rojeho

I have a Specialized Roubaix Sport that came with a 143mm Toupe Sport saddle. I had a fitting done and the squishy pads said my bones wanted a 155mm saddle. The LBS switched to a Specialized Phenom. I hate it. It causes swelling of the cheeks with every ride. I was off for about 3 weeks and went out yesterday and today is too painful to even think about getting back on. Before I go back to the store to try again, does anyone have any favorites? 6/1" 290lb.

Thank you!

Leisesturm

Hmmm. TBH I don't know how much faith you can put in those squishy pads given your specifics. I'm not even going to Google for 155mm saddles because although there may be a few, I'm pretty sure none designed to work with a road race replica will please you! A standard Brooks saddle could do you. What I see from a pic I pulled up of a Specialized Phenom is that although the saddle might spec at 155mm, the edges fall away from the center so much that it probably feels a lot narrower. What you need is a saddle with a much flatter pan. Fizick saddles have that shape. A Bontrager Affinity has a similar shape. Even if they max out at 145mm to 148mm you would be getting a much more supportive saddle. TL;DR: ... ... Brooks saddle for the win, but expect some break-in discomfort no matter what. I'm sure you were steered towards hybrids when you were bike shopping ... ...

PhilFo 

Perhaps see if you can sit on a Brooks Cambium C19. No break-in period, supportive, flexible. I was hesitant at first, as I'm a die-hard Brooks fan, but once I rode on one, I was sold.

a_d_a_m

From what I'm seeing, the Brooks B17 Standard measures 175 mm. The B17 Narrow is 151 and the Cambium is 164. Not sure if any of those are close enough - but the whole point of a Brooks is that they conform to your actual sit bones the more you ride.

I've been happy with both of my B17s.

late

https://selleanatomica.com/products/...16271900147814

PDKL45

Why not go 15 mm wider? I swear by WTB Comfort Comp saddles (Comfort Sport is fine as well, but the Comp model is my fave). Even after 200 kms (125 miles or so) I'm not aware of my posterior like I was with my old 155 mm saddle.

chaadster

The SQLabs 601 Ergolux comes in 150mm, 160mm, and 170mm sizes, and is on sale now for $57, so that may be worth a look. Most of their saddles are rated only to 90kg or something, but the 601 is rated to 130kg

csport

Why do you think you need 155? For me 142 is too narrow, but 150 is fine.

I like WTB Rocket and Volt. Selle SMP VT30 (155 mm wide) also works for me.

OTOH I also have the cheapest 155mm Toupe Sport and I do not hate it.

chaadster

Check out the SQ Labs 601 Ergolux, available in 15cm and 16cm:

https://sqlab-usa.com/collections/sa...lux-non-active

Leisesturm

On a bike like the o.p.'s, the riding position puts your sitbones closer together. When you sit on those pads in the store (I never have) do they bend you over like you are on the bike? Cuz I'm sure your sitz bones move at least 10mm closer as you approach the bars. But that's just by the by. Why I'm here (again) is to ask the o.p. where the saddle is on the rails. Notwithstanding the professional bike fit they paid for, it is my experience that most cyclists have their saddles too far back. So they sit on the nose of the saddle, experience discomfort, and blame a perfectly good saddle for their pain. Slam it forward and gradually start to move it back is my suggestion. Could save some $$$.

rojeho

You are a genius, sir. Went back with another fitter, moved the seat down a little, forward a decent amount, and presto, eleventy million times better. Better than the 143 prior. I'm going to ride this one a few hundred miles and then consider some of the helpful advice here to look at other options.

79pmooney

Or - talk to a local shop about starting a saddle library like Gladys Bikes in Portland. (They have about 25 saddles on the shelves of their "library". $25 gets you a card. With it, you can take out any seat for a week. You can try as many seats as you want. Find the one that's "it" and they will sell you a boxed one with your $25 library card money going toward it.

Many other Portland shops allow you to buy seats, ride them until you know if they work and bring them back for credit toward a different seat (or merchandise if you choose to buy your seat elsewhere). Good shops get that until you have real time on a seat, you simply do not know if it works. (And that sending you elsewhere to find that seat that does may well bring you back as a customer who trusts your advice.)

Edit: I'm a little late on this post! Another suggestion - on your first few rides, bring the wrenches for the seat pin and saddle clamp. Before you leave, put reference tape on the saddle rails and post. Lay a yardstick on the seat and measure down to the handlebars. Now ride. Stop and tweak as needed until it's all there. (A huge advantage here are seatposts that have two bolts, not one. With the 2-bolt posts you can back off one, tweak the other say 1/8th of a turn, retighten the first, ride and if that was wrong, undo the process and go exactly back to where you started, Or half way, Or half again. Or loosen, slide the rails and tighten, no tip change at all. Good posts here are the Thompsons and many of the Nittos though there are many others.)