damnable

This post comes with a bit of a story. My bike was second hand and it's my first raod bike. I test road it with a different saddle than it was sold with, so I replaced it initially with a Bontrager InForm R WSD after using the Bontrager sizing seat which is meant to tell you the correct saddle size for you. According to the Bontrager website, the women's saddles come in three widths (140, 150 and 160mm) which I've only found out recently. When I was sized they only seemed to have the 140 and 160 options, which I ended up falling in between, but closer to the 140mm so I went with that.

It was find to start off with but only in the last 1-2 months I started taking riding more seriously with more frequent and longer rides and I found I could only last ~40 without my front bits giving grief. Saddle adjustments didn't cut it, so I started looking for another saddle. At this time I also discovered that Bontrager (on their website) says the R saddle is more for off road use, something that wasn't on the original packaging.

So I started looking for used ones on ebay and find a Bontrager InForm RL WSD. The RL seem to get much better reviews than the R. The size wasn't originally listed on the sale so I sent in a question asking about the size and the reply was that it was a 150mm, which I thought would be perfect considering when I was sized I came in between the 140 and 160mm. I won the auction.

The saddle arrives, but while attaching it I noticed it's actually a 160mm. Hmm. I figure since it's in my hands I may as well give it a test ride on the trainer. After an hour my front bits are fine (yay). My seatbone area is a little tender but I'm not sure if that may be due to a the wrong size or my newbie butt is just getting used to the road bike and saddle in general.

So my dilemma is, should I try and return the saddle considering technically it classifies as 'not as described'? I won't be able to replace it with a 150mm but only get my money back. The saddle also doesn't correspond with what the Bontrager arse measuring device is telling me. Alternataively, when saddles are too wide, what are the common symptoms of this so I might self diagnose.

RacerOne

My Specialized Alias sizing was spot on, saddle was right from the start. I have the Inform RL as well, in the 146mm, it's taking me a while but I'm slowly getting used to it (only three road rides so far) but it seems as if it will be ok.

I'd return the 160mm to the seller, or just ebay it yourself.

Most saddles (including the Informs) have a 30 day or so return policy if you don't like it so go to a different bike shop than the one that greedily sold you what they had in stock and get the 150mm, you'll probably love it.

A too wide saddle could put undue pressure on the area between your sit bones causing sorness. It could also end up rubbing the insides of your thighs and chaffing.

DXchulo

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

I wouldn't trust the ass-o-meter as gospel. In the end saddles always come down to trial and error. If the saddle wasn't that expensive, personally I'd just try it and see what happens. If you already rode it an hour on the trainer and it was fine, that's a promising sign. It's much harder to be comfortable on the trainer than out on the road.

jrobe

Buttmeter = gimmick.

This is the reason they invented Ebay. I think I have gone through about 8-10 saddles on Ebay after falling for the Specialized buttmeter gimmick once. Fortunately, you can buy and sell on Ebay for very little cost.

roshea

Saddle width doesn't adequately describe saddle shape - the roundness or flatness of a saddle at different points, as well as its profile front to back, are also important (among other variables).

BarryJo

When I got measured for a Specialized Toupe saddle, the Craigslist seller asked me to strip naked.
Is this normal for an accurate fit?
Just wonderin'

edit; it must be because it's the best fitting saddle I ever rode

Pilsley

Depends,

Were they still on the other side of the www, or in the room with you!!

Good saddle interaction is small part finding something you like, big part putting ever increasing miles on it.

guadzilla

The Bontrager buttmeter said I would be best served by a mid-sized saddle (in the 140mm range). Got one and it was meh. Went back to a saddle in the 130mm range and am much happier. So no, the ass meters ("you CAN say ass on BF") are not that good, IMO.

umd

Those meters really only work for their own saddles. Was it a Bontrager saddle in the 140 range? You went back to a Bontrager saddle in the 130 range? Not saying that if the size is correct it will automatically be a comfortable saddle because the shape and how you sit on it still come into play, but there is no real size consistency between brands.

RazorWind

The specialized butt-o-meter thing worked for me. The Toupe I bought is spot on.

baribari

The buttmeter is there to make sure someone who thinks they need a 150 but actually needs a 130 doesn't waste their time and money. Bone structure doesn't always line up with exterior size. But I think it's more useful as a general guideline. Combine that with the fact that Bontrager has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, and you should be golden...

Hot Potato

Blessed with an indescriminate ass, myself. Never had a saddle that was bad. In on this thread because the butt-meter concept is interesting to me.

guadzilla

I got a Bonty RXL that was 146 - I started having what felt like a pinched nerve on my left buttock (actually had posted about this a couple of months ago). Then I gave up on it, and went to a narrower saddle (a SLC and an SLR-clone).

I didnt know that different saddles measured width differently. Still, pretty big difference between a 131mm SLR and a 146mm RXL, regardless of size inconsistencies.

V.

umd

Well like I said, even if a saddle is the right "size" it doesn't mean it will be a good fit. There is a lot more to a saddle than just the width.

Grumpy McTrumpy

probably the most important fact.

not really relevant



never look a gift horse in the mouth.

bingo.


you want to return something that (by accident) works better than what you have? who cares what the numbers are...

does it interfere with the free motion of your legs?

baribari

All of the InForm saddles have different curvatures for each size. The narrower the saddle, the more curve it has, in order to supposedly fit your bones and such better.

bwunger

I bought my specialized with a 143 width Alias and it seemed fine though it wasn't really comfortable. When I was buying my Toupe I decided to have them measure my sit bones and it said I should go with the 130. I did, and I find it's even better so for me, it worked.