle and fore/aft right, it's been great. Minimal padding, nearly flat with only the very slightest rear rise -- comparable to the Fizik Antares I saw at the LBS but with less padding.

I thought I'd prefer one with cutout for perineum relief but so far haven't needed it, although my rides are usually 20-40 miles. But it's been fine with my minimally padded AeroTech Pro shorts -- just thick microfiber faux-chamois, no gel or foam, no loft.

I've tried various angles, including nose-down Sunday, but prefer it level. With the nose even a single notch down I'm fighting gravity and wasting energy shoving myself backward. With the saddle level I just plop down after standing to climb and it's on the sweet spot. Sunday's 45 mile ride was the only time I finished with slight soreness on the site bone area -- but that was with the nose angled down. After about 25 miles I tipped it back up one notch, still wasn't happy, then set it level again for the final 10 miles home and it felt just right. While I like the long narrow nose for occasional use and for balancing the bike, I wouldn't want to ride the nose for 50 miles, at least not with my minimally padded shorts.

Anyway, I like it well enough I'd consider the higher priced similarly designed Selle Italias. But the Fiziks were pretty similar and available as testers from my LBS.

Last edited by canklecat; 04-10-18 at 12:53 AM.
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