Originally Posted by
Bryan C.
This is my 2nd bike with a phenom saddle, 3+ years of use without issue. 1st bike was an upright riding hybrid Sirrus. New bike is a Roubaix that I keep lowering the stem height on for more aero position. I have tilted the seat down as needed as my riding position has changed. Now my sit bones are becoming sore after long rides (over 5 hrs). Not the surrounding tissue, but what seems like the actual bones themselves. My sit bones measured right around 130mm, saddle is a 143. Nothing else has changed, same shorts, tire pressure, etc. Adjustments to the saddle do not seem to help.
I wanted to upgrade to a lighter S-works saddle when the time comes. But I won't be dropping $300 just to hope for the best. I hope to borrow or buy a similar seat and see if the shape works.
The toupe caught my interest as it has a similar shape but larger relief channel than the phenom. If it's too similar it may not provide much change to my situation though. The power saddle and romin evo are both noted as good for more aggressive riding positions. I know there are other brands out there but want to work through the specialized stock first.
Bryan, 1 deg of tilt difference makes a big difference. Too nose down and you will have too much pressure on the sit bones because the tail of the saddle is too kicked up.
Ride the bike with an allen wrench to tweak the position. A little change in tilt and/or fore/aft position makes a BIG difference in comfort.
For me...and probably many others, it is always a balance between too much pressure on the sitbones by kicking up the tail of the saddle versus having the nose of the saddle too high which places too much pressure on the soft tissue of the perineum when in the drops with pelvis tilted forward in particular. Toupe which is flattish works the best for me but a precarious balance to get the tilt perfect.