I need some help buying a new saddle with a cutout
 

I have a hybrid bike (Trek DS 8.1) and some tailbone pain. I dont only use my bike in the city. I also use it for longer rides and I think are the cause of the pain. I live in Spain and would like to use a brand that is available globally and buy a saddle with a cutout.

So far this is the seat that I like the most: Sillín SMP Trekking ATB/Touren | Bikester.es

The price and the design seems to be perfect. I am wondering if you guys have good experience with this saddle or can show me something that can be even better...or simply tell me to buy this one. :)

I also like this saddle: https://www.serfas.com/products/view...style%7C75%7C3

By the way....these saddles come in one size and I simply need to pick the one for men?

Thanks for the help.

I haven't ridden the Serfas, but my current saddle is the Selle SMP TRK, and it works great for me on a Trek 7.3 FX. My previous saddle (last year) was the stock saddle (I think a bontrager H1), and it caused serious pain after about an hour. I haven't ridden as much this year, but so far the Selle SMP TRK is doing well... On short rides, when I just wear street clothes it is comfortable, and on longer rides I wear cycling shorts to enhance the experience.

The saddle seems to be firm enough to not feel like I am sitting on mush, but soft enough that I don't feel like I am sitting on a rock. I do seem to do best with the nose pointed down a little more than on other saddles... but, that could be individual taste. I am getting a little bit of chafing on long rides, but that could be because of my fat thighs. :)

After a particularly nether region numbing ride ( like lasted for a week ) on the stock saddle on my DS 8.4 I purchased a Serfas RX Performance
https://www.serfas.com/products/view...s%7Crx-saddles

Was much more comfortable however it was in the early days of my riding "career" and I have subsequently found that I probably could have made the stock seat more comfortable just by adjusting it back/forward/tilt up/tilt down as well. It's worth trying that first.

Currently running a SDG Bel Air on the DS and dont' have any problems with that ( no full cutout )
Bel Air RL: Ti-Alloy ? SDG COMPONENTS

Note: I don't normally wear padded shorts YMMV ! :)

I have a Selle TRK arriving on Saturday. I hope its the one for me!

Yeah....I think the stock seat is pretty okay. It is me moving all the time, trying to find the best position, but in the local store I was told to sit back so that the bones rest on the padding properly and the tailbone is free of unnecessary pressure.

maybe i'm interpreting wrong but if you need to force yourself to sit back would moving your seat forward make it more natural and take the pressure off?

Consider a Selle AnAtomica? Comfortable right out of the box.

Hey.

Let's us know if you like it or not. :) What's your experience after a few days?

I quit cycling 5 months ago. No one can fix my tailbone issue (Spanish health care has gone down the toilet). I have an appointment with a osteopath next week. She said she would look at this issue.
Regarding the saddle....I must say it is really really weird. The shape is just not something you would expect. I normally just sit on it and let my body do the rest. (meaning it has a relatively nice shape that helps you find the best spot on it...sometimes I need to push myself a bit backwards so that the pelvis would rest on the cushions). Then again my issue is that it just feels off (regardless the slight tailbone pain I have....it just doesnt feel okay. I guess thanks to its weird shape). Has anyone had the same experience?

I second this saddle. I just ordered my second one for my road bike. Most comfortable saddle that I have ridden.

Too bad about your tailbone, that should be your priority before starting any sport. If you're a new rider, I wouldn't spend a quinto until I fixed that as whatever I do may not work afterwards. I wouldn't start any sport or activity either with an injury on such a vital body part.

As for saddles, much depends on your riding position. From casual to aggressive, the seats go from wide to narrow. A wide recommendation is not useful for an aggressive position rider.

If you're scooting forward on the saddle, there are two possibilities: your seat is too far back in the rails or your seatpost is too high

Good luck on your recovery

I popped a Selle SMP Hybrid on my bike about a week ago and I'm very pleased with it so far.

I've actually tried most of the saddles mentioned here and for me the best is the SMP TRK.
The selle anatomica was just too hard for me. I really wanted that saddle to work. The thought of a leather saddle with no padding really appealed to me
but it was an ass hatchet for my buns. I sold it via craigs list to a guy going on a three state tour. never heard back from him so.............?
The serfas RX were my go to saddles for a while. I used both the performance and the regular one. They were good as far as taking pressure off the perineum but I still had back pain.
I decided to try the SMP after reading some reviews by people who had problems similar to mine. I got the shorter model and it has worked really well for me.
I used to get leg numbness and back pain both from disc issues. With the SMP the back pain is gone and the leg numbness will come on much later than with any other saddle and can be relieved with position changes.

Maybe not the cutout you are after but this is the one on my Hybrid and I ride in excess of 60km often on it. Never had any issues with discomfort.http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...siqmzixec.jpeghttp://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s2hwxmtvv.jpeg

Selle Anatomica had a holiday sale, therefore I picked one up. Cannot wait for Spring to try it out! I have ready only good things about the saddles. OTOH the Bontrager H1 that came with the FX 7.4 is pretty decent! Saddles are one of those personal things, you have to try. I suggest cycling tights or shorts with padding to help ease the pain.

Thanks for the information. I have a second appointment with an osteopath and after that I guess I'll find a pro to check if everything is properly set up. Depending what they say, I might change the saddle if it is really necessary.

Selle Italia superflow 145 .

Wow. It seems to be an awesome saddle, but basically my bike cost 300 euros and to have a 150 euro saddle on it, would be brutal. :) I didnt realize these saddles are this costy.

Plus mine is a trekking bike. Not a roadbike.

I had a tailbone problem. I bought the Serfas Rx 921L. It helped a lot, but still, on long(er) rides, I had a tailbone ache.

I read this thread

http://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...discovery.html

I modified my position with the pelvis now rotated forward, the handlebars lowered as low as it will go, (last week I replaced my riser handlebar with a flatbar) . The tailbone does not hurt anymore.

As a bonus, I put much less weight on my palms and my pedaling is more efficient. Maybe I'll move to a drop bar bike...

Sounds good. I guess I'll take my bike to a bikeshop and have this so-called bikefitting done on it.
Thanks for the advice.

Try this one worked for me.

Respiro Soft Athletic | Selle Royal

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=501475

Fiddle around with the angle of the saddle. The SMP saddles are very sensitive to angle adjustment. Basically, you wind up sitting in the depression, so you want the saddle to appear slightly nose up. I suspect you have the saddle setup so that the front half is basically level and the tail rises up? What you want is more of a basket effect, where you naturally slide toward the back end of the saddle.

Selle SMP recommends starting with an initial position by using a level directly across the nose to tail of the saddle. From there many people drop the nose 1-3mm, and find that position good.

I had a Bontrager CRZ+ on my 2005 Gary Fisher Hybrid. After a couple of years I wanted something softer so I got a Serfa Dual Density saddle. A couple years later I decided to ride more aggressively and decided the Serfa was too soft and mushy, so I went back to the CRZ+. That is now my favorite saddle. I also have a Trek FX 7.5 with a H2Flex Form saddle which is OK but I definitely have to wear bike shorts with it. The H2Flex Form was used on Trek's 2011 FX 7.9 which was a $2,000 bike. I'm quite sure the CRZ is the cheapest of the 3 saddles. It seems most people don't like stock saddles. I'm surprised manufacturers don't go with a cheaper more comfortable saddle as original equipment since first impression is so important in selling bikes.

A bike shop in Portland, OR has a saddle library, where for $25 you join. They install a saddle on your bike and you ride it for one week, then return it. I tried about 4-5 saddles before I settled on one. My $25 join fee went toward the cost of my new saddle. Great deal.


I suggest buying saddles from a p,ace with a liberal return policy, that way you won't be stuck with a pile of uncomfortable saddles.

I ended up with a Selle Italia "Diva" in black. I paid full U.S. price, but I since found them at the big U.K. chains for around $72 USD.

Ah yes, the quest for the perfect saddle!

I really need to gather all mine up and put them into a garage sale.
I finally found one but the jury is still out until I get some miles on it!