Sore Barse / Gooch - choosing a new saddle
Discussion
I've been building up some miles on my Roadie, and I'm finding now that I regularly get over 30miles when I go out, the saddle fitted - it's not a great fit for me as I hoped! It came with a second hand bike. It's a Fizik Pave CX in great condition but my barse is no longer in such good nick! I'm getting no sores, but a pressure pain that lasts after the ride.
I've never ridden a cut-away saddle and have no clue how to go about choosing or trialling such things without just chopping and changing lots of different ones. I also have no experience with leather *sniggers* so I've always looked at Brooks type things with a lust that I'm not sure it would be worth it or not?
Does anyone have a really good clue how to set out on this perilous quest?
I've never ridden a cut-away saddle and have no clue how to go about choosing or trialling such things without just chopping and changing lots of different ones. I also have no experience with leather *sniggers* so I've always looked at Brooks type things with a lust that I'm not sure it would be worth it or not?
Does anyone have a really good clue how to set out on this perilous quest?
Gizmoish said:
The eternal question. Sadly there is no simple answer.
Specialized will tell you things about sit bone width, Fizik call you a bull or a snake, Brooks tell you you need to wax your underparts.
But it may just be that you need the saddle in a slightly different position...
I hope I've tried the positions I can manage +/-5mm forward or back on the rails, up/down on the post, tilt from nominal 'spirit level' starting to +/- 1or 2 degree ish, it's just since the miles are more possible in the legs, that the undercarriage is caving in.Specialized will tell you things about sit bone width, Fizik call you a bull or a snake, Brooks tell you you need to wax your underparts.
But it may just be that you need the saddle in a slightly different position...
( btw According to Fizik I'm an Arione, because I can touch my toes properly - not sure that's the only science for a saddle! )
Edited by WarrenG on Tuesday 27th August 22:04
WarrenG said:
I've been building up some miles on my Roadie, and I'm finding now that I regularly get over 30miles when I go out, the saddle fitted - it's not a great fit for me as I hoped! It came with a second hand bike. It's a Fizik Pave CX in great condition but my barse is no longer in such good nick! I'm getting no sores, but a pressure pain that lasts after the ride.
I've never ridden a cut-away saddle and have no clue how to go about choosing or trialling such things without just chopping and changing lots of different ones. I also have no experience with leather *sniggers* so I've always looked at Brooks type things with a lust that I'm not sure it would be worth it or not?
Does anyone have a really good clue how to set out on this perilous quest?
Do you shift fore/aft to get in the comfiest part of the saddle?I've never ridden a cut-away saddle and have no clue how to go about choosing or trialling such things without just chopping and changing lots of different ones. I also have no experience with leather *sniggers* so I've always looked at Brooks type things with a lust that I'm not sure it would be worth it or not?
Does anyone have a really good clue how to set out on this perilous quest?
Are you carrying excess weight?
How old are you?
If you're shifting about chances are your saddle needs adjusting.
Flubber puts more pressure on your arse!
Your sit muscles are less effective as you get older, there comes a point where a Brooks is the only answer
WarrenG said:
It's a Fizik Pave CX in great condition but my barse is no longer in such good nick! I'm getting no sores, but a pressure pain that lasts after the ride.
One of these came on my bike and it was awful. I had no problems with the Charge Spoon on my MTB or the Arione I replaced it with.
From experience though have you checked that it's on exaclty straight? They don't have to be out by much to give you a bit of gyp IME and the Pave doesn't make it that easy to find the straight line.
Thanks for so much input, I realise that as long as my intro was, without this kind of info it's still sparse.
I'm 40, just under six foot and weigh 178lbs, which is 12'10 or just 82kg. So, I can and fully intend to trim some more off, (started at 14'0 a year ago when I first straddled this bike with that saddle on it) and it only seems now I'm lighter and fitter, that the distance shows up the pressure.
I like the idea of brooks, but didn't want to waste money or hurt myself, could quite happily grab a charge spoon at those prices to try and maybe shift it onto my hybrid later on if I find a good bike fit opportunity. Sadly there is no LBS or local specialist who does that near me, or it seems in a 50mile radius....
I don't tend to hunt about for position in the saddle, I used to push off the back when climbing even when it was at the back of the rails, but that's fixed with a slight raise I added to the post. I did find it uncomfortable when I lost my set up angle on a big bump and the nose went high, but now I'm at dead level again it seems like nowhere else to go.
I'm 40, just under six foot and weigh 178lbs, which is 12'10 or just 82kg. So, I can and fully intend to trim some more off, (started at 14'0 a year ago when I first straddled this bike with that saddle on it) and it only seems now I'm lighter and fitter, that the distance shows up the pressure.
I like the idea of brooks, but didn't want to waste money or hurt myself, could quite happily grab a charge spoon at those prices to try and maybe shift it onto my hybrid later on if I find a good bike fit opportunity. Sadly there is no LBS or local specialist who does that near me, or it seems in a 50mile radius....
I don't tend to hunt about for position in the saddle, I used to push off the back when climbing even when it was at the back of the rails, but that's fixed with a slight raise I added to the post. I did find it uncomfortable when I lost my set up angle on a big bump and the nose went high, but now I'm at dead level again it seems like nowhere else to go.
Arse-O-meter you say?
I'm sure I'm not a massively wide-arse, so I'm guessing it's the centres that make the most of the saddle comparisons? mind you, I'm sitting on a 130mm wide saddle now, so I'm definitely getting a "lift-and-separate" experience as my bones must be on the radius of the saddle rather than full support, so that's a good start on position/bike-fit vs. support thoughts.
I will consider a Specialized (seeing as I stole their method) to get comfy and a Brooks may well be in the near future for my senior slide. Should I even consider an 'Imperial' cut-out? or is the leather moulding-ness going to do all the real work?
I'm sure I'm not a massively wide-arse, so I'm guessing it's the centres that make the most of the saddle comparisons? mind you, I'm sitting on a 130mm wide saddle now, so I'm definitely getting a "lift-and-separate" experience as my bones must be on the radius of the saddle rather than full support, so that's a good start on position/bike-fit vs. support thoughts.
I will consider a Specialized (seeing as I stole their method) to get comfy and a Brooks may well be in the near future for my senior slide. Should I even consider an 'Imperial' cut-out? or is the leather moulding-ness going to do all the real work?
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