rpenmanparker 

No matter what the quantitative answer to your question is, there is no doubt that the qualitative answer is that every pro rides the saddle width that he needs. An no matter where the mean value of this is, or how far skewed to narrow is the distribution, all the widths are represented. You can be sure that no pro could be riding a saddle that wasn't just about right for him. Comfort on the bike is too important to a cycling pro for the situation to be otherwise.

dalava

The Spesh ass-o-meter has me right on the edge of 143/155 for the saddle I use, a Romin EVO. I'm experimenting both and found the narrow one to be a bit more comfortable for long rides, and the wider one gives me a bit more power. Still undecided but leaning towards sticking with 143

hairnet

Do any pros use the Romin 168mm? That would make me feel less like a she-man.

Jakedatc

and some could be skinny with no ass like me and still ride a wider saddle. I have a San marco regal that fits better than anything else i've tried. 150mm width. (Greipel has the more fancy carbon version) https://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/f...10-659x440.jpg

i've posted this before but velonews posts pro bikes all the time and you can see what saddles are on whos bike
https://velonews.competitor.com/categ...tech/pro-bikes

here you go.. big wide saddle
https://velonews.competitor.com/2013/...ea-orca_299450

froome rides an Antares.

HAMMER MAN

personally i believe it has more to do with the shape of the saddle than the width of saddles.

in my own case i have always ridden a pretty narrow saddles 133 and about 1.5 years ago neither of the saddles i used on my road bikes ever felt good/ comfortable enough to ride further than 50 miles, and i have probably spent a hellof a lot of money trying different saddle brands, and widths that were 155

i bought a Romin EVO which is 143 in width and a Selle SMP Dynamic which is, i believe 138 in width.

subtle difference in widths and don't know if the widths in these 2 saddles really make a difference, however both the Romin and SMP dynamic are similar in shape where your sit bones sit as well as a subtle tilt downwards for them to be level. Both are the best saddles i have used in @ least 5 years.

canam73

I thought the pros all road re-badged Brooks. 'Cuz there the most comfortable and everything else is an ass hatchet.

WhyFi

If you're not under the impression that their preferences are dictated by something other than their individual physiology, why not look at the available studies that show the bell curve of the sit bone width?

Did I say that you were?

bianchi10

No, you didn't. I just feel that others are thinking that I want to know the width of the pro's so I can emmulate them to try and better my performance, which isn't the case. Like I said above, I think me adding the fact that I was thinking about trying out a 155mm saddle added confusion.

I <3 Robots

Specialized has some oversimplified pictures on their ass-o-meter. According the ass-o-meter...in a low position I can run the 130mm...and more upright a 143mm.

On my road bike I run a 134mm San Marco Sprint saddle. It works well enough that I can putt around for a couple hours with just plain shorts. I tried the same saddle on my mountain bike...and after 30 mins...my ass was done. On my MTB...I run a 143mm Phenom Pro.

agressor

My ass doesn't care what saddles pro riders use. I using a Toupe 155mm saddle and my butt loves it :-). Bike fit is a good thing.

revchuck 

There's not much choice out there for a wider racing saddle. Until a few years ago, Tom Boonen ran a San Marco Regal. I've got two of them, and unless you're a weight weenie, it's a great saddle. I've currently got the newer version (Regale, the version Greipel uses) on my racing/training bike. It's not as comfortable, but fits the same. I've got the Turbomatic gel version that Jesse Anthony (referenced above) uses on my century bike, and I'm less than impressed; it was nice when new, but the gel padding seems to have broken down and it's not as comfortable as it was. I've also got the older non-gel version, and it's much firmer and a better racing saddle.

Garfield Cat

Have you noticed that sometime during a ride, the shorts padding will slightly re-position itself and the comfort changes?

SpeshulEd 

My Regale caused a numbness...ended up trying the antares vs...seems my ass appreciates that one more. I tried to go weight weenie and get the carbon rails, but spending $80 more to shave .066lbs seemed like a giant waste of money.

StanSeven

I think you're right. It wasn't until Specialized came up with their ass-o-meter gimmick that saddle width became a means of selecting saddles. I think Fizik with their shapes is more effective. But I consider shape first to see what works and notice the width almost as an after thought.

dralways

I switched from a cheap 143 $30 Selle Italia to a cheap 155 $30 Specialized Riva and the difference is night and day for me. The Selle would leave me in pure agony after 60+ miles with bibs and was very uncomfortable even after 10 miles in thin gym shorts. With the Riva I can go 100mi no problem and do 20mi in gym shorts very comfortably, no discomfort at all. It may be partly due to the padding on the Riva being much firmer than the Selle and/or the width but for whatever reason I praise the gods for the comfort I have now.

(I'm a pretty heavy rider still, though, at 185.)

Cookiemonsta

Just like the rest of us they use all sorts of saddles that works for their particular anatomy. It is also not true that a particular type of cyclist has a particular type of saddle. While some have really minimalist saddles, some of the lighter flexible guys have quite wide and large saddles like the Fizik Aliante.

I think saddles are one of those things that are hard to figure out. It is not overall anatomy, but also width, and shape of particular parts of your body. Position on the bike, habits, technique, all of it plays a role.

I <3 Robots

Shorts too loose?

vschippy

I found this when saddle was in wrong position
Seat to far back padding slip forward from constantly sliding back to get in the right position on saddle .

squatchy

I tried way to many different saddles. I kept trying different models with the same width. I finally went and paid for a professional fit and he told me I needed a wider saddle. I went from 143 to 155. It worked great.
Buy the way even though I had been measured with the same numbers on my sit bone width, the fitter told me the interpretations were wrong with those who put me in 143 even though everyone could read what my butt said on the BG fit thingy..

Now if I would only sell all my other saddles I could buy another wheel set LOL

roadwarrior

Because they have wide sit bones.
Some have narrow sit bones.
If you were spending six hours a day on a bike, you'd not worry what it looked like.

Despite what seems to be the general consensus of opinion on the 41, pros do have stuff fitted to them. BTW...saddles and shoes are two things you never mess with when you make your living riding a bike.

Remember when Lance had the big Nike contract. George was on Carnac's. As I recall all the Spanish rides did Sidi. You'd think thet they would HAVE had to ride Nike. Nope.

So, a wider saddle for some riders is what fits and, like their shoes, if they switch teams they'll pop that saddle out and put it in the suitcase.

roadwarrior

If you do not ride bibs, they prevent that from happening.

Which is a major reason why, back in my racing days many of us wore suspenders on our shorts. Suddenly, someone got the brainy idea to just make them that way.

People that make their living riding a bike ALL wear bibs.

George

I just got that one yesterday and I really like it. I have to play around with it more ( chafing between legs ) so I have to drop the nose a little, I think, but it is a pretty nice saddle.

I should add, I was fitted and they said I needed a 143.

seypat

The real question the OP wants answered is if a particular saddle width makes his butt look big!

Last week I made a wrong turn and got lost on a century. Phone battery went dead and I ending up doing 122 miles before I got back to the start/finish. People laugh because I have heavy touring saddles on all of my bikes. But that is exactly the reason. Comfort for the taint is all that matters!

WC89

Hopefully, whatever width each pro rider's sit bones require. I'm sure it varies, especially between larger riders to smaller ones. One size definitely does not fit all when it comes to saddles.