ridethecliche

Pinky and Grolby, I've taken your recommendation and I will be going and seeing him shortly.

Now there's one issue that's really ticking me off...

I had ordered a Toupe saddle about 2 weeks ago from the sponsor shop. The owner was at the specialized expo for the week, so they told me that they'd order it the following week. Fine.

Now the damn thing is out of stock and the new 2010 models are coming out and it'll be another week till I get one. Carl wants me to have ridden the saddle atleast a few times before coming in, and next week is pretty much the last window of time I have to do this for another 3 weeks...

I've been using a forte pro slx saddle for the last month or so and have done a bunch of rides on it. I don't seem to have any discomfort issues with it and with saddles, I'm so picky that I know within a few rides if it's working or not.

Now I'm unsure whether I want to postpone this, or just stick to the forte pro SLX saddles. They're cheaper than the toupe even after the team discount, seem to work well for me, and will allow me to get this fit done. Should I just stick to the saddle? No brainer?

The weight difference is like 40-50 grams tops. Aka, pretty much nothing...
And there's no guarantee that the toupe will work even though both saddles have similar shapes...

Edit: Worst case scenario, if the SLX doesn't work anymore for whatever reason, I guess I could go back?

mikerhymeswith

going through similar saddle comparisons; i'll throw out some stuff i've been thinking about

i have many miles on forte pro slx, selle italia slr xp, E3 form; i can make all 3 work just fine; the E3 form feels best when i sit further back on it which means the seatpost needs lowering by a few mm; seems like i can sustain higher cadence using the E3;

i'm in favor of going with the forte pro slx because it's cheap and seems to be made similar to selle italia slr xp; if the saddle finds the asphalt then i'd rather scuff a $50 saddle than a $145 saddle; in fact my selle italia did get a nasty cut

the bg arse gauge recommends a narrower saddle for riders spending more time in the aero position than riders that spend more time on the hoods; another vote in favor of forte which is on the narrow side and i assume the most important fit consideration is for being in the drops

i thought the toupe was flatter and the forte pro slx a bit more rounded

pjcampbell

Is a Retul going to change a typical fit drastically?

My biggest issue is numbness on 3+ hour rides where I am rarely out of the saddle.

nickmaimone

I am assuming you are referring to ELITE. They are great people! David did my fit and he is amazing at what he is doing. He addresses many areas as well as being educated in the physical therapy aspects of what he runs into while fitting. This season has been awesome for me and I am confident in my fit.

ridethecliche

If that was directed at me, then no I'm going to NEBC in Mass.

Elite in Philly would have been nice as well, but they charge a LOT more.

If pinky and grolby are happy with NEBC, then I'm pretty confident that I will be as well.

What saddle are you using?

Have you tried a few others?

It really doesn't hurt to get out of the saddle every 10-15 mins just to relieve some pressure.