Specialized saddles question
 

First I tried the stock Bontrager saddle that came with the bike (a cheap trek). It caused me severe sit-bone soreness and got my boy numb. I upgraded to a $30 buck cheap bontrager saddle with lots of padding. 1,200 miles later, my sit-bones are still happy but, my boy goes numb in 30 minutes. Every 30 minutes I have to stop and walk around a bit till I can feel the boy again.

So I went to a specialized shop with the 90 day return policy and got a specialized alias (143 according to the butt-o-meter). The numbness is gone, the boy is happy but... the sit-bone soreness is back with a vengeance. It feels like riding on a cinder block. I found myself stopping every 30 minutes anyway, to give the sit-bones a break.

I'm gonna try more saddles from the specialized shop. Any recommendations about which one to try next?

- Specialized Avatar Gel
- Serfas Terrazo Select
- Serfas Terrazo
- Specialized Toupe Gel

Any help will be appreciated.

I have the Toupe Gel 143.....took a few hundred miles to break it in but I love it.

chamois cream?

toupe is stiffer, avatar is softer.

I've heard from some that the regular toupe is more comfortable than the toupe gel.

No - the other way around. The avatar is a brick. The Toupe's flex is nice. Less padding but the flex makes up for it.

IMHO- If the only problems you are having is with your sit bones. You just need to ride more to toughen them up.

I have been riding a toupe (non gel) for the last 400 miles...Comfy from day one.

From my experience...saddles need to be broken in.

i.e. my Avatar is nice and right for long haul rides of more than a few hours. My Alias is great with less cush for the tush but more flex for which feels better to me when climbing. I climb in the saddle.

I have no experience with the Toupe or Toupe Gel. But the boys over at the Specialized develepment shop swear by customer response that the Toupe (not the Gel) is the way to go.

Now for the non-BG saddles by Specialized; I'm gonna give the Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow and SLK a try for my next build.

But all in all, you really need to 'break in' the saddle...yours too. Then there is the question of how it 'feels'. I knew right away that the fizik aliante was not for me the second I went down the block.

just my .02.

tru dat! i love my regular toupe. gel doenst always mean comfy.

I have both the regular and gel versions of the Toupe (white 143-145mm). Anyone interested? PM

My but declares it a draw. Hard for me to tell a big difference, the gel has a bit of cush, but as others have said, I also think the confort comes from the flex. Both nice seats, but I am now riding a loaner from the LBS. A Selle SMP Strike Pro. Very nice! Looks a bit strange with the drop down beak, but I did place an order for one never the less. I've got about 300 miles on the loaner and my but has been thanking me every day. :love:

Steve

You really have to just ride it out, I've quit/taken up cycling quite a few times and each time my arse hurt like a *****! It just gets better overtime and eventually goes away all together.

The Toupe just didn't work for me despite everyone swearing by it. I bought it this past Friday and was eager to feel the difference but it was terribly uncomfortable, and I got the 143mm which the ass-o-meter said I needed. I suspect it was too big because it the sides of the saddle just kept digging into my leg so after 25 miles it was painful, not just uncomfortable. I was going to try the 130mm but my gut told me to try the Arione so we shall see tomorrow morning.

I just need a little bit more padding. I made this tests:

- Specialized Alias + cheap Canari shorts (little padding) ---> Sit bone sore after 10 miles (40 mins).
- Specialized Alias + Pijamas (thin layer of cotton) --> Sit bone sore after 2 miles (around the block)
- Specialized Alias + naked butt (on bike trainer of course, inside my garage) --> sore after 30 seconds.
- Specialized Alias + Pj + two hand towels (on the trainer) --> feels like a dream! :thumb:

The 2 towels make like 1/4 inch padding. I'm guessing that better padded shorts or maybe a saddle cover will do the trick. Problem is, better shorts/bibs are going to be around 100 bucks more on top of the 99 already paid for the saddle itself. A cover, I've no idea if those even exists for pro saddles. I can also go ghetto by cutting to size the 2 hand towels and keeping them in place with a tie wrap.

So, a few more questions:

Anybody using saddle covers for some extra padding?
Any recommendations on shorts/bibs with good padding?

How many miles have you put on the Alias? You might need to give it a decent number of miles before making the call -- also do you have it tilted or level?

Plus the toupe just looks dope

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/...Toupe_WC_l.jpg

Anyways, I ride the avatar and I like it just fine. I've gotten saddle sores on metric centuries, but I'm throwing that one up to dirty shorts and an unprepared butt.

To answer some questions, I've put 100 miles on the alias and it is leveled. And I weight 183 pounds ATM. That's about 25 pounds overweight (working on that).

Hmmm -- 100miles might not be enough? Some folks round here have had to go longer than that to break in their toupes, IIRC.

Anyhow, like otismedina, I ride an Avatar - just got a replacement from my LBS after my original cracked; it's OK, but I'm still getting the new one dialed in. Tempted by toupe, but $$ will hold me back a little while longer I think.

Here some pics of my saddle history:

The stock saddle, AKA butt buster.
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Stock-side.jpg

The cheapo padded saddle (1200 miles on this one):
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...added-side.jpg

Cheapo padded and Stock top view:
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...-stock-top.jpg

Alias top view on bike:
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n.../Alias-top.jpg

Alias side view on bike (is the camera that was tilted):
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Slias-side.jpg

Looking at the pics, it seems the Alias has as much padding as the butt-busting stock saddle. I tried the "break-in' thing with the stock saddle, it never worked. I will try the alias a few more miles but I really don't think is gonna work. My sensitive butt no likey. :(

I have (I believe anyways, they have changed since mine) a specialized Alias. It is the one with the thin memory foam where your sit bones go. I love it. It took a few good rides to break it in for me (as it was used but in amazing condition). Sometimes you just have to give it a little time.

personally I liked the alias over the avatar and toupe, except mine is the previous incarnation which had the stitching that wore out.

And you all had to 'break-in' your aliases?

Why hasn't anybody mentioned the obvious - leather saddles?

IMO, I would rather break in a saddle than break in my butt.

If you haven't seen some of the excellent leather road and racing saddles lately, have a look. I rode leather, then went to synthetics and am now going back to leather. I will never go back to synthetics.

Brooks saddles break in. They have a history of over 100 years. I think Brooks knows how to make a saddle.

Specialized knows how to market to high disposable income fools.

Get a Brooks, adjust it, break it in...that is 1,000 miles of riding. It will hurt for awhile but the leather will give and your butt will be happy.

Brooks is the only saddle maker on the market. Everything else is just a plastic toy.

I absolutely hated my brooks. I respect the look and the craftmanship but a heavy ass hatchet was all it was to me.

Just a thought: saddle fore/aft position? 1/2cm might orientate sit-bones into the sweet spot.

I'm on a Alias 130 (Allez) with middle-of-the-road shorts and I love it. My wife's on the ladies version as well (Ruby) with great shorts and she's very comfortable (which is unbelievable which makes it probably the greatest story in cycling to come out of Ontario this summer. :p )