Need Help with comfortable saddle
 

Hi I'm looking for a good comfortable saddle for my Trek 7.5 Fx. I just bought a Bontrager Inform R that I thought would be good but it is too harsh for me. I weigh around 240 lbs and I'm looking for a comfortable but not too heavy saddle for riding around 20-30 miles. Please share your thoughts and tell me why you like it. Thank you so much for your advise and feedback.

One person's ideal saddle will, no doubt, be another person's medieval torture-device. That said - I ride a Terry Fly Tri Gel saddle on my hybrid - it was also a Trek 7.5 FX. It's been customized.

http://www.terrybicycles.com/saddles...tri-gel-saddle

I don't even notice that I'm sitting on it. It blends into me perfectly. I also have a Terry Fly Ti saddle - but this one feels better to me.

Like Panthers007 stated each person is different. For the length of ride you stated I like the Brooks. I have the Brooks Flyer on my touring/commuting bike. The most common Brooks though seems to be the B17. They are usually heavier than the plastic and foam saddles but are rather comfortable. I also like some of the Body Geometry Saddles by Specialized. You may also want to get fitted by a Specialized dealer.

However before going out and buying a saddle I suggest first checking the saddle height, tilt, and fore/aft position.

I use a Specialized Body Geometry Comfort saddle and love it. It's by far the most comfortable saddle I've ever used, especially on longer rides.

I ride a Brooks B-17, they're classics. Selle Anatomica is another that many people swear by. Neither are cheap, but my butt's worth it. Beware of taking anyone's advice regarding saddles. One man's dream saddle is another man's ass hatchet. Your butt will be the one to decide for you.

Totally a personal choice/preference. I use a Terry Cite X on my 7.5 and a Terry Falcon X on my 1500, they are womens saddles and probably wouldn't feel good to you if you're a guy. They also feel awful when swapped to the other bike...different seats for different riding positions.

I have a Trek 7.5 FX also and this is my saddle:

http://www.masherz.com/images/produc...rikemanbig.jpg

Take a look at a Avenir Comfy (30 bucks @ Amazon). The nose is a tad fat for my anatomy, but the foam is excellent and my sit bones do super fine on this saddle. It's better the more upright one rides.

I have a Terry Liberator Y GEL saddle. It's not overly spongy, which is a good thing for avoiding pinching off those delicate arteries. A good pair of cycle shorts are probably needed.

As long as you stay back in the saddle and contact on your sit bones, you should be fine. And keep the saddle level.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...e_DSCF8718.jpg

Brooks B-67. If that's too wide, a Brooks Champion Flyer will serve nicely! Once hooked on riding a leather saddle, you will never ride on anything else again!

I have Brooks B-67S, B-17S and Champion Flyer S. I'd recommend a Brooks. They're the best. But they take about 500 miles to convince you that they're the best.

I agree about the gel saddles. When I visit my brother-in-law, I borrow his bike and the thick gel saddle feels like sitting on a cloud. I'd use one on my own bike, but people know me around here.

LOLOLOLOL - do what manhattanites do around here to hide their saddles - cover the bejesus out of it with duct tape.

joking aside though - i have had problems with saddles from the stocker on my trek fx 7.2, an aventair saddle i had (better but still painful) and now the stocker on my fx 7.7.........

no matter which of these saddles i sit on, it feels as though i am sitting on the parts of my body between my butt and behind you know where.... it's so uncomfortable that i literally dont want to ride anymore......... i am going to go to an LBS this weekend to have them fit me for a saddle...

seriously... im 6'1", 180 pounds, and all saddles hurt me like crazy. i got used to my aventair saddle which is wide at the back but too narrow up front. on all of these, i never sitt on my 'sit bones' - i almost always find myself sitting in my in-between leg area and it's really really painful.... as i read on sheldon brown's site, i think the saddles i have are not wide enough and that causes me to sit on the middle section of my torso instead of on the sit bones... and now imagine taking bumps sitting like that :( (i usually get out of the saddle for bumps anyway)

i will pay good money for a $ as long as i know it's the one i need. i dont want to get into the habit of spending $30-$100 to simply try out a saddle then figure out it's terrible for me.... i did this by buying the aventair saddle i have and that was about $40... no more wasting $......

in terms of saddles, for me, it's comfort over form. i dont care if it weights 5 pounds - if it's comfy, im going to use it... just havent found a g00d one yet th0... =/

That saddle looks like it would squeak louder than many mattresses I've met...

Lepper - a Dutch leather saddle. This model is similar to the Brooks B-33.

Brooks B-17. Work great on hybrids since the bars are normally around saddle height. And I do agree with the above post. It takes about 500 miles to get used to a brooks, but now I will never buy anything else.

I agree with the comment on the Terry Liberator saddle, I've been using it for 4 years my hybrid and it's gotten more comfortable over time.

I found the B17 extremely comfortable right-out-of-the-box. But not on my hybrid - on my PUCH racer. On my hybrid it was an instrument of torture.

+1 On the flyer! Works for MTB's and Hybrids.

Yesterday, I bought a Kalloy Guizzo suspension seatpost and I thought this would solve the problem I have. This seatpost is a piece of junk, you can't feel the suspension at all. I dont know if anyone ever uses this. Hopefully I can still return it. About the saddle, I visited several stores today and can't seem to find the one I like within my price range. Actually, there is one that looks pretty comfortable, it's called selle royal ellipse ($40). After I checked on their website, it pointed me to their "Lookin" line. Has anyone ever tried Selle Royal Lookin? I will check that Terry Liberator Y Gel, about the B-17 i'm just afraid it's too heavy for me. I try to stay within the $100 price range.

Get a B135. they're awesome

I have a Brooks, B-17, on my Hybrid, and absolutely love it.

However, it took over 1000 miles for us to grow together. It's now invisible while riding - in looks and feel.

Before that, I has Specialized Body Geometry saddle which was quite comfy. It is a really comfortable saddle, but I lusted after a Brooks..

My only regret - buying black to match my bike - shoulda bought the honey colored one for the contrast. It is a beautiful saddle.

Have you tried repositioning the saddle forwards or back....adjusting the tilt angle? That can make a difference. Do you have cycling shorts / pants? These will almost certainly help with your discomfort.


If I am measuring right the 2009 saddle that comes with the 7.7 is ~170mm wide at it's widest point. I have grown accustomed to this saddle but...I'm only on it for 45 minutes to an hour at one time.