I went to a store that had s little pad to sit on that measured the distance between my Sitz bones. That turns out to be 106 mm.

Is there a way to determine proper saddle sizes for the various brands given that measurement?

Thanks,

Mike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMbZ2Q8VqOo

The Ass-O-Meter is not a joke. Once you know your size you can purchase other saddles in that width.

Fizik recommends wider saddles for people with poor flexibility and narrower saddles for people with better flexibility (and bends their waists more when riding). I think this advice makes at least as much sense as the Ass-O-Meter.

Sounds like a good rule of thumb to go by when the "ass-o-meter" isn't available for precise fitting.

Does the ass-o-meter consider your flexibility or only your ass size?

Since it's strictly a "butt-micrometer", I doubt it. Just like most measurement-based fit systems: "If these are your numbers, here's what you need." Easier than thinking...

SP
Bend, OR

Once you determine the sit bone distance you must also consider the flatness or non-flatness of the saddle.
I bought a Specialized Phenom in April 2010 after having the sit test done. No one at the shop told me about flatness, etc.
A few weeks ago I bought another bike from a different shop. They did the sit test and the results were the same as in 2010 so I was about to select another Phenom for the new bike. The guy (who also does the bike fit) said the Phenom had more curve than the Specialized Toupé and recommended the latter. He was right. The Toupé is flatter and the ride is more comfortable. I'm sitting on my sit bones only. With the Phenom I can feel my sit bones and the soft tissue between the sit bones touching my saddle.

Partial Hijack alert - I rode my wife's bike today till I get my wheel replaced. Her seat was noticeably more comfortable than mine. Her's measures about 165mm wide at widest point. I've been researching and found a Terry saddle in that width with some pressure relief built in, but don't find a lot more that wide. Anyone know if any off the top of their heads.

Ok, nevermind, looked under comfort saddles and found a Selle that seems ideal

I have a couple of Terry saddles in the garage, if you want to see whether they work for you. One is a Fly - not sure about the other, but will check. Could save you some bucks buying something that might not work.

And Mike? This online retailer at least tries hard to match a rider with a saddle, with measurement tools and such. I'm sure it reduces returns. Anyway, give their "Saddle Selector" a try, since you have your butt measurement:

https://www.wekeepyoucycling.com/en/t-ProductPro.aspx#

Great, did a quick check for specs and appears most of the Fly's would be a little narrow. But if the other one is 6-6 1/2 at widest point it might work

But it isn't. As you lean forward to simulate drops or deep drops, it will reduce your measurement. That's because your sit bone contact points are actually closer together when you lean forward than when you're upright. Go back to the shop and talk to the mice sales person and ask how to use this info. They should (did for me) ask you how you ride and how aggressive your position is.

103 is pretty narrow. You might want to try a Specialized in 130 mm width.

It gives you a range...

Yes, that's exactly what I recall seeing. So for a 103 mm butt, try a 143 mm saddle. I have a few 143 mm Aliases, if the OP wants one quick and cheep to try out. Can't say they're in pristine condition, but the padding is good, the rails aren't bent, and the covers are intact.

Fwiw...I measured around 135 in terms of sit bones so they recommended a 143mm saddle. But I sit fairly upright and I get some perineal pain, so I'm thinking of trying a 155. The saddle is gel padded though so I still have to figure out if it's more of a sinking issue than size.

From the Specialized site:
I too had my sits bones measured at a Specialized dealer and according to the number off the ass-o-meter, the Salesman said I needed a 143, so I purchased an Avatar Expert in 143 @ $110. At 55 years of age, I'm not that flexible and ride a little upright on a drop bar road bike. After a number of rides of 50+ miles and hard intervals, I never felt totally comfortable on the saddle. I believe most of my problem is this saddles contour with the slope towards the middle and off the sides, I was always moving or slipping one way or another, like falling off the edge.

That's when I read about wider and flatter saddles on another forum with several people recommending the Specialized Toupe or Romin saddles in size 155. In my eyes, the Romin has the same slope as an Avatar with less padding. The Toupe is flatter in the sit bone area with limited padding. So when the dealer had an store wide anniversary sale at 45% percent off, I purchased a Toupe in 155. First impressions were really good with the extra width and the flatness of the saddle. I really enjoy the fit of this saddle. But.....I also missed the extra padding of the Avatar for rides over 50 miles. Perhaps if I wasn't so cheap and paid more then $30 for bibs with better quality chamois the Toupe would be perfect.

Bottom line, consider what's posted in the quote above from Specialized.

Specialized sizing also put me on a 143 (chose Avatar Expert). There was hard contact at odd angles preventing comfort, a couple weeks riding "broke" the saddle. I moved to a 155 and the fit was much better. I'm not a fan of Avatar's grippy covering, it prevents scooting around, but the shape keeps pressure off my perineum. I don't think it suits an upright position well, because it fits best with the nose tilted downward; I ride at an average forward angle and prefer long reach.

Static measurements only get you in a range of widths, riding is dynamic and the contact points move. Note my experience was different than the preceding poster's on the same saddle, and my opinion differs on what is considered appropriate for a forward riding position. You can take a ruler with you when you shop for saddles and overlay to see if the width matches horizontal points, but riding will judge best. Saddle offset has a role in fit, and that's difficult to reproduce on a bench.

Good to read these comments on the Avatar cuz I don't love mine. Will try a larger Toupe or Ronin I think.

FWIW, Specialized now has added the Toupe Plus which has more padding.

Thanks for the heads up.

Yup, that's what I want, a Toupé Plus Expert in 155.

That figures, after spending $170 on 2 saddles in the last few months, the ideal saddle is finally available. Of course I didn't know this before. Just part of the trial and error learning curve.

You probably already know this GFish so I don't mean to presume, but JUST in case it's new info, you can always try to eBay off w/e saddles you don't like. It's such a pain to find a good saddle without access to some kind of demo program. I'm going through this now for myself AND my wife, and luckily she has been able to return all of hers so far that haven't worked out. Some through Amazon and some through the LBS. But I looked into Competitive Cyclist's demo program because it sounded too good to be true...and alas..it was..they cancelled it a while ago. Anyway..misery loves company and it's a pain (literally) to get stuck with a lousy saddle then have to pay AGAIN to try something else. Good luck with the search. Mine continues.

I might also suggest looking at Selle-AnAtomica. Leather like a Brooks but much softer and very adjustable.

I don't know of any way to tell if a saddle will suit you until you spend some time on it. What works for me on my road bike is this: https://www.serfas.com/product_details.asp?ID=58 --a wider saddle than many use, but I have found that even though I'm a slim build, that I don't feel comfortable on narrower saddles. A local bike shop with a good return policy ordered it for me, and it worked so never had to take it back. I'd highly recommend dealing with a local shop, or company, with a fair return policy--it's cheaper than keeping on buying saddles that don't work, then having to sell them at a used price.

After 10 years of wrestling with this question-and using 6 different saddles-my LBS had an ingenious solution in addition to the assurance that the saddles were returnable. We placed an assortment flat on a bench and I sat on 'em. I eliminated one after the other until only one was left. No more sores. No more discomfort. I have 1K+ miles on the new one. Simple and may not work for everyone. Worked for me.

Most riders and shops will match the widest point of the saddle (usually the butt) with the width of the pelvis.

In three years of sizing adult riders to saddles I've never seen this measurement to be less than 125-130 mm, and most adult men have been in the 130-150 mm range. Are you sure you were measured correctly?