yeah, yeah, i know there have been a zillion saddle threads.

for those of you who have saddles that you like, are they also comfortable on the trainer/rollers?

i got a specialized toupe expert about a year ago and i really like it on the road, but i still get numb and have to stand on the pedals every once in a while when i'm riding indoors. i was always under the impression that any saddle would be less comfy indoors because you're not moving around as much, but i'm wondering if i'm just on the wrong saddle.

I've got toupes on all my bikes...Super comfy on the road, but less comfy on the trainer, that's normal for sure...

The going numb is not, you may need to make an adjustment to the saddle position...Tilt??

Is your bike level on your trainer? If it isn't, your saddle tilt is mow different.

Also, you're not stopping at lights or climbing up hills at all. Both of these things give you a reason to get off your butt and let the blood flow.

rbart - yeah, i'll probably experiment with that. right now, it's almost perfectly flat. i've tried a little before, though, and if i go nose-down, i have too much weight on my hands. if i go nose-up, i feel like there's more pressure where i don't want it. i'll try again, though.

vantassell - most of my indoor riding is on rollers, so yes, it's level. and i realize that about hills/lights/etc., which is why i'm wondering if maybe being outside just masks the fact that the saddle doesn't fit me as well as it should.

still interested in hearing if other people are comfortable on trainer/rollers.

Even my Brooks, on which I could ride 1200K randonnees with minimal discomfort, was less comfortable when my bicycle was on the trainer.

When you're riding outside, you can coast for a second to make adjustments, and I think you tend to shift around a little bit more, and you have opportunities to lift yourself off the saddle for a moment or two now and then. But inside, if you're going to do any of that, you stop.

I have the same problem. I have an Inform RL which is super comfortable riding outside (no problem with 4+ hr rides) and on the trainer, it gets old after 45 minutes.

I bought a Fizik Arione to put on the bike so that I can at least slide forward/backward on the saddle while on the trainer.

You can stand on a trainer too you know. If you can't figure out how to beat the soreness from sitting in one spot for more than 45 minutes, time to think about some rollers.

ok...

1. for the third time (see my previous two posts), i ride on rollers a lot.

2. i do stand up. and i'm not talking about once every 45 minutes. rollers or trainer, i really can't stay seated for more than 10-15 minutes at a time without getting pretty uncomfortable. too much pressure in the wrong place.


maybe i do just stand more and not notice it outside. but if i can't sit on the saddle for more than 10-15 minutes indoors, that makes me think it might not be the best choice. so i'm wondering how comfortable or uncomfortable you guys all find your saddles when you are indoors and actually sitting on them for a while. maybe people just stand up more often than i thought.

Truthfully, I just glanced. Getting tired of the 41 and decided to make a few ass hole responses like many around here do. Sorry you took offense to it.

Rock'nROll by kinetics seems to reduce that issue for me.

I have ridden a Selle SMP Evolution for the past year and a half and recently got a Selle Italia SLR. Both have been no problem on the road, very comfortable. But on the trainer or the rollers I get pretty uncomfortable down there after 45 mins or an hour. I believe riding indoors is just not the same, even if one is making an effort to shift around and stand some. . .it's still just not the same.

My Arione which is fine for 8+ hours on the road can get uncomfortable after an hour on rollers. Outdoors you stand up quite often shift around on the saddle, I've noticed on rollers, I can do a whole session without moving my butt a millimeter. I just try to remember to stand up every 15 minutes or so and that helps keep my saddle from getting painful.

totally understandable. i was tired too. no offense taken

anyway, it sounds this is more or less the norm. good to know. i'll probably fiddle with angle and maybe try out another saddle or two anyway just to see.

You are on to something... now tell us what it is



Guys/gals, you are on a fixed, rigid post locked directly to the stays. You don't have the benefit of lateral movement nor shock absorbtion of the wheel and tires. Any saddle is going to be less comfortable than on the road. You can move around on the saddle and stand whenever you want which helps, but you are still returning to that fixed ridgid equipment. The stronger you get, the less weight that saddle has to support.

I can comfortably ride for 5+ hrs outside on a couple of different Selle Italia saddles. Indoors, I stand up for 10-20 Secs every 5 min. It gives me something to look forward to when doing intervals.

Outdoors, even if you aren't standing, there is a lot more movement going on as you maintain balance and go around corners. I wouldn't bother searching for a comfy indoor saddle. Just stand up as necessary. It's good for you.

Same issue here, 45-60 minutes on the rollers before a bit of numbness sets in. I'm on a Specialized Romin, which I like a lot compared to other saddles I've experimented with. I *try* and stand on the rollers, or I usually stop every 30-40 minutes to stretch for a few minutes.

I ride on rollers and a trainer and my butt always hurts a lot more on the rollers. And I did level out the rollers, so my bike is level with the surface.
I do get out of the saddle on the rollers, but coasting is quite a bit more difficult unless you're a track stand champ on the drums.

This.

When you're riding outside you go uphill, downhill, coast a little, pedal hard a little - there's a lot of variation in terms of both how much pressure you're putting on the saddle and exactly where you're putting it.

Inside, whether rollers or trainer, you tend to stay in the same spot until you notice "ow, that hurts" and stand for a little bit.

Just part of riding indoors. Standing more often will help but you're not going to get the same variety as outside.

Yes, it's different. Standing up more frequently, changing saddles, adjusting the tilt, etc., can help but don't address the source of the problem.

Saddle discomfort, decreased power, and boredom riding indoors all share a common cause.