How do I choose a new saddle?
07-20-23, 09:56 AM
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Why do cyclists who ride longer distances prefer saddles with less padding?
I think I don’t really understand how saddles work.
I think I don’t really understand how saddles work.
07-20-23, 10:02 AM
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I looked at all my old saddles, tried them all out for a time and then attempted to figure out what the good and bad things about those saddles where. I figured out the for me on long rides, I needed a saddle with minimal padding if any and a fairly flat profile from the rear to the nose. Selle Italia made my favorite, but I let it go with my bike that I gave it away. I'd have to dig to come up with the model. The saddle that came on my Tarmac is comfortable for short rides, but for long rides it cuts into the undersides of my legs a little, but not so bad that I've gotten an overwhelming urge to go saddle hunting again. I think it might have some gel padding which generally is good for short rides and not good for long rides.
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07-20-23, 10:07 AM
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Padding puts pressure on soft tissues. Your sit bones are what support your weight. Once you are accustomed to pressure on sit bones alone it really is more comfortable.
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07-20-23, 10:08 AM
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I swear I was just reading a thread a few days ago where someone explained it well, but it has something to do with putting more pressure on the wrong places as the padding compresses (so it's not even "more" padding so much as "softer" padding). Chafing also becomes more of a problem, which happens when the material gives too much. You're rubbing your inner thighs against that thing like 80-100 times per minute, and apparently 15,000 times is ok but 20,000 is too much (I'm sure it varies from person to person).
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07-20-23, 10:53 AM
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I came back to cycling after almost a decade off while gaining a ton of weight, so nothing that used to work was good anymore. This meant not only finding a different saddle, but different chamois as well, and my conclusion was similar to yours... a thicker and wider saddle was great for a while until I worked back up to 50+ mile rides.
It doesn't matter if the saddle is high end if it's not the right shape for you, but you could be right that it's just not positioned quite right.
@#$%!
It doesn't matter if the saddle is high end if it's not the right shape for you, but you could be right that it's just not positioned quite right.
@#$%!
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07-20-23, 11:18 AM
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Sometimes it is the combination of saddle + shorts. I bought at least 6 saddles trying to find one to accommodate by boney butt for 60+ mile rides. The mondo padded one got the boot after a few short rides as did the more narrow widths and my pelvis isn’t that wide. Settled on a pretty comfy and wider saddle which could get me 40 or so miles but after 50 became painful. Then started buying various shorts/bibs until I found the right combination with my saddle. Now. 70+ miles are comfortable and pain free.
Nothing like more variables to make things more difficult. Or, it’s not just the cheese but the cracker you put it on.
Nothing like more variables to make things more difficult. Or, it’s not just the cheese but the cracker you put it on.
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07-20-23, 12:16 PM
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Start with making sure your fit on the bike is right. In my case after that it's a matter of trial and error. I've found that the snub nose saddles work best for me.
Last edited by bruce19; 07-21-23 at 04:16 PM.
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07-20-23, 12:24 PM
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They say the 155mm measurement of my sit bones was correct.
I never thought to look but under my saddle it says it is 145mm.
Is that 10mm difference enough to cause discomfort?
We raised the seat, tipped the nose up slightly and moved it forward. I will report back after I try it, which will be later after the temp drops under 100*.
I never thought to look but under my saddle it says it is 145mm.
Is that 10mm difference enough to cause discomfort?
We raised the seat, tipped the nose up slightly and moved it forward. I will report back after I try it, which will be later after the temp drops under 100*.
Last edited by pepperbelly; 07-20-23 at 02:10 PM.
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07-20-23, 01:43 PM
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07-20-23, 02:17 PM
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A bike shop in Portland has a saddle policy which is pretty amazing. They have a saddle library with about 25 different seats. Out on shelves. Well, all but the ones that are currently "taken out". Pay $25 and you get a library card. With it you can take out any one seat for a week. Don't like it? Return it and take out another. No limit. Find "the one"? Bring it back and they will sell you a new and boxed one and discount it that $25.
I'm thinking the Dallas/Fort Worth area has enough demand to support one shop with such a library.
I'm thinking the Dallas/Fort Worth area has enough demand to support one shop with such a library.
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07-20-23, 02:34 PM
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It was called "The Shark." Some ideas about saddle comfort aren't what they are cracked up to be. I think it is discontinued for some reason.
155mm is mighty wide. Are you sure that is the Sitz bones spacing, and not their estimated saddle width? Mine's 120mm, and I am a bit of a lard-arse.
Try a Brooks B17. The 17 is for 17 cm = 170 mm. In general, you want the saddle to be at least 20mm wider than the ischial protuberance spacing, not narrower. If yours really is 155mm, and you are riding a 145mm saddle, it would feel like a foot in your arse.
155mm is mighty wide. Are you sure that is the Sitz bones spacing, and not their estimated saddle width? Mine's 120mm, and I am a bit of a lard-arse.
Try a Brooks B17. The 17 is for 17 cm = 170 mm. In general, you want the saddle to be at least 20mm wider than the ischial protuberance spacing, not narrower. If yours really is 155mm, and you are riding a 145mm saddle, it would feel like a foot in your arse.
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07-20-23, 02:51 PM
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It's what they have conditioned themselves to. I let a bike shop talk me into a "performance" type seat one time. At the time I could ride 30-40 miles on a Specialized BG saddle and do okay. After 20 miles on that performance saddle, I had bruises over my sit bones. From there I went to an ISM endurance saddle and it got better. It improved more when I found these Cobbs on sale. I have them on 4 of my bikes and I have 4 brand new ones for when these wear out.
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07-20-23, 03:10 PM
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The problem is that a gushy gel-padded saddle will be squeezed at the contact points when you sit on it, and will redistribute toward the centerline of the saddle, placing pressure on the pudendal nerve.
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07-20-23, 03:21 PM
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I am looking into it.
07-20-23, 03:39 PM
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It's what they have conditioned themselves to. I let a bike shop talk me into a "performance" type seat one time. At the time I could ride 30-40 miles on a Specialized BG saddle and do okay. After 20 miles on that performance saddle, I had bruises over my sit bones. From there I went to an ISM endurance saddle and it got better. It improved more when I found these Cobbs on sale. I have them on 4 of my bikes and I have 4 brand new ones for when these wear out.
07-20-23, 03:47 PM
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In every pic of the bottom sode it looks like the cover is coming off and the covers look stapled on.
What do yours look like?
07-20-23, 03:54 PM
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It was called "The Shark." Some ideas about saddle comfort aren't what they are cracked up to be. I think it is discontinued for some reason.
155mm is mighty wide. Are you sure that is the Sitz bones spacing, and not their estimated saddle width? Mine's 120mm, and I am a bit of a lard-arse.
Try a Brooks B17. The 17 is for 17 cm = 170 mm. In general, you want the saddle to be at least 20mm wider than the ischial protuberance spacing, not narrower. If yours really is 155mm, and you are riding a 145mm saddle, it would feel like a foot in your arse.
155mm is mighty wide. Are you sure that is the Sitz bones spacing, and not their estimated saddle width? Mine's 120mm, and I am a bit of a lard-arse.
Try a Brooks B17. The 17 is for 17 cm = 170 mm. In general, you want the saddle to be at least 20mm wider than the ischial protuberance spacing, not narrower. If yours really is 155mm, and you are riding a 145mm saddle, it would feel like a foot in your arse.
07-20-23, 03:57 PM
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They are all the same size. Of the 8 I have, 2 have a little gap where the material between the staples isn't glued down. One is new and the other has a lot of use. It's cosmetic.
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07-20-23, 04:00 PM
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They say the 155mm measurement of my sit bones was correct.
I never thought to look but under my saddle it says it is 145mm.
Is that 10mm difference enough to cause discomfort?
We raised the seat, tipped the nose up slightly and moved it forward. I will report back after I try it, which will be later after the temp drops under 100*.
I never thought to look but under my saddle it says it is 145mm.
Is that 10mm difference enough to cause discomfort?
We raised the seat, tipped the nose up slightly and moved it forward. I will report back after I try it, which will be later after the temp drops under 100*.
That's how saddles used to be made (by hand) before machines made everything look super clean. The cover would be cut from a pattern, wrapped around the saddle, pulled tight, and stapled into place. That would not dissuade me from buying it today. Edit: A quick search suggests the saddle is 145mm wide.
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07-20-23, 04:01 PM
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