New Saddle Time... OW
 

Hopefully some of you experts can weigh in here regarding saddles.

I've spent 2,000+ miles on my BMC Road Racer's stock saddle over the summer. I've never really liked it, but didn't dislike it enough to complain until I did a 70 mile ride a few weeks ago and had some numbness in my boys. I actually reached down toward the end of the ride and couldn't feel myself. :eek:

I've been on a demo Prologo Scratch Pro for about a week and I think because it is a more rounded and narrow saddle, it hurts a little bit and my sit bones don't really sit on the saddle unless I scoot back. I haven't had any numbness, being on it up to 2 hours at a time, but I would like to try something else.

The LBS has Fizik Arione, the other Prologo saddles, Toupes, and Romins. Would anyone recommend any of those, possibly based on what I have said if I provided enough information?

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/prologo4.jpg

This.

I too had some issues with the stock saddle on my 2011 Trek Madone 5.2. I went to my LBS and discovered they had a saddle swap program that allowed me to test a few saddles, for a week at a time! I ended up buying a Fizik Arione. I call it my barely there saddle since I hardly even notice it. Puuuuuuuurfect!!

Go to your LBS and ask them if they do the above. Your taint will thank you for it!

I just bought a lot of good conditions used saddles on ebay and tried them out until I found my favorite. I then sold them all on CL or other places (I think maybe even here) and made back pretty much all the money I put in except for the one low end $50 I bought new. Being judicious about your buys you can get a good variety of choices that way.

I think the obvious answer is try them all.

did not like..

Thanks genius. I plan to try as many as I can, obviously, but a little assistance in which ones to try sooner rather than later might help me find one that is so perfect, I don't need to try them all.

you'll need to try them all. That said, I always hear good things about the Romin, I personally tried everything you listed but the Romin, and ended up with a Selle SMP because everything else would leave me numb.

If you're running into sit bone issues try messing with the tilt..i've found that this usually helps...

I've adjusted a little bit, but it doesn't seem to help a lot. My fitter does the removal/installation of the saddles, and tells me how it needs to be set up.

You could try moving the saddle forward so you don't have to scoot back - that could be a problem with the fit not the saddle. Also, don't some saddles come in different widths. You probably need to do some measuring.

Well, what does your fitter say about all your other saddle questions?

Numbness most likely means the saddle is tilted too high. Start level.

I'm for the Arione. It's narrow. I need narrow.

My sit bone distance is 115mm. Specialized says I need a 143mm saddle. But I've tried a Toupe and a Fizik Antares Versus (dimensionally equivalent). The Toupe was OK, but the Antares was too wide in the nose.

Went back to my Arione today. Was wondering why I ever left....

My point is that the LBS has them so why not try them. You won't be wasting any time because once you find the right one you'll feel that it was worth every minute spent.

Puts me on the assometer, measures things, and tells me to try a different saddle. He recommended the Scratch Pro and that's the first one I've tried. It's obviously not working.

I'm just looking for additional opinions to his. I'm not sure why I'm being grilled by a couple of you... can't have too many opinions and informational replies.

Interesting. I was a 143 on the assometer as well, which is actually what the stock saddle is (roughly) but it's so flat the edges drop off instead of curve. He thought that might be the problem. Saddles on my bike have always been level.

I spent 5 hours in my stock Specialized saddle yesterday. Yes my butt is sore. HTFU. :)

My LBS is trying to get me to test ride new saddles... as if I haven't spent enough money there recently.

HTFU does not apply in a situation where your weiner goes numb.

Don't put too much faith in the assometer. My measurement said I needed a 143 Toupe, which wasn't a terrible saddle but it wasn't great over 40 miles. When I was trying the SMPs I started with models near 143 but wasn't happy, the one that worked perfectly was 129mm wide.

measuring your sitz bones would be a good first step. or just buy a brooks of some sort. they only have a limited number of models to choose from and people seem to love those.

Edit: by the time I got around to here, it looks like you'd already measured. oh well.

yeah, hardening at that point is a challenge.

Finding the right saddle takes a witch doctor and a lot of luck, IME.

Usually preceded by trying them all.

;)

you forgot a lot of money too.

Hm. I think I'd like flat better than rounded. I've thought about trying this Cobb saddle if the Arione becomes uncomfortable.

ROFLMAO!!!! The emoticon seals it! BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!