shuru421

What are comfortable saddles? My girlfriend has been complaining about her current saddle being very uncomfortable. So any suggestions on some soft and cushiony saddles? But nothing like those giant heart shaped saddles please lol.

rms13

A women's specific saddle

GreenAnvil

I see what you did there...

snidely

My wife likes Terry Butterfly.


Saddle preferences vary greatly. I think my wife went through 7 or 8 saddles to find one she liked. Experimentation is part of the process. No one else can tell you what will work, I'm afraid.


I went through the same search process for mine. In fact, I just switched to a different one after riding the same model for a couple years. It's an ever-evolving journey.


Shape is more important than padding. Soft and cushiony can actually be worse, especially on longer rides.


Ebay is a good place to experiment, because you can buy cheaper and re-sell when they don't work for you.


Good luck.

Frank72

My wife likes the Selle Italia Diva Flow saddle. I found one on Chain Reaction for like $60.00.

ThermionicScott 

How much has she been riding? A person's butt will hurt with anything if they're just starting out.

Jean3n16

It is also about padded shorts!

I agree about different saddles though. I have a leather one covered with a pad and im fine but when i do my cycling class with their saddle, its like riding on a rock- my butt is sore even with padded shorts!

rpenmanparker 

OP, do you honestly think there is a sensible, consensus answer to your question? Do you think there are uncomfortable and comfortable saddles and folks know which are which so they can advise you. The comfy ones get bought, but the uncomfy ones don't? As I said recently in a similar thread, all saddles are comfortable and all saddles are uncomfortable. It is absolutely rider specific. She has to try out one saddle after another (usually a free service of good shops) until she finds the one she likes. Having said that, the Terry brand has a longstanding reputation of providing good, comfortable fit for a lot of women. They still have to see which model works best for them, however.

cycledogg

Exactly.

tpero

As has been mentioned, saddles are highly personal and comfort greatly depends on the size/shape of the saddle, width of a person's sit bones, sensitivity to pressure in the perineum area, etc.

BUT it's also not just the saddle, one's fit on the bike will have a huge impact on saddle contact points and pressure.

So no easy answer. But first step, go to a Specialized dealer as they have an "ass-o-meter" that will measure sit bones and give you an idea of appropriate saddle width. Step two, check fit on the bike.

dabac

Also remember that butts can't read labels.
If it works, it works. There are no guarantees that an expensive saddle will work out better than a cheap one. My favourite saddle is a cheap Velo, now onto its 3rd skin.

dwing

That would be a good start...

sea coil

Did my post get axed? Seriously? Was it my Polish?

dabac

Probably the worst saddle I ever had was also the softest. Very nice for shorter rides, as I didn't feel any pressure points. Not so good for longer rides, because after awhile I didn't feel anything.
Good entertainment for any riding buddies though. if I got off the bike, they got to watch me stagger around and maybe even fall down on numbed-out legs.
A soft saddle mainly means that the sit bones will sink deeper in, allowing the padding to put pressure on the tissues between the sit bones instead.
It's a bit like walking barefoot in sand. Nice at first, but after awhile your arches start to object.

dim

it's not the saddle .... it's your butt

keep on riding, and as your arse softens, the saddle will become more comfortable

so don't waste your money

your arse is like a new cricket ball .... it needs to be worked and softened, and the only way you can do that is to keep on riding further and further

too many people new to cycling change saddles several times ... then 'magically' find one that is 'comfortable' .... but when the put the original very 1st saddle back onto the bike, it also is 'comfortable'

rms13

Not really. Especially if it's a woman riding a men's saddle since woman's anatomy and sit bones are completely different than a man. The stock saddle on my wife's unisex bike was like a torture chamber for her and I got a cheap women's specific Charge saddle and she never had any problems either. But beyond just the gender issue, even with men not everyone's sit bones are in the same spots. I don't think there is one magical saddle that fits me right but I have had a few that definitely didn't. Nobody should have pain from riding 5 miles

shuru421

Thanks for all the advice, yes Im in the market for a women specific saddle. I guess Im just going to have to take her in and have her test fit several different ones till she finds something that seems comfortable for her.

philbob57

Where is your GF's discomfort? If it's general soreness of her butt, the cause is probably not enough riding. More specific complaints are more likely to be due to the design of her saddle, and a different design may very well help.

MMmmm...not so fast. The relevant bone structure is very similar. I think there's a slight tendency towards more widely spaced ischial tuberosities in women, but given the limited choices in saddle width, the different saddle geometry may not be significantly different. Remember, at least 2 of the more successful companies use the same saddle geometry for men and women (ISM, which makes no seats for women specifically but finds a lot of success with women, & Selle SMP, which simply uses the color pink to identify its 'women's' saddles; otherwise, its men's and women's saddles are identical).

Also note that ace fitter Steve Hogg notes that sitbone width does not reliably predict user satisfaction with a saddle.

But Terry makes saddles for women (and men) that may be different from each other, and lots of people like Terry saddles. 'Women specific' is not guarantee of success, but for some brands it's meaningful.

Bottom line: your GF has to experiment until she finds something she likes. 'Women-specific' may or may not be key for her successful hunt.

FullGas

1. soft, cushy saddles are generally horrible.

2. you can't pick the correct saddle over the internet.

datlas 

What's a doopa??

sea coil

Polish for derrière.

rpenmanparker 

Not instantaneously. The test has to cover a long ride. Fortunately good shops allow that.

CrowSeph

Totally Agree!
For me a saddle don't needto be extremely soft (my old si slk was not that bad and that was one of the most harder saddle i've used).

Ebay is just great.

Some month ago i bought an copy of a famous saddle brand, the original brand price is 150+ euro but the copy cost me only 20euro+shipment cost.
Ofc is not carbon but the saddle is working properly whitout any noise or strange flex.

When i want to switch to a new saddle i mainly focus on geometry (lateral and middle parts are the most important for me).

ps. i'm not a woman but those advices i think works for everyone.

TakingMyTime

I've run into that question from friends so many times and the first thing I find out is that it was their first ride. Get a good 5 - 10 rides in, then let's talk possible new saddle.

BillyD

Yes, seriously, it got axed. Indiscreet and tasteless.

You're new around here my friend, please review the forum guidelines and tread lightly. Please PM me if you have questions.