I know I know. Saddles are personal preference but I maybe I'll get a helpful tip here.

First I tried a Toupe Team 143 and it was great for up to 60 mile rides. Anything over 60 miles and the sit bones hurt so much I had trouble being on it for more than a few minutes at a time. It also gave me a small saddle sore by the left "wing" section of the saddle.

Second saddle was a Fizik Aliante. This Saddle feels great up to 50 miles, over that, the taint start burning badly. By the end of a century I feel like someone lit a blow torch under me. The sit bones feel great though. Also the saddle sore the Toupe gave me has been completely fixed by this saddle.

If I had to choose one pain over the other, I'd prefer that my sit bones hurt. In reality I want no pain. One thing I really like about Fizik is the saddle bag system they have but I'll give it up for a good saddle that works.

Has anyone had similar experiences with these saddles and found one they liked?

Hi, yesterday I bought the Aliante after using a Toupe gel, Selle Italia max flite, SQlab, SMP stratos and another Toupe 2010. - My main problem area is indeed the taint. After a ride, but aspecially the days after the ride.
It took a year to find out that the best position of the saddle was spot on horizontal - but it's still not that what I hoped for. Anyway The Aliante will make it's debut on my bike and I hope this will do some good.

i've never ridden a Fizik saddle but i have ridden a Selle Italia max flite. it didn't work for me. so far, the best saddle for me has been the Specialized Avatar.

I'm a huge fan of the Terry Fly Ti. However, I have not been on it for really long rides.

https://www.terrybicycles.com/saddles...ly-ti-saddle-1

This one might be better for longer distances:
https://www.terrybicycles.com/saddles...tri-gel-saddle

--
Jeff

The Alliante comes in a "Versus" version with a cut-out channel down the middle... supposedly to help with perineal pressure.

Personally, I think saddle fitting is more Voodoo than "science". I guess "trial-and-error" is kinda like a method...

If you liked the Toupe for a short ride, try the Alias. Same shape, but more padding. I love mine!

I have been through a number of the saddles mentioned in this thread, the toupe was painful, Fizik aliante and antares not much better. Loved the prologo Scratch but it was too narrow, the only saddle that has worked for me is the new Sellia Italia Turbomatic team edition. Love it!!!!

I measure out for a 143+ saddle, the turbo is a 153 but that is misleading, that width is way back. I have the non cutout version and have about 500 complaint free miles on it.

Selle SMP convert here. Switched from an 80s vintage Selle Italia Super Turbo due to chronic numbness in my male parts. The Selle SMP alleviated the problem and has proven to be a very good all-around saddle.

if you liked the aliente, fizik now has a new line of saddles called the versus line. they used their current saddle shapes and added a "love channel" to ease the taint soreness, sounds like it might work for you:

aliente versus:

if the discomfort is on the taint, the saddle might be too narrow. also, are you reapplying chamois cream?

Also, there may be something off with your fit other than just the saddle.

The toupe had a pro fit, the aliante was a retul fit.

I saw the versus version before I bought mine, but most reviews said that the saddle material is so soft the channel basically collapses when you get on the saddle. Unfortunately, Fizik doesn't offer these in the saddle tests either.

I have Assos creme, it just makes it worse. The aliante gives me a burning sensation which the chamois cream just magnifies.

I went from my stock San Marco Ponzo to Fizik Antares. I thought it was an upgrade at first, but if anything, it made the numbness around the taint worse. By mile 25 the numbness would turn painful. Sit bone discomfort was about the same as it was with the Ponza. I switched the Fizik out for a Toupe and the numbness disappeared completely. I still have a bit of discomfort in the sit bones at times though. Mostly, I notice it if I start out climbing before I'm warmed up or when I've been in the saddle for than 50 miles or so.

In the spirit of thread hijacking, I am also getting hotspots in the balls of my feet when climbing as well. This disappears once I'm on the flats or going downhill.

Since it's my thread, i'll respond to your hi-jack. you probably have your feet in a different angle which climbing. I recently adjusted my cleats and now get hot spots while pedaling toes down which is bad habit I have. If I pedal properly, I don't have the hot spots and it's helping to fix the bad habit. You have to see what your feet are doing while climbing and adjust the cleats to compromise between climbing and flat ground so it doesn't hurt in either.

Aliante Versus would probably do the trick.

Fizik is releasing their saddles with a groove down the center and that would relieve most of the pressure problems you are having. I have the same concerns on a Arione but I just started getting out of the saddle more often to relieve the pressure.

When I think pressure, I think of numbness. I have no numbness, just rubbing/burning.

Are you wearing taint sauce? It helps a lot.

I also experience some discomfort by aprox mile number 50-60. I kinda figured this is "normal," so how realistic is it to expect a saddle to be completely comfortable for 100 miles?

I would lower the saddle a few mm. I was having the same problem and that helped, but with all the heat and sweating, I started using Lanacane
anti-chafing gel and that did the trick.
Oh, I'm using a Aliante saddle.

ah, disregard then.

What kind of shorts are you wearing? I used to have rubbing/irritation issues wearing cheaper Canari shorts but upgraded to PI Attack shorts and it went away except on 50+ mile rides. Then another upgrade to PI Elite has me feeling good as long as I'm able to ride.

It's on Gore Ozon bibs. on cheaper shorts, the burning starts sooner.

I think the same thing, but then I see people that ride 200 miles. If I hurt after 60 miles and had to push through it to 100, how would I ever reach 200? or even 150 for that matter.

One consideration is taking a rest break. I noticed that if I take a 10-15 minute break every 30-40 miles I can do a 100+ mile ride without much discomfort. If I had to ride straight (with no or minimal stops) I would be very uncomfortable the last 30 miles of a century.

we had a 10 minute stop at mile 45 and then a 30 minute break at mile 60. then another 10 minutes at 86.