Has anyone run across an arse they don't recognize?
 

It's mine. I lost it somewhere between the ages of 45 and 55.

I'm throwing in the towel on finding a comfortable, popular saddle that looks fast in the photos and on the wall display of the LBS. I expect that normal people have some meat between their sit bones and the saddle, but I do not appear to. Imagine a frog standing on its rear legs and you'll know what I'm dealing with here.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...ps0dbfea60.jpg

I can't be the only one in this section of the forum with this problem. Or am I?

I didn't lose it... I never had one! That said, I find the old Selle San Marco Concor comfortable.

What you need to do is buy a Specialized Ronim EVO, in 155, and wear Sugoi RSE or RS shorts. The saddle has a good general shape and its suitably padded. In fact just order one from Specialized on-line as they give you a 30-day full refund trial period.
Matched up to the superb chamois pad in the RSE shorts (or RS), you have a combination that should serve you well without causing grief. And the saddle looks excellent on the bike.

Lots of people want a thinly padded saddle, or chamois, and it doesn't always work. It certainly didn't for me. With the new RSE shorts (which are a bit expensive), I can ride a century then get back on the next day and ride another.

You might look to see if there is an LBS in your area that will let you try seats before buying.

Now for a confession. I've never had a seat that was comfortable the first ride out. It always takes some adjustment to find the sweet spot for any given saddle. Some take longer to find than others. At the same time, I've never really found a saddle that I couldn't get adjusted to make it at least bearable, which is a far cry from comfortable. I currently have four saddles in regular use. Selle Italia SLK, Selle Anatomic Titanico, Specialized Toupe, and Selle SMP Glider.

The Specialized Avatar was far more comfortable than the OEM saddle and much better than the Fizik I tried. My LBS let me try the saddle for several days before purchasing...in fact the test saddle is all they had in my size and they said they could order one for me or sell me that one for a deep discount. I opted for the discount and the saddle is still doing great.

Hi,

I bought new saddle for my cheap folder before I even road it, and have had no problems
with it since christmas and 790 miles later, cheap but decent gel elastomer suspended.
With normal leisure clothing all of the time, cycling shorts are actually worse.
Up to about 20 miles a day on the folder.

Lots more problems with my road bike and up to 40 miles a day, original painful
after the fact, 1st replacement better but too soft, current one, not too bad.

But I have been able to feel my "cycling butt" on hard chairs ever since
I got the road bike, before that, the folder was never a "butt" issue.

rgds, sreten.

Hi,

Comfort for you matters, but who cares about a "fast looking saddle" in photos and a display ?

What is a "fast looking saddle" anyway - something entirely unsuitable for the over 40's ?

With my research and analysis, or luck, my folders saddle is great, for not much.
My road bike (with cycling shorts) is more problematic as I haven't got to the sort
maximum mileage I eventually suspect, though I'll note the max width measurement
can be pretty meaningless, I've two saddles the same width, but one is basically
a much wider saddle truncated at the back, and max width is 2" further forward.

The latter I've currently got one of these :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3307219080...84.m1497.l2649

rgds, sreten.

Saddles are indeed very personal so this strictly what I like. I'm thin at 6' and 163 pounds with a bony butt, but I like the Fizik Aliante Gamma saddles if you want a modern looking lightweight saddle, their flex wing technology really works. But the saddle I like even better is the Brooks Swift, but it isn't lightweight. Then I wear Canari Elite Pro Gel shorts for my longer rides as added butt bone protection.

I got a new bike last week and I may have to get a new saddle for it because it's just not a good saddle, so I may look at another Fizik Aliante Gamma for it since a Brooks Swift would look a bit odd on it.

I have a friend who is older then me and he likes his Selle San Marcos Rolls, I have not tried that saddle but he says it's the best saddle he has ever ridden on. And yet another older guy I ran into likes his Selle Anatomica, another saddle I haven't tried.

You can eliminate some of the guess work in getting a saddle by sitting butt naked on a styrofoam block and let your butt settle into it, then look for the two deep impressions left by the sitbones on each side and measure the distance apart, then look for a saddle that will fit your sitbones the best.

Anyway, sometimes you have to try a few and see which ones work for you.

This has been my experience. I find a saddle I like and they quit making it, this has happened several times over the past few decades. Lately I have been using Selle Italia saddles but I can't tell you the model name.

I broke the last San Marco Aspide I could find and I went to the LBS and the nice man said I could take hom a $200 saddle and put it on my bike to see if I liked the fit. Once I put it on the bike I decided to go for a ride and risk not being able to return it. Of course it rained and the sand kicked up by the wheel helped to grind off the logos on the saddle, so it was mine.

I've run into that manufacture makes something great then they change it and it's crap situation lots of times...I hate that too!

If your butt is picky, then when you find the right saddle, buy several and stash them away.

I'm lucky. My butt is happy on a few different saddles. Brooks B17 and Swallow. Selle Italia Flite and Turbo.

Perhaps that is thanks to the generous layer of natural padding with which I am cursed, or blessed.

Went from a fit 185 to a very fit if thin 154 for the cycling season. At 62, less than 9% BF, butt is gone. LOL

My old saddle hurt on a 128 mile ride last week. Swapped out one I had stashed. I will revisit this post if needed.

If Brooks made a triathlon saddle I'd own one of them too.

Sure like my Brooks Imperial. I overloaded it with "Proofide" at first but stopped upon advice from the forum and it still lives OK. Would have bought their narrow one had I known they made one But I'm OK with this one.

My favorite used to be a Selle Italia Turbo but the Brooks stays on the bike now.

It appears I need to investigate Brooks. Thanks everyone. This is frustrating. I really love to ride, but at about the 40 minute mark, me arse has had quite enough.

Top, (or Sir, depending on your retirement rank/rate:rolleyes:)
If you do try the Brooks saddles be ready for a break-in period of the leather, it is substantially thick and hard when you buy it new. Don't overdo the Proofide when you dress it and don't just apply it constantly, the leather will become too soft and sag beyond what the tension bolt will take up, the small sized can will do you a long time when used properly. I got the kit with a polishing cloth, small proofide and a tension wrench included. Also, don't just tighten the tension bolt constantly, as long as the saddle is firm and not sagging you don't need to tension the leather.

I've ridden Brooks since 1979 and loved every minute on them. I like the Team Professional and the B17 standard (width) usually. I am strongly considering the Swift right now as well as an Imperial due to its cut out in the center area. Once it breaks in it will shape to your ass and most people find it very comfortable ( I am one), being honest some detest them too. No one saddle is a panacea for the great cycling masses. My 27 Y.O. daughter swears by the B17 on her Cannondale R500

Here is the Brooks website: http://www.brooksengland.com/ you can order directly from them but shop around for the best price, my LBS has several different shades of the B17 in stock. Most of the on-line bike stores carry them but, they can be out of stock for certain models at different times of the year. Brooks also has some very nice (read expensive) limited edition saddles to commemorate events or special projects with designers. Very pricey and mainly for show. Best of luck on finding the saddle that works for you, I feel lucky that I adapt pretty well to whatever I am on, Brooks just means something to me with its craftsmanship. The other two makes I like are Selle Italia (Flow models) and Prologo (riding one now, the Kappa.)

Bill

Edit: I almost forgot, Brooks has a new saddle, the Cambium, it isn't leather, but rather a synthetic material.

Obviously, being a Marine, the OP has had his butt chewed enough that he is left with a "back with a crack". That is problematic and may allude to his rank Bill. :)

Measure or have measured, your sit bones and find a saddle of appropriate size. It isn't a one solution works for all problem. Look for exchange programs but as others have suggested, there is a break in period for you and the saddle.

After decades of too much sitting, my butt-bone contact patch looks just like the skin on my knees and elbows. That patch of hardened roughened skin that develops in those areas....

My problem isn't with these areas, but with the delicate area between and to the front of them. The area that tells me to buy a "Perineum Falcon" style saddle!

Reading this thread, somehow reminded me of that episode of "King of the Hill", with the lawn-mower race, in which our intrepid Propane Salesman deals with the loss of his "cheek pads" ;)

If you do happen across one it could be the one that I lost trying to operate a bike shop.

Keep in mind different Brooks saddles are made for different types of riding. If you are riding more in a upright position typical of touring type of bikes you want a wider saddle like the B17, if you riding more downward angle typical of racing type of bikes you want a narrower saddle either a Swift or a Swallow, the Swallow is the lightest of two and more of a 1930's look. Also the Brooks B17 Professional uses thicker leather then the regular B17, unless you're clydesdale stay away from the Pro model because it could take a long long time to break it in.

While Brooks offers two types of rails, steel or titanium, you have to weigh out the cost of saving a few grams for the TI. Brooks for some reason charges a lot of money for their TI railed seats, I got both my B17 and Swift with TI rails but I got them over 8 years ago before the prices went through the roof and got them on sale, but now their crazy priced.

If you get a Brooks treat the saddle EXACTLY as the care instructions say, do not listen to anyone here, a friend, a person at some LBS, or some deceased bike guru IF you want the saddle to maintain it's warranty and if you want the saddle to last a long time. Like I mentioned I have both the B17 and the Swift and I only treat them per their care instructions.

The only thing I do differently is after I treated a saddle with Proofide I put a layer of Kiwi neutral paste wax, (do not use liquid or cream wax just paste), and polish it like I do with the Proofide. I think the Kiwi has better protection against water then Proofide does, I know water beads up better, but there's other stuff in the Proofide that feeds the leather that may or may not be in the Kiwi so I use the Proofide too. And as one poster mentioned do not overdo the Proofide to speed break in. I actually didn't apply any Proofide for the first 250 miles then I put some on and only lightly to both the top and bottom, the top you polish in the bottom you don't polish, then reapply about once a year though I put the Kiwi on about once every 3 months.

Also if your a lighter person you shouldn't have to adjust your saddle's tension after the first 6 months much at all, maybe once every 7-8 years on the B17 and 5-6 years on the Swift, not more frequently as the instructions say because eventually either the rivets will start to tear away from the leather or you run out of adjustment. When I adjust mine I turn the spanner about an 1/8th of inch not a 1/4 of inch as the instructions say and then I go by feel, if it's snug I don't bother turning it at all.

I think that the stories of Brooks break in periods are greatly overstated. When Mrs. Grouch and I used Brooks Pro saddles on out tandem, it only took about 100 miles for them to settle in. The only treatment we ever used was Proofide per instructions.

My thinking is that Brooks saddles, like other saddles, aren't for everybody. If it doesn't start feeling good pretty quickly, no amount of soaking in any witch's brew is going to improve it.

I have read some people say it took upwards of 500 miles and others closer to 100 for the B17's (not the Pro), it took me about 250 because I didn't use any Proofide initially, and quite frankly for it to really break in it was closer to 500 miles! The Swift only took about 100 miles to feel good and about 200 miles to feel really good. I've heard the Pro took a little bit longer but not that much more, but that saddle was supposedly made with a heavier (190 to 250) rider in mind and has a longer nose then the B17 regular. I did read once that because the Pro model is thicker leather that Brooks presoftened it before letting it out the door so maybe that's why it doesn't take as long to break in as it should being thicker leather?

If you are really Clydesdale, Brooks makes a wider and thicker leather version called the B17 Champion designed for people in the 250 pound plus range.

Also if you have narrow sit bones Brooks makes a B17 Narrow for upright type of riding.

It's true, not all saddles will work for anyone, some people don't find any comfort at all in Brooks saddles, but I think most do or could if they buy the correct saddle for their particular riding style and body weight and sit bone proportions.

ISM Time: http://www.ismseat.com/saddle/index

Or Tour Easy time :

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=320485http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=320486http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=320487

I dug out a like new Cloud Nine saddle that did not fit well at 185. Today I rode a Metric, and at 154, the Nine felt great.

I have an urge to try a Brooks, but have heard from skinny old guys with skinny butts that it does not work.

I'm a skinny old guy with a skinny butt and Brooks works fine for me.