Another saddle thread,looking for the holy grail of saddles.

[T4tomo]

Just had a warning of “ disruption due to wind “ pop up on my phone. From midnight to nine am, 70mph gusts in coastal areas. I’ll be giving the local parkrun a miss in the morning, it’s right on the coast and part of the route is along a wooded avenue.

how do you mistakenly post a whatsapp to your wife on a cycling forum?

 

[Dogtrousers]

This is why it's a bit of a lost cause asking for recommendations. It's so individual. I tried these and found them instruments of torture!

True.

For example some people love Brooks, and good luck to them. Been there, done that.

 

[Paulus]

I have several Brooks Saddles on my bikes, but I also have a San Marco Rolls on my Audax bike which is very comfortable over long distances.
It can take a long time to find a saddle that suits.

 

[Johnno260]

I had a Specialized Avatar and it was really comfortable, but I will say the Fizik Antares VS I got off Ebay cheap is really nice.

The store I got the Avatar from had the butt-o-meter and said if I didn't want the Avatar the Antares was the Fizik equivalent, but at the time the store price new for each made the Avatar the choice.

 

[fossyant]

All my saddles are different. Only thing in common is they are quite flat.

Selle Italia SLR Carbon, Selle Italia XR, Fizik Nisene and the famous Spoon.

 

[yello]

Trial and error I'm afraid.

Or just say 'sod it' and put up with it

I've tinkered for ages with mine; adjusting angles and heights, forward/aft etc. Sometimes, that makes a saddle more comfortable. When I'm trying to get it right, I try to visualise where I want my saddle to be, how I want it to support me - and then try and use that visualisation when making adjustments. And sometimes that visualisation guided me in the purchase of a different type/shape of saddle.

I've found flatter, wider saddles work for me best. Tbh, I discovered that more by chance than design; the stock saddle supplied on my OnOne Pompino being like that. I used that info and bought a Specialized Avatar (?) - that came in different widths.... but it really is one of those personal paths and, as said, other people's recommendations are not necessarily going to solve it for you.

Some bike shops do (or did) loan saddles for you to try.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I sometimes wonder how professionals manage. Let's say you were born with an incredible cardiovascular system, fantastic legs but the wrong shaped arse. You blow everyone away on the ergometers and stuff in the lab but 50k into a training ride you say "coach, can we stop now, my bum hurts"

 

[Dogtrousers]

Some bike shops do (or did) lone saddles for you to try.

Makes sense. Why would you ever need to try more than one at a time

Badoom-tish.

 

[wonderloaf]

After years of searching using the 'sitbone width + 25mm/firm padding' guidleines I last year threw caution to the wind, ignored the rules and bought a wide, well padded e-bike saddle and haven't looked back since. Can now complete rides of 50-60 miles without any discomfort, in fact I very often forgot about the saddle being there! The saddle I've ended up with is a Prologo Proxim W450
https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Prologo/Proxim-W450-Sport-T20-Saddle/TZQ6

 

[Dogtrousers]

I last year threw caution to the wind, ignored the rules

The very best approach!!

 

[yello]

Makes sense. Why would you ever need to try more than one at a time

Badoom-tish.

typo duly corrected!

 

[rivers]

In the past, I used a Selle Italia Diva gel flow, but it stopped working for me. So I now have the entire Fizik Argo range across my bikes (vento on my road bike, Tempo on my TT bike, and Terra on my gravel bike). It's very personal. My diva has made it's way to my wife's dutch style e-bike and she loves it.

 

[GuyBoden]

thought I had the perfect saddle bought a few then on a long 150 mile club ramble was standing up most of the last few hours.

IMHO, 150mile is a long ride to expect no saddle discomfort at the end of the ride.

 

[yello]

IMHO, 150mile is a long ride to expect no saddle discomfort at the end of the ride.

Yep, you ought expect a little discomfort sometimes... maybe.... perhaps.

I remember doing a 200 that went from Bedford into Cambridgeshire and out on to the Fens; long, flat sections into the wind. My bum was a bit numb for good sections of that, I was standing just to get some blood circulation back!

 

[Reynard]

Charge Ladle / Madison Leia for me. Barring a few cosmetic doodads, they're essentially the same saddle.

Had a SMP on a bike I bought s/h from another forum member. Horrible thing. Too curved, too long and too padded, and was pinching me in all the wrong places.