Comfy saddle recommendation.

Comfy saddle recommendation.

Author
Discussion

justanother5tar

Original Poster:

1,314 posts

124 months

Saturday 29th August 2015
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Just bought a Boardman 650b Hardtail. Been after a bike for a while to lose a bit of weight and to try get a bit fitter, saw these on offer with decent standard spec (with the exception of the finishing kit) so went for it.

Problem I'm having is the saddle is ridiculously uncomfortable! After only a very short ride I ended up with a very sore arse for a couple of days after!

Im not looking for a performance saddle. I just something comfortable and not too bad to look at.

Had a scout around on the web and Specialized Body Geometry and Madison Flux (possibly could be too narrow for me) saddles seem to come up often and review well, has anyone had any experience of either? I think I'm going to need a 155mm saddle.

I know people are going to say get measured and the bike fitted etc. and I'm going to do so in the very near future when I next get chance. Plan on going to the Harrogate Specialised store to get my arse fitted and try a few saddles out too. Hoping to find a local bike store that can fit me.

wobert

5,010 posts

221 months

Saturday 29th August 2015
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My suggestion would be to find a local bike shop that offers test saddles to try.

My LBS offers the full range of Fizik saddles, so when looking for a new seat for my road bike I went down this route. Settled on a Fizik Aliante.

Incidentally my road bike came with a Madison Flux and it was akin to sitting on a razor blade.

My MTB has a Fizik Gobi, which in theory is more narrow than the Aliante, but I think the difference in seated position means both are comfy for me.

Saddles are a very personal bit of kit, so what suits one, won't suit another so I would try a few out.....

nammynake

2,587 posts

172 months

Saturday 29th August 2015
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How long have you been riding? If you've only recently started then pretty much all saddles will be uncomfortable until your arse has toughened up. I would suggest not changing it until you've done a few more rides. Get some bib shorts (you can wear these under baggies too) - they make a big difference to comfort, but don't go changing saddles just yet.

justanother5tar

Original Poster:

1,314 posts

124 months

Saturday 29th August 2015
quotequote all
Rode dirt jump for years, the saddle on my old bike was immensely comfortable, I just never sat on it. hehe

Don't know what it was. I nicked it off my mates bike when I ruined mine with a bad landing.

rolex

3,110 posts

257 months

Sunday 30th August 2015
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nammynake said:
If you've only recently started then pretty much will be uncomfortable until your arse has toughened up.
They say lube may help

chris7676

2,685 posts

219 months

Tuesday 1st September 2015
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I have tried many on my non-suspension MTB and settled for one of the Sellle Royale saddles with the rubber shock absorbers - not only is it comfortable but it genuinely absorbs the shocks superbly. It's surely heavier than the 'hardcore' stuff. Bought it off Tredz for around £25, but not which exact model it was.


TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Tuesday 1st September 2015
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Are you wearing padded shortS?

Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Tuesday 1st September 2015
quotequote all
TwistingMyMelon said:
Are you wearing padded shortS?
This is a key point!

FWIW I've got a Charge Spoon on my hardtail and I find it comfy.

chris7676

2,685 posts

219 months

Tuesday 1st September 2015
quotequote all
There is little padding in the shorts as opposed to a well padded saddle.
Try a comfortable saddle, unless your name is Hoy and you mind a few hundred extra grams.

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Tuesday 1st September 2015
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I disagree, get some good quality bib shorts and chamosis cream

Padding of saddles can be a false economy if it doesn't suit your sit bones where you want to position your weight, look at how many people love brooks saddles, if you touch them they are like granite!

Look into fore and aft positioning as well, I have my saddle a 1/2 degrees upwards from flat.

Always start by getting the basics right and accept there might be some discomfort as your body acclimatises


anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 1st September 2015
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Agree, padded shorts all the way and try a Charge Spoon, for £20 you can't go wrong.

I've had about 10 different saddles in two years and to be honest the most comfortable one was the one that I persevered with.

So called comfort saddles, gel saddles whatever just made my arse ache in a different place, just get one and stick with it. thumbup

rdjohn

6,135 posts

194 months

Tuesday 1st September 2015
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http://www.cervelo.com/en/engineering/ask-the-engi...

I think this article provides very sensible advice on how to select the best saddle. It is quite detailed, but makes sense.

Mark Wibble

211 posts

223 months

Tuesday 1st September 2015
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Personally, I love WTB saddles. Their range can be a little confusing, but I think they almost always quote width and length. But there's often overlap between types of saddle.

Sub-£20 for low-end ones from CRC... http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/s?q=wtb+saddle

IMHO I find the low-end ones just as comfy as higher-end ones, your money just goes into weight-reducing bling, which let's face it on a saddle is never going to amount to much!

SomersetWestie

401 posts

179 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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TwistingMyMelon said:
I disagree, get some good quality bib shorts and chamosis cream

Padding of saddles can be a false economy if it doesn't suit your sit bones where you want to position your weight, look at how many people love brooks saddles, if you touch them they are like granite!

Look into fore and aft positioning as well, I have my saddle a 1/2 degrees upwards from flat.

Always start by getting the basics right and accept there might be some discomfort as your body acclimatises
Definitely this...........! I had an expensive gel saddle prior to getting a very good bike fit by a very good bike fitter and now have a £25 specialized saddle which is the proper size for my sit bones...... Coupled with some decent Gore bib shorts and can ride all day every day with no probs, compared with all sorts of pain before !!!!

Gren

1,947 posts

251 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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SomersetWestie said:
Definitely this...........! I had an expensive gel saddle prior to getting a very good bike fit by a very good bike fitter and now have a £25 specialized saddle which is the proper size for my sit bones...... Coupled with some decent Gore bib shorts and can ride all day every day with no probs, compared with all sorts of pain before !!!!
Yep, Good bib shorts and get your arse bones measured. My Selle Italia Flite is like a slab of granite but I couldn't be more comfortable.

cirian75

4,245 posts

232 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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Gren said:
SomersetWestie said:
Definitely this...........! I had an expensive gel saddle prior to getting a very good bike fit by a very good bike fitter and now have a £25 specialized saddle which is the proper size for my sit bones...... Coupled with some decent Gore bib shorts and can ride all day every day with no probs, compared with all sorts of pain before !!!!
Yep, Good bib shorts and get your arse bones measured. My Selle Italia Flite is like a slab of granite but I couldn't be more comfortable.
Selle Italia's are great

I use the Selle Italia shiver XC on my Specialized Allez

I can go all day on it.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/shiver-xc-gel-flow-bike...

upsidedownmark

2,120 posts

134 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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chris7676 said:
There is little padding in the shorts as opposed to a well padded saddle.
Try a comfortable saddle, unless your name is Hoy and you mind a few hundred extra grams.
Going to totally depend on how long you ride. These 'plush'/comfort saddles are great initially, but they have too much padding. After a few hours of sitting they squash down and become uncomfortable, plus you're sitting on your arse, not your sit bones; finally there's the loss of stability / connection to the bike. 'racers' don't ride these little blades for reasons of perversity or weight; long term they are more comfortable.

If you sit upright and ride < 1-2 hrs, fine - if not, sit on the bones, get decent shorts, accept it will take a little time to get used to it, and it may take a while to find a saddle that works for you (or not). In most cases I have no problems with saddles, ride a selle italia slr, have had success with the planet x superlight, and a charge spoon. Rented a bike with a specialized toupe, which many rate highly and found it an instrument of torture.. your mileage may (will) vary.

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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My road bike came with a Fizik Arione. It was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever ridden.

When I told the bike shop I was going to swap it out, they phoned a customer who immediately agreed to pay list price for it! He only used Ariones, as he thought they were the most comfortable thing he'd ever ridden, and he specifically wanted a white/blue one which only came with Derosa bikes at the time, so had already asked the shop to let him know if someone wanted to get shot of theirs.

The moral of the story is that the most comfortable saddle for you would be murder for someone else, and vice-versa. The only way to approach this is to test out a few until you find what's right for your own personal arse...

the_stoat

504 posts

210 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
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Having tried many I have settled on Specialized. Go to shop and sit on the 'arseometer' to get the right size for you. You can also use it then return it within X weeks if you don't like it.

BGarside

1,564 posts

136 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
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Measure the spacing of your sit bones by sitting on a piece of corrugated cardboard placed on a hard surface (corrugations facing upwards), and measure the separation of the flattened areas. Then look for a saddle where the width of the rear pads (not the overall width of the saddle) matches this dimension.

Softer saddles are not necessarily more comfortable as they remove pressure from the sit bones by transferring it to the soft tissues, and can cause more numbness, chafing and overheating.

I'd be inclined to go for a slightly firmer saddle and toughen up your sit bones to deal with the pressure. It may hurt more towards the end of the ride but is likely to do less lasting damage.

I used a Charge Spoon for a while but then found it too narrow so now use a Charge Pan, which is a little wider and more padded. There's also a softer model again, called the Ladle.

They're all pretty cheap and should be easy enough to re-sell if you don't get on with them.