My saddle is killing me
Discussion
Just bought a new Specialized Hardrock pro disc.
The saddle looks good and fits the bike perfectly, but I find it extremely uncomfortable.
Admittedly I haven't ridden for for a few years, so will I just toughen up and get used to it, or is the standard saddle known to be particularly uncomfortable ??
Can anybody recommend a nice comfy gel saddle, that will still fit the looks of the bike ?
The saddle looks good and fits the bike perfectly, but I find it extremely uncomfortable.
Admittedly I haven't ridden for for a few years, so will I just toughen up and get used to it, or is the standard saddle known to be particularly uncomfortable ??
Can anybody recommend a nice comfy gel saddle, that will still fit the looks of the bike ?
pyro maniac said:
most OE saddles are a bit basic on bikes, i recommend a charge spoon saddle, you can get them for about 20/25 quid and its the most comfortable saddle i have ever used, no need for a gel saddle at all
+1 for a charge spoon.you can pay £200+ for something like a fizik saddle but the charge spoon is uber comfy after a few rides.
90% of a comfy saddle is fitting it correctly!
For example - most saddles are designed by nerds who live behind CAD workstations, who have years and years of anatomic and design experience where MOST saddles are designed to be mounted PERFECTLY flat - get yourself a spirit level and mount it correctly - adjust by the mm only to suit your particular body shape - chances are you can then enjoy your sexy saddle comfortably for ever more!
khushy
mail@iCycles.net
For example - most saddles are designed by nerds who live behind CAD workstations, who have years and years of anatomic and design experience where MOST saddles are designed to be mounted PERFECTLY flat - get yourself a spirit level and mount it correctly - adjust by the mm only to suit your particular body shape - chances are you can then enjoy your sexy saddle comfortably for ever more!
khushy
mail@iCycles.net
Shameless copy and paste from an old post of mine, but the advice is the same:
The question no-one asks and its the one that makes the most difference is what shorts are you wearing?
If you are wearing a decent pair of bibs/shorts and you have pain after 20 minutes, you need a new saddle. If you have pain after 3 hours you need chamois creme. If you have pain after 20 minutes and you are wearing jeans, then changing a saddle won't do a lot for you.
Saddles are such a personal thing - there is no such thing as "the world's comfiest"
The question no-one asks and its the one that makes the most difference is what shorts are you wearing?
If you are wearing a decent pair of bibs/shorts and you have pain after 20 minutes, you need a new saddle. If you have pain after 3 hours you need chamois creme. If you have pain after 20 minutes and you are wearing jeans, then changing a saddle won't do a lot for you.
Saddles are such a personal thing - there is no such thing as "the world's comfiest"
As has been pointed out, saddles are a very personal thing, which is all well and good, but with the range of saddles available today, not that useful!
I have a road bike on which I use a Fizik Aliante saddle, which I notice is available in a MTB version. The reason I like this saddle is that it has a good amount of flex in the shell, in this case from Fizik's "Twin Flex" construction, which gives an additional amount of flex in the middle portion of the saddle, think of a trampoline, with another softer trampoline in the centre, (an exaggeration for example's sake) this has been a great saddle for me.
My brother has been using saddles from the WTB range, and on the occasions I have borrowed one of his (MTB) bikes to ride, I have not noticed the saddle, which I mean to be a good thing, as you typically get used to one type of saddle, and any change can feel very alien.
The questions of whta you're wearing, and the orientation of the saddle, in terms of tilt, (also consider "fore and aft" positioning) are vaild as well. You may find that getting the saddle level helps, or in fact, having a small height discrepancy from the back to the front, so you have a lip to push against at the back can help as well, it may mean making some adjustments as you ride on the trail, but this trial and error method can work, just remember to make a note of what works best before changing the setup.
Good Luck, stick with it, and let us know how things work out.
I have a road bike on which I use a Fizik Aliante saddle, which I notice is available in a MTB version. The reason I like this saddle is that it has a good amount of flex in the shell, in this case from Fizik's "Twin Flex" construction, which gives an additional amount of flex in the middle portion of the saddle, think of a trampoline, with another softer trampoline in the centre, (an exaggeration for example's sake) this has been a great saddle for me.
My brother has been using saddles from the WTB range, and on the occasions I have borrowed one of his (MTB) bikes to ride, I have not noticed the saddle, which I mean to be a good thing, as you typically get used to one type of saddle, and any change can feel very alien.
The questions of whta you're wearing, and the orientation of the saddle, in terms of tilt, (also consider "fore and aft" positioning) are vaild as well. You may find that getting the saddle level helps, or in fact, having a small height discrepancy from the back to the front, so you have a lip to push against at the back can help as well, it may mean making some adjustments as you ride on the trail, but this trial and error method can work, just remember to make a note of what works best before changing the setup.
Good Luck, stick with it, and let us know how things work out.
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