Slightly different saddle question
 

I've always been able to get along with the stock saddle on my bikes as long as I stand up every ten minutes or so. I'd be very uncomfortable if I didn't. When folks talk about finding the perfect saddle and being able to ride comfortably for hours, do they mean standing periodically or just being able to sit the whole time without discomfort?

My rides have become longer lately so, if the latter is true, it might be new saddle time.

I rarely pedal oos so saddle comfort is important. WARNING: OFTEN REPEATED RECOMMENDATION IMMINENT! A Brooks B17 is the most comfortable saddle I have tried since 1999 and I still stand when rolling over the bumpy sections! Still have all the usual suspects (Avocet, Vetta, Turbo, Rolls, Regal, WTB SST & V's, etc.) I used to find reasonably comfortable in the '70s/'80s/'90s and a few that didn't pass the test.

I don't know what "they" mean, I only know what I mean. On my touring bike I'll frequently ride for hours at a time without getting out of the saddle other than to stop at junctions etc.. On road bikes, not so much, but only because I'm likely to be riding more aggressively, and it wouldn't be unusual to find I've been riding for an hour or so without standing.

I think its essential to dance on them thar pedals now and again for the purpose of giving your arse a well deserved rest and also to make you feel youngish again! Upright riding when seated doesn't lend itself to you standing up. Forward leaning does. IMO. . .
I have two bikes. Ones a shopper, the other is for cycling . . they're both different and both fun!

Ten minutes? I think you need to demo some new saddles.

How long have the rides been before the butt-achefest begins to settle in? I'm no rando guy but often go a couple hours before a short break and go a couple more. I rarely get out of the saddle (otherwise) on rides less than 60 miles.

ETA: there is a wise piece of advice that says, "the more you ride, the less your butt hurts". If 10 minutes makes you stand up then you might need to ride a bit further and deal with it.

I can go quite a bit longer than 10 minutes at a time in the saddle, but around here rides are broken up by rather frequent red lights.

Saddles that have worked well for me are Brooks Pro and Team Pro, Brooks Competition, Serfas ARC. Saddles that have not worked as well for me are some of the more padded ones

+1, seriously.

The most important element in saddle happiness isn't the saddle itself, it's the Fit.
Too low, too high, off level or badly positioned on the rails and the saddle won't be comfortable.
Get it checked by using one of the established fitting systems yourself or go to an experienced fitter.

That being said "stock" saddles are one item that mfgs can cut cost on, and do.
Many are miserable lumps that look like a good place to spend hours but are not.
Finding the "right" one is a personal quest and it can change w/ each type of bike one rides.

Just as important is the selection of cycling shorts, very personal and just as important as saddle choice.

I stand whenever I feel like it, and do ride a FG where it is necessary, but every 10 minutes is quite a bit.
Like many things in cycling the "cure" is often getting more seat time and adapting.

-Bandera

Well I tried using the stock saddle on my Jamis Aurora over the past season and finally swapped it for a Brooks B-17 Imperial like I have on my other bike. Night and day difference in long ride saddle comfort. I stop every hour or so while riding (if there is a bathroom available) but other than that I pretty much never need to get off of the Brooks.

Hard to tell what will work for you, but I look for some alternatives. If you have a bike coop nearby, you might be able to borrow some different types to see if something works better for you.

I'm a 56 year old diabetic former Marine who just drug his 10 year old bike out of the shed 2 months ago where it sat idle for 9+ years so take the following with a grain of salt but....after getting a new chain, front derailleur and two new tubes installed and going for my first short 2 1/2 mile ride in nearly a decade?....I knew one thing....that being?...

"If I don't do something about that butt hatchet of a stock seat?...this bike is going to wind up right back in the shed!" :cry:

Seriously...I thought maybe it lost all it's softening agents and hardened up (or something) sitting in a hot south Florida shed for nearly a decade...and I replaced it with two different seats in as many weeks...one because it was cheap and cushy for $14.96 at walmart and the other because it was cheap at $30, super firm and cool looking on a close-out rack at a bad LBS....needless to say?...both blew chunks and neither was much better than the stock torture device they replaced.

And that's when I learned here that I have these things called "Sit-Bones"....and that they come in different sizes...."AS DO SADDLES"

So as I began to research this "Saddles Thing"?...it came to my attention that a lot more thought, design and engineering goes into a good one than I ever imagined...and that if I valued my riding as much as my butt?....a properly fit good one was going to run me about $100 (for starters)and not $14.96 from wally world. LOL!

And that's when I found the good LBS in town who carried a nice full line of "Specialized" saddles (which were on my shortlist along with Brooks and Fizik as recommended by many on this forum)...and the first thing the LBS people did was ask me my sit-bone size...after me saying "I haven't a clue."?...the second thing they did was measure my sit-bones...and that's when I bought my $100 Specialized Romin Evo Comp Gel in size 155...

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=412647http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=412648

But it didn't end there...as a matter fact?...it was just the beginning as all this fantastic saddle did was provide me with a properly fitted and well shaped saddle...from there?...was a good week or two of leveling and adjusting...pedal and repeat...and to be honest?...my 10.6 miles ride last night was the first ride I took where not once did my focus get drawn to my butt or the saddle...and I remained seated and in position for the entire 48 minutes and it's my understanding that if you have a good saddle that's properly sized and adjusted?...everything else should wear out before your butt does.

And to be even more honest?...before I take my next ride?...I'm going to move the seat height up about 3/8ths too 1/2" as while my hands and butt were fine?...my position and knees (on the upstroke) felt just a touch cramped.

But no...you shouldn't have to stand up every 10 minutes and as the good folks at the LBS told me?....

"A little soreness or tenderness is to be expected AFTER a long hard ride...but if you're experiencing any pain or numbness DURING the ride?...That's A Problem!"

One day I would like to try a Brooks or Selle Anatomica but that's going to have to wait for my next Light-Tour/Commuter bike as for right now?..I'm thrilled that my butt and this Romin Evo seem to be getting along just dandy. :) (but it did take a lot of "Adjust/Pedal/Repeat" to get there)

Hope that helps...Good Luck and Ride Safe! Bill. ;)

Getting out of the saddle is a given for me. I don't have any rides without stop signs or red lights along the route somewhere.

Never really measured it but whether it's on the road or on the mtb I'm frequently out of the saddle either for bursts of acceleration/power, traffic stops, using the knees as extra suspension etc.

But only being able to do 10 minutes means you definitely need to look for a better saddle, get more miles in (or have the doc look at your backside).

I rarely get off the saddle, certainly not because I have to.

I had gained 12 - 14 pounds since retiring. This summer I've lost 10 pounds of that and I'm getting close to high school weight of 158 pounds. The result has been that a saddle that previously was comfortable for 50 miles or more, this year became uncomfortable after about 20 miles. I've spent the past few weeks messing with that saddle and a few others that are near the same shape. I'm back to the preciously comfortable saddle and seem to have found a slightly different orientation that works but it is a matter tiny changes. The lesson for me is to keep working with a saddle and riding as much as possible while looking for relief whether it be from a different saddle or your old one.

The road dictates when/if I'm out of the saddle.

I was standing up a lot more until I got a new saddle, Serfas RX. Now I only stand up based on road conditions.
Too be fair, I haven't ridden more than 30 miles.

For me it depends on how well by butt is rested from the last ride. If I give it two days off, I can go 20 miles without even thinking about standing up. There are some days I need to stand every 20 minutes. This is with a Brooks B17.

I've also noticed that doing the right stretches before I start can help keep me in the saddle longer. I'm not talking about anything intense, just flexors and groin stretches.

Another factor is your pants. You get what you pay for. I'll probably be throwing away two pairs of bargain shorts I bought on clearance.

+1
Love my RX!

I usually want to get off for 5-10 minutes every couple of hours. If it's flat, or close to it, I may not stand for most of that two hours. That's what I call a good saddle.

Thanks for all the helpful responses. My plan now is to try some seat adjustments and, if that doesn't work, I think there is a Selle Anatomica or a Brooks in my future.

This might help. Its the bike count on the most recent Hawaii World Championship IronMan Triathlon event for 2014. The bike count also lists the saddles that are used in the event.

2014 Kona Bike Count Results | LAVA Magazine

That bike count list might be interesting but triathletes use different saddles than regular folk. One point I'll make is how critical saddle tilt can be. While doing a retul fitting I learned that as little as 1degree of difference in tilt is, for me, very noticeable on my saddle. One degree down and I have all sorts of pressure on my hands. One up and I'm good to go. Just something to keep in mind.