saddle
 

I have 2007 caad 9 and want to upgrade my saddle. was thinking of the forte pro slx carbon. my stock saddle is hurting after 20 miles. have any other recommendations:eek:

What kind of riding? What's your weight? Not sure if anything Forte could be an upgrade. That is a generic performance bike house brand.

If you are less than 170, the Selle Italia SLR is my recommendation. Forget the cutout or the XP version (xtra padding). The shape of the saddle is what matters. BTW, you may have to ebay a couple before you find the right one.

Does it hurt at the sit bones or is your junk going numb?

That forte is actually a decent saddle. I have one on an old bike, it's pretty comfortable on rides up to maybe 50 miles. It puts slightly more pressure on my junk than the specialized alias I have on my main bike, but involves less aching in my sit bones, as it flexes a bit when you're pedaling. Having said that, there are better saddles to buy out there, and what works for me might not for you, but it would be hard to find another saddle I'd recommend that can be had for less than $50.

Forte's not bad, and easy on the wallet.

whew, I was getting worried, there hasn't been a saddle thread in a while... balance in the universe has been restored.

OP, try the search function... countless saddle threads. Saddles are a very personal thing. Only way to know what works is to ride them yourself. Or if you know your sit bone width, you can start there.

Step 1:
Get your ass sized up. Find an LBS that has the Specialized Ass-O-Meter (no joke) that'll measure how wide your butt-bones are. Once you know that, you know what 'size' saddle to look for.

Step 2:
Knowing the 'width' of the saddle will help you find a good saddle. Now, it's a matter of you finding a saddle with the amount of padding you want, the weight/price ratio, and ultimately of the appropriate width for your physical dimensions.

Step 3:
Install saddle.

Step 4:
RIDE.

^^^^ What he said. ^^^^^

I did this last week and it seems to have worked like a charm.
Ended up with a 130mm Specialized Toupe Gel. Never would have thought i had narrow sit bones.

+1 on the Toupe Gel....I love mine....or should I say my butt loves it!

Where is the post about starting with $500 and keep trying saddles until you find the right one?

Saddle comfort has as much to do with proper bike fit as the saddle itself. Are you sure everything is sized correclty before you start spending $$$ on saddles?

Why do you say that? Preference? Weight? Just curious. I have the XP version and it works very well.

probably because extra padding usually good for short rides, but not good for long rides...

The Forte Pro SLX is actually a pretty good saddle - just be aware that it is only 127mm wide, and so if you have wider sit bones it won't work for you. I tried one for a while and if it was wider would still be using it - ended up getting a 143mm Toupe instead.

Since they're usually on sale for $39 it's a cheap experiment...

Right after the post from the guy who weight and size we don't know, whose riding habits are unknown, blurting , "da toupe is da bestest saddle".
Size 13EEE shoes fit me perfectly, thus, you should all wear size 13EEE shoes.

Before doing that, consider your current riding habits. Do you ride often? Long rides? If you suddenly began riding longer distances, expect some saddle discomfort. You can "develop you chops" by gradually increasing time in the saddle. Also consider your riding position. Is the bike properly fitted? How relaxed are you in riding postion. Tension will give you saddle discomfort too.

If you really believe a new saddle is the answer. You can take you own measurements (Warning, do this in the privacy of your home or your friends will never let you live it down".

Wear your bike shorts, place a piece of paper on a hard, flat surface. Sit on the paper, reach down and feel where your sit bones impact the flat surface. With a marker, carfully mark the location of your sit bones on the paper. Measure that distance and compare it with the sweet spot on any saddle you are considering. When I did that, to my suprise a narrow, harder saddle was ideal for me.

Remeber, take your time with the break -in period, so gradually increase your time in the saddle.

Trial and error. Make CERTAIN of the return policy before you buy.
The Specialized butt meter gave me a false reading: every saddle in the that size tried was an epic failure.
Some saddles require zero break-in, some 1,000 miles or so.
Fit is so individual that any saddle recommendation here would work only on sheer luck.

I checked with some of my Officers today and they also recominded the toupe gel in the 130mm and or the 143mm. I am 53 yrs, and ht, 5.6, wt 130. with diabetes, I have lost 45 pds, with diet and bike riding. I have a few bikes but I got a new caad9 and had it fitted by a pro, I have put 350 mi, on the bike and the doctor wants me to go from 60 mi, a week to 100. a good fit is a must i have to really watch the sores. This weekend I think I will see if they can fit me with one. THANKS.

Love it, but that's just me. I found this oddly comfortable.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j2...k9/Saddle1.jpg

I tested all the above saddles and some others and they did not work for me. Idid try fizik aliante carbon t- rail and it was the saddle for me... thanks again.