Another Saddle post
 

Sorry if this has been discussed and beaten to death but I couldn't find anything in all the searches on past posts here.

So I started cycling for fitness a couple of months and got hooked on to it; I do 25-30 km runs almost daily with the occasional 50 km sunday run. I'm riding a scott addict rc 20 most of the times and sometimes the bergamont grandurance rd5.

Now my problem is I'm a big heavy guy old guy, 47 years and somewhere between 120-130 kg, not in the best of shape but an old time sporty guy. I'm having a lot of problems with perineum pressure and severe **** numbness. I've got a bike fit done on both bikes, don't know how good it is but that's the best I could manage in my location. I'm comfortable on the bikes in all other ways To resolve the numbness issue I got a prologo dimension NDR CPC Tirox 143 saddle (sorry the board isn't allowing me to post a link to the saddle page). While that has helped a wee bit but the problem hasn't gone away.

I'm looking for some saddle recommendations for a heavy guy like me, preferably if you have faced and solved this problem with saddle selection and adjustment. I ride with the stem reversed on a +12 degree positive rise but I'm thinking of lowering it soon. From what I've read and researched, a lower reach, wider and shorter saddle and cut outs help. The prologo I got is wide-ish (143mm), short and has a cut out but it isn't the magic formula I was hoping for. It cost me over 200 dollars. We don't have the opportunity to try on different saddles here, I will have to just take recommendations and buy it.

Please help, I don't want to give up cycling but I also want to have a normal sex life. So saddle recommendations and tilt and reach etc. to help a fellow cyclist out please.

Thanks in advance guys.

Everybody is doing to be different, but with perenium problems, I'd be looking at the width of the cutout, and support of your sit bones.

There used to be a blog post by Cervelo called, "The four and a half rules of saddle fit," or something very similar - see if you can find an archived copy somewhere.

Basically: correct width (get measured), not too cushy, flattish... something else.... tilt? :foo:... and a cutout if necessary (likely is in your case).

I've had similar numbness issues on the trainer. I got my sit bone width measured (any bike shop that carries Specialized should have an ass-o-meter) and found that I needed a wider than typical saddle ~155mm or thereabouts. The saddle profile also has to be relatively flat from side to side - I needed to support the structure, not have a saddle that wedged in to soft tissue. I also needed a wide cutout. For my personal needs, I've found that Shimano/PRO Stealth saddles in the 150+ size work well.

Bike Forums has a "Clydesdales and Atheneas" subforum dedicated to discussions among people who are over 90 kg in weight. If you post your questions there, you'll get very helpful responses.

Agreeing with WhyFi - you could also look at Selle Italia Superflow saddles. One of those solved my saddle problems. Yeah, definitely do not ride with a numbie.

Braggart. ;)

Thank you. The problem is we don't have any sit bone measuring service/device here so I guess I'll have to do it the DIY method from all the web suggestions.
The prologo is sloped on the sides, a bit ... definitely not flat. Does a downward tilt help? I will check out the Shimano and PRO Stealth saddles you mentioned

Thank you

I'm afraid if I take a break I will never get back on the saddle again. I took up cycling just for fitness after years of procrastination and I'm loving it so much that I can't imagine no cycling anymore. I'll check out the Selle saddle, thanks.

eBay is your friend for solving saddle issues. You can try a bunch of saddles and resell the ones that don’t work without spending a lot of money.

I'm in India so the shipping to and fro will destroy me

Just a suggestion from a 195 to 200lb rider...I'd look into the Giant Fleet Sl Saddle or the Giant Approach, basically the same saddles in different rail and base weights. They have generous relief cutouts and partical flow dampening instead of just padding or gel. I've been ridding them this past year (the apraoch, then the fleet) and they are witout a doubt the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden. No numbness, plenty of support and good width. Also they have the nose cutoff design which I've found has been a blessing for my frontal region. :-P

Thank you for your suggestion; I will definitely look it up and Giant is here so maybe available too instead of importing it myself

Can't help with recommendations, but do any of your local shops offer saddle demos? For a refundable fee, you get to test different saddles until you find one that works.

I would experiment with the saddle tilt a bit and try a short nose saddle. You're looking to have your weight be supported on the sit bones, what you're describing is excessive pressure on the perineum.

I had a similar problem last year since I was trying to ride in the drops more. A little downward tilt and a short nose saddle (w/ cut out) solve that issue.

Unfortunately no. In fact there are barely any saddles available here. Whatever I choose I will have to import it myself.

That's what I read too, so today I have tilted down my prologo NDR CPC Tirox short nose saddle with cut out by a degree and also turned my bars a bit lower to stretch my body out a bit more. I will need to do a couple of rides to see the effect of it. I think most of my weight is on my sit bones but still my perineum is getting pressured with some weight.

After years of experimentation I have come to appreciate the SMP saddle line. Tricky to set, and not cheap, but once set they are incomparable (at least for this chubby older rider) If you can find an LBS that carries these, spend some time and money with them, and I anticipate that you'll also appreciate these saddles. I have 5, all on different bikes for different riding styles.

Any friends with a bike that might have a few saddles taking up storage space from their try and see experience? Surely someone else you might know will have some they'll let you try out for a ride or two. Maybe even sell or give it to you if you like the fit. If nothing else it'll let you get an idea of what different things about a saddle feel like. Such as saddle profiles, widths and cutout width or even with no cutout.

If you are like me, then as you get more cycling fit you'll find your saddle desires change. In my case I wound up with a saddle not too unlike the original.

Which SMP line do you recommend? I've ordered an ISM for now but would like to try SMP too as I've good things about it.

Most of the people here ride with original saddles so trying out different ones for me isn't easy. I am also noticing as I am cycling more I'm getting used to the prologo I got, will keep trying others too. Pretty hopeful about the ISM saddle I've ordered.

I too favor saddles with huge cutouts. Since I've been cycling, my go-to saddle was usually the Selle Italia Superflow. That has all changed now because the Fizik Vento Argo and Fizik Tempo (huge cutout, short nose design) adds an additional level of comfort I didn't think would be noticeable. I spend the majority of my riding in the drops and the Vento Argo feels like the best of both worlds because it feels plush and comfortable but when seated a bit further up, hands on the drops, its still a firmer and stable feeling. The Tempo is slightly thicker in padding and the nose doesn't slope downwards when compared to the Vento. The Tempo Argo works well on my SBC 6061 all-road because just like the Vento, a very comfortable and supportive saddle, especially for those long days on the bike.

So riding the drops puts more pressure on the perineum if I'm not mistaken right?

It shouldn’t because when riding in the drops or in an aero/aggressive position, the weight of your upper body should be on the front part of your pelvic bones (pubic rami). Even if riding in a relaxed position, the weight of your body should not rest on the perineum and should be on your sit bones.

Besides finding the right size and shape of saddle for your body, you have to dial in the rest of your fit on your bike. Everything from reach, handlebar height, saddle height, saddle fore and aft angle.

I've done the best professional bike fit available here; can't say how good it is but that's the best available. Seems like some of my weight is still on the perineum and the only thing I can think of changing now is the saddle. I've got an ISM on the way so lets hope it solves the issue

sadle
 

the seat horn should not contact soft tissue.....just your two sit bones should hold all of your weight......use a hard wide seat......a soft gel or cushy seat will push up into you.....your seat and handle bar should be adjusted so that one third of your weight is on the pedals .....one third on the bars and one third on the seat..........moving your seat back will position your pedals more in front of you making you sit more on your sit bones....this is important............all womens seats are made extra wide and flat......they work better for big people......they also make a seat without a horn...Its just a big oval and this will work for sure

Yeah figuring all this out from this wonderful forum; based on that I've ordered the ISM saddle as it helps in achieving all this you said and the rest is bike fit and positioning I've read. In fact the problem is getting resolved slowly but surely everyday as I ride more, I'm making a conscious effort to sit back on the saddle and that's helping the most. My original saddle was soft and cushy and set up very badly, that is what caused all the damage. With the change to prologo, nose down and sitting back, the issues are getting resolved but still wanna go with the ISM to not load the undercarriage at all

I am similar in weight and age - 47, about 120kg, but over 2 meters, so my sitting bones are probably further apart than yours. I use a Specialized Power Arc Pro Elaston 155mm saddle. It has a cutout and is rather short. A plus for me was that the saddle drops sharply to the sides so my upper legs don't chafe on the saddle. After some weeks of discomfort and experimentation, I can ride it for 4 or more hours without any issue, having a drop of about 14cm.

Two points where key for me:

An important point was to rotate my hip in a way that I explicitely have my weight on my sit bones. That can be a very strange feeling because you need your core and your back muscles to maintain the position. I lowered my handlebars gradually until I could sit in that position long enough. So I went from having almost no drop and sitting almost straight up to the drop I have now and my perineum is fine now.

The other point was using shammy cream and a good shorts/bibs.

Great to hear this; similar weight and age. So rotating the pelvis helps in taking weight off the perineum with the correct saddle right? I've also put my stem back to original orientation today, lowering the bars and I'm fitting the ISM saddle tomorrow; hoping to ride much lower. Lets see if that solves the problem.

I use shammy cream and alternate between 3 bib shorts; the type shorts don't seem to make much of a difference.to me.