Most comfortable saddle
 

I took my new bike out for the first ride on it last week without any padded shorts, big mistake. I have since bought some padded shorts but wanted to know what you consider the most comfortable saddle for a road bike would be. I have a Specialized Roubaix SL2 Elite and the saddle is not very comfy. My wife just got the Ruby elite and her saddle is quite a bit thicker and almost a hard foam compared to my leather wrapped hard plastic-like material. Hers is much more comfortable than mine. Thanks!!

what saddle is on it? A Toupe? Are they still doing that?

If you don't like the BG saddle, try the fizik arionne. Seems people vaguely fall into one of the two camps

for me the most comfortable saddle is a Selle Italia SLR. in particular the Fibra but what i find comfortable and what you find comfortable are likely to not be the same thing. so its really up to you to try different ones and find what works for you.

Also feel free to go to your local bike store and see if they have a trial program or sorts, could always try out a few different saddles that way.

Not the answer you want to hear but...there is no magic answer to your question. Everyone is built differently and has different tastes and comfort levels. Quite frankly, too cushey or too wide gets uncomfortable and many people, once they get used to it, prefer a harder saddle. My suggestion is to stick with it for a month before you change. You need to get used to a road saddle. On my road bike I use a Terry Fly which I like and on my single speed I have a Brooks B-17 narrow that I love. Many people liken a Brooks to sitting on a brick. For me it's comfortable.

Most comfortable not just a brand. It is a fit. Measure your sit bones and get a saddle that fits you. I love the Smp Selle Composit with no cushion. Also ride the Evolution-129 mm width just a little padding. Size matters in saddle width.

Probably the most comfortable saddle I ever owned (late 1970s/early 1980s) was a broken-in all-leather Brooks Professional that fit my ass like a glove, although the Selle Italia Super Turbo I switched to when I built-up my Ciocc in 1986 never gave me any problems. At age 56 I ride a Selle SMP - unique shape and central cut-out keep my male part from going numb.

My ass is different than your ass.

New bike, first ride - it's not going to be comfortable. Give the original saddle a chance, your arse needs time to break in.

After that begin your search.

What kind of problem are you having with the current saddle? Is it making you numb? Do you feel pressure on the sit bones? Depending on what problem you having makes a lot of difference. If your problem is sit bone pressure, then over time the saddle will get better. If you are getting numbness, then you need a different saddle because it will never get better.

You may need to go through a few saddles to find one that works for you. I tried, I think, five saddles before I bought a Selle SMP and now have a saddle that I can ride comfortably for as many miles as I care to do.

You may as well have asked us our favorite color. What works for one rider is a complete ass hatchet to another rider. I've never ridden a big money saddle, but my favorite so far is the forte pro slx from performance bike. not sure, but i think i remember someone posting a while back about performance not selling this saddle anymore...not sure. either way, it's mostly a trial and error process.

Check this out:

• http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html
  http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bicycleseats.html
• http://mbikeworld.com/bike-article/c...ke-saddle.html

Thanks for all of the responses. I will have to put a few hundred miles on it and see what I think!

I have the same bike and I felt the seat was garbage just like you. Do a little research on the Specialized Romin seat. It solved my problems...

Brooks on my Roubaix, but I'm a Fred. A comfortable Fred, but still a Fred.

I have a Cobb V-Flow Plus on my SL2 Roubaix and its comfy and well executed. They are not the best looking saddles, or the lightest, but they sure work well. I've been through many saddles and this is a keeper. Cobb offers a 6 month full money back trial so you can't go wrong in trying one. Get on the phone and get one on order.

I knew John Cobb when he owned Racing Research in Shreveport, LA in the 1980s. Knowing John's attention to detail/performance, I don't think he'd put his name on anything that wasn't top drawer.

Anyone every tried those saddles that have the interchangeable rubber suspension donuts to supposedly help absorb road vibration? I can't say that I've ever thought the saddle was transmitting too many vibrations but maybe I just don't know what I'm missing.

+1..I love my Romin. The first saddle free of numbness and pain save for a Brooks Professional. I love the brooks but the Romin seems better for me on the long runs. The saddles that did not work for me- Fiziik Arione. Pain and numbness within 50 miles. 500 miles on it just caused more pain and numbness no matter the adjustments. Fiziik Antares- same. Sella- same. Brooks swallow- good for the first 2000 miles, then it just streatched way out and was ruined. These are just opinions-everyone is different and a lot of trial and error and 40 years of experimenting went into the above observations.

Whatever it is you have to break your butt into whatever.

Me? I have an original Selle Italia Flite (Titanium). I hardly know it's here. . although I can appreciate some of the newer, ahem, cutaway, designs.

I'm very definitely in the leather camp - buy a Brooks, and be patient until it's broken in. With that said, two other points already mentioned by previous posters. First - nomatter what you get, get the right size. For me if it's too narrow or wide it's uncomfortable. I like Brooks, the B17 narrow fits me well, the standard B17 is too wide and quite uncomfortable for me. The Professional is my favorite model. Many saddles come in different widths - figure out what's right for you. A good bike shop can help with that. Second, proper positioning is also very important - not just the right height, but how for forward or back on the seat rails, and tilting the nose not too high or low. I've known cyclists who've complained about how uncomfortable the seat is, and you can tell by looking at their bicycle that the seats just "looks wrong". Talk to a good shop or experienced riders and they can help with positioning. As to leather or "plastic" each has their good points and advocates. Ask around (like you're doing on this forum) and you'll get many opinions.

Anything with "fi'zi:k" in the name.

I have one question:

Is perceived comfort also a function of. . trying to think of a word. . um effort? Er. . riding style? I mean, as one gets stronger, more confident on the bike, aren't we going to invariably prefer a more minimal / rigid saddle? I know I did. But then again, like I said, I never think about it. My hands and feet get fatigued way more before my hind end does.

Fizik Aliante w/Kium or (preferably) braided carbon rails. By far the most comfortable saddle I have used over the last 5 years, and I would say it is the most commonly liked saddle, meaning I know more people who swear by it than any other.

If you do get the Aliante, go for the "Aliante Carbon," where the carbon confusingly refers to the shell. It has higher quality shell construction with a more generous hammocking area under the seat (yellow, like Kevlar). Avoid the cheaper "Gamma" version, which has a plastic shell and a much smaller hammocking (white like fiberglass) area underneath.

The Selle SMP also has a very loyal following. It comes in various different widths which are confusingly named (it takes some research to determine which is which). It has a more aggressive looking bent-down nose, and a wide split rail. I am currently experimenting with the SMP to see if I can find one that rivals the Aliante in comfort. It has some features I like, like the bent down nose to provide room for your "boys" and I want to see if the split rail might also be beneficial.

You can spend a lot of money trying to get a comfortable saddle, but first you need to rule out the problem just being your butt. When I first got my Kona, I thought the saddle was terrible (and it may be). I would hurt after 30-40 miles. Then last summer I went on a 3-day 220mi tour. After the first day, I thought I was never going to walk straight again. After day 2, I though I would be hitching a ride home. Day 3 wasnt really any worse than day 2 though and I made it ok. Since that trip, that saddle never bothered me again.