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Saddle suggestions

Old 12-24-18, 01:48 PM
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Saddle suggestions

Hi all,

Looking for some saddle suggestions... my current one is killing me. I'm happy to report there is a good reason for that other than just being fat and a newb with a tender tush...

I did the cardboard test to measure sit bone width and it came out to 130mm (center to center, not adding anything on). Turns out my seat is exactly 125mm wide. The result is my sit bones are resting on the corners of the seat! So the pressure is very high and outward. And I'm not being held up enough which is likely why my "sensitive bits" are VERY uncomfortable! (pics below - just the cardboard and saddle, no need to shield your eyes. No one needs to see my sensitive bits).

So, here's what I need: a seat for a gravel bike (leaned forward, but pretty relaxed - see pic below) for a guy weighing in at 328lbs, sit bones 130mm (+manufacture's offset).

Advice much appreciated!

Matt




Last edited by cobalt123; 12-24-18 at 02:05 PM.
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Old 12-24-18, 01:52 PM
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Pics below?
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Old 12-24-18, 02:33 PM
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Originally Posted by GuessWhoCycling
Pics below?
you don't see them? try reloading? I see them.
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Old 12-24-18, 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by cobalt123
you don't see them? try reloading? I see them.

Hmm, now I do.
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Old 12-24-18, 05:21 PM
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My understanding is that there is no 1:1 correlation between weight and sit-bone width.

With your bone width, the Brooks B17 or C17 at 162mm width may do the trick for you (and the C19 is even wider). I have a C17 Carved and it is quite comfy out of the box for both short and long rides. In general I prefer a "hard" saddle with perineal relief, the padded saddles add pressure and friction in unwanted places.
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Old 12-24-18, 10:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Archwhorides
My understanding is that there is no 1:1 correlation between weight and sit-bone width.

With your bone width, the Brooks B17 or C17 at 162mm width may do the trick for you (and the C19 is even wider). I have a C17 Carved and it is quite comfy out of the box for both short and long rides. In general I prefer a "hard" saddle with perineal relief, the padded saddles add pressure and friction in unwanted places.
Yes, you are correct, there is not a correlation to weight and sit bone width (although at least one company I found sizes saddles by pant size - but they must assume you are at your fighting weight). But there is the structural issue to consider...
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Old 12-25-18, 06:21 AM
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Originally Posted by cobalt123
Yes, you are correct, there is not a correlation to weight and sit bone width (although at least one company I found sizes saddles by pant size - but they must assume you are at your fighting weight). But there is the structural issue to consider...
I weigh in at 265 lbs and although I find the Sella Anatomica saddle supremely comfortable, I can't commute on it, because the rails are too long and they eventually collapse from my weight in combination with the jarring miles. The Brooks B17/C17 rails are shorter/stiffer and they have held up well. I've been on the C17 for two years with a total mileage of about 6K, and the saddle is still structurally in fighting shape.
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Old 12-25-18, 03:32 PM
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I have a very similar setup: semi-upright riding, just under 300, sit bone width is 130 mm (measured using both cardboard and Specialized tool). I have a wide (150mm) WTB Rocket, did GAP and C&O on it. The left-to-right cross-section of this saddle is flat with almost vertical sides, so you get an honest 150mm; and the saddle does not press on the sensitive bits. The only drawback I can think of is that there is more or less one seating position, you cannot move back and forth much on this saddle.

I also have a 155mm Specialized Toupe Sport, did 50 miles on it last Saturday. It has much less padding compared to WTB Rocket. Sit bones hurt after it, I have read similar complaints about this saddle from other people -- it probably matters given our weight.

If you do not mind me asking in your thread:
  1. Speaking of less padded saddles (WTB Volt, Koda, Specialized Phenom/Toupe, Brooks), does the butt typically break in after some riding? Specifically in the context of an uber-clyde.
  2. C19 carved is 184mm wide, C17 is 164mm. If I understand the theory correctly, the rider is "suspended" in Brooks saddles and one should not sit directly on the saddle frame. This probably means that people with wider seat bones should try C19 over C17. I am looking into it myself.
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Old 12-25-18, 04:21 PM
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Originally Posted by csport
I have a very similar setup: semi-upright riding, just under 300, sit bone width is 130 mm (measured using both cardboard and Specialized tool). I have a wide (150mm) WTB Rocket, did GAP and C&O on it. The left-to-right cross-section of this saddle is flat with almost vertical sides, so you get an honest 150mm; and the saddle does not press on the sensitive bits. The only drawback I can think of is that there is more or less one seating position, you cannot move back and forth much on this saddle.

I also have a 155mm Specialized Toupe Sport, did 50 miles on it last Saturday. It has much less padding compared to WTB Rocket. Sit bones hurt after it, I have read similar complaints about this saddle from other people -- it probably matters given our weight.

If you do not mind me asking in your thread:
  1. Speaking of less padded saddles (WTB Volt, Koda, Specialized Phenom/Toupe, Brooks), does the butt typically break in after some riding? Specifically in the context of an uber-clyde.
  2. C19 carved is 184mm wide, C17 is 164mm. If I understand the theory correctly, the rider is "suspended" in Brooks saddles and one should not sit directly on the saddle frame. This probably means that people with wider seat bones should try C19 over C17. I am looking into it myself.
Thanks for the reply and good questions.
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Old 12-26-18, 03:49 PM
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Originally Posted by csport
I also have a 155mm Specialized Toupe Sport, did 50 miles on it last Saturday. It has much less padding compared to WTB Rocket. Sit bones hurt after it, I have read similar complaints about this saddle from other people -- it probably matters given our weight.
I went to my LBS today and they suggested this saddle and assured me I could return it if it didn't work. It didn't. I'll return it.

However, I did receive in the mail today (via Amazon - sorry LBS) the Terry Liberator Y Elite (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
I think this one will be a keeper. I need to make some adjustments but so far it's pretty good. I rode (on the trainer) for 20 minutes and was so much more comfortable. I accept that my sit bones will take some toughening up, but this saddle is an intermediate step and most importantly: it's not poking where it shouldn't poke.

Thanks,
Matt
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Old 12-27-18, 05:12 PM
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Originally Posted by cobalt123
However, I did receive in the mail today (via Amazon - sorry LBS) the Terry Liberator Y Elite.
I think this one will be a keeper. I need to make some adjustments but so far it's pretty good. I rode (on the trainer) for 20 minutes and was so much more comfortable. I accept that my sit bones will take some toughening up, but this saddle is an intermediate step and most importantly: it's not poking where it shouldn't poke.
Can I ask you how Liberator Y and Toupe compare to the stock saddle (which is a WTB Volt with Tommaso logo according to their specs) in terms of hardness? Then I will have and idea of how hard WTB Volt is, I think of trying the "wide" version of it at some point.

I forgot to say that I also have a Liberator Y Gel (non-Elite), got both Liberator Y and Rocket Race from REI for reward points in different years. Also a Selle SMP TRK Gel 160mm -- this concludes the list of the saddles I have. For me SMP TRK and Liberator Y work very well for an hybrid bike (even more upright). SMP TRK puts stress on the seat bones despite ample padding.
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Old 12-27-18, 06:19 PM
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I just went through the “find a comfortable saddle ordeal” this summer. After trying 3 or 4 different saddles ( including the Infinity, which was a joke, that damn thing poked me in places that shouldn’t ever be poked!) i found the Selle SMP TRK Medium, which is 160mm. I’m 6’4” 310lbs, and if I recall, my sitbones measured at 140mm. I’ve been riding this saddle since the summer and i love it. I used to get sores on my left side, and now no more. I did a Metric Century a few weeks after i got it and i had no issues whatsoever.

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Old 12-27-18, 07:26 PM
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Originally Posted by csport
Can I ask you how Liberator Y and Toupe compare to the stock saddle (which is a WTB Volt with Tommaso logo according to their specs) in terms of hardness? Then I will have and idea of how hard WTB Volt is, I think of trying the "wide" version of it at some point.

I forgot to say that I also have a Liberator Y Gel (non-Elite), got both Liberator Y and Rocket Race from REI for reward points in different years. Also a Selle SMP TRK Gel 160mm -- this concludes the list of the saddles I have. For me SMP TRK and Liberator Y work very well for an hybrid bike (even more upright). SMP TRK puts stress on the seat bones despite ample padding.
I would say the Toupe is very similar in hardness to the WTB Volt, maybe a little more compression on the Toupe.

The Liberator Y Elite has a wider center opening than the non-elite from what I understand. The padding on the Liberator is too soft to be very effective really - it collapses fairly easily.

Matt
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Old 12-27-18, 08:02 PM
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Everyone is different when it comes to saddles. I spent the last two years riding the Specialized Power saddle. It has a short nose and super comfy on long rides. I have 130 sit bones measurements and the 155 saddle was great. I got my power saddle torn up in a crash. I tried the Power Arc saddle, it was comfortable, but I got the Holographic reflective saddle and the material is too slippery. I then tried the Pro Stealth Saddle in a 152. It is a nice saddle and I experimented and found 3 degrees nose down to be the most comfortable. It fits a lot like the Power saddle, but doesn't have the kick up in the back.

Here is a good review of the Pro Stealth saddle.
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Old 12-28-18, 05:29 AM
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Brooks Cambium C17 carved is what I use ..... so do many people who ride audax/long distance ..... I have 2 of them and they are very comfy (you don't even think of the saddle)

What also works well for me is the Fizik Arione Wing Flex .... very comfy for long distance
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Old 12-28-18, 05:44 AM
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I use a Brooks B17 Imperial on my road bike and Koobi enduro variants on my hybrid and MTB.
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Old 12-29-18, 11:44 AM
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I am a fan of the Brooks myself. I have the B17, B17 Imperial and the C19 carved. I also had a Brooks Flyer that was unfortunately stolen. I haven't ridden the C19 to much but it is comfortable right out the box.
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Old 12-29-18, 12:09 PM
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I got a Brooks C-17 Carved AWS over a year ago for my touring bike since it was weatherproof. I found it so comfy that I got two more for my road bikes.
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Old 12-29-18, 12:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Sojodave
Everyone is different when it comes to saddles. I spent the last two years riding the Specialized Power saddle. It has a short nose and super comfy on long rides. I have 130 sit bones measurements and the 155 saddle was great. I got my power saddle torn up in a crash. I tried the Power Arc saddle, it was comfortable, but I got the Holographic reflective saddle and the material is too slippery. I then tried the Pro Stealth Saddle in a 152. It is a nice saddle and I experimented and found 3 degrees nose down to be the most comfortable. It fits a lot like the Power saddle, but doesn't have the kick up in the back.

Here is a good review of the Pro Stealth saddle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CBNQdEDqgU
I'm riding three of the Specialized Power Experts on my bikes and they are hands down the best saddles I've ever had or ridden. Maybe one day I'll try a Power Stealth as well because they look so similar but I can't bear to remove the Power Experts, they're just that good to me. Aside from being comfortable, I like the flip up at back of the saddle, it gives me something to push against during seated climbing.
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Old 12-29-18, 02:25 PM
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Of course a road bike would have a narrow saddle.. a wide gel one would not look the part,, but maybe you should go by your LBS and pick one up... OK?

"Sit " bones are in your Pelvis.. the rest is padding.


You will be on the trainer stand till spring , so who is to notice..

no one else will sit on their saddle with your backside , so many 'I got an X' mentions wont be transferable..

It really is trial and error.. good luck..


Your bending over (road bike) saddles are narrower than sitting upright saddle in most manufacturers catalogs.







.....


...

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Old 01-06-19, 07:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Archwhorides
I weigh in at 265 lbs and although I find the Sella Anatomica saddle supremely comfortable, I can't commute on it, because the rails are too long and they eventually collapse from my weight in combination with the jarring miles. The Brooks B17/C17 rails are shorter/stiffer and they have held up well. I've been on the C17 for two years with a total mileage of about 6K, and the saddle is still structurally in fighting shape.
One thing S-A has been paying attention to is rail strength. I don't know which version you have, but teh more recent ones have CrMo rails, which are stronger than the steel they previously used. If you contact them with the S/N and model number info of your saddle, you can probably find out if yours can be improved for a reasonable price. Finding a comfortable saddle is such a PITA (sorry!) that I would recommend trying to address the rail issue head on.
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Old 01-06-19, 08:22 PM
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This is great to know, thanks! I really admire S-A as a company and would love to continue saddling up with their product, definitely will look into it.

Originally Posted by Road Fan
One thing S-A has been paying attention to is rail strength. I don't know which version you have, but teh more recent ones have CrMo rails, which are stronger than the steel they previously used. If you contact them with the S/N and model number info of your saddle, you can probably find out if yours can be improved for a reasonable price. Finding a comfortable saddle is such a PITA (sorry!) that I would recommend trying to address the rail issue head on.
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Old 01-07-19, 05:02 AM
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Exactly, you're very welcome! They are also improving their weight ratings.
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Old 01-16-19, 08:30 PM
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I came across two reviews of Brooks Cambium by a guy who says he has 105-110 mm sit bone width:
https://www.foldingtales.com/home/20...-saddle-review
https://www.foldingtales.com/home/20...-saddle-review
He does performance (not upright) riding, and he likes 132mm wide C13 better than 140mm wide C15 (though C15 has no problems either).

That probably means that for someone with a 130mm seat bone width C17 should be fine for performance (not totally upright) riding, there is no need to go for C19. Will try C17 and report.
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Old 01-16-19, 09:22 PM
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I see a lot of these posts and it seems to me that a lot of people find a comfortable seat on the 3rd or 4th try. Could it just be that by the time they reach number 3 or 4 their butts have just gotten used to the narrow seat and it really is not a magical seat?

I am asking because I have 4 different bikes with a different seat on each one (same width) and I have never had a problem. Other than when I first started riding again after decades off the bike, after a few rides no more sore butt. Then came the other bikes and never a problem.
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