racing saddle advice?
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Cubist
Still wavin'
- Location
- Ovver 'thill
Here we go then , my thoughts on the Spoon. I was gutted after my accident mainly because the only damage to the bike was the saddle rails on the extremely lovely OEM RFR saddle on the Cube. I couldn't straighten them, and so started looking around for a new one. No-one sells the Cube saddles as aftermarket, but I noticed the Velo logo on the underside. A bit of research showed me that Charge Spoon saddles are made by Velo and that they weigh the same 260g as the RFR. There's a bit of difference in the underside, and the padding on the RFR was a bit squidgier, but the size and shape looked very similar. I read a number of reviews on the Spoon all of which raved about comfort for XC and Road racing, and excellent value for money. Not being desperate to shave off the 70grammes difference to the Ti railed Knife, I plumped for the Spoon. I tried three or four online outlets to find all the black ones appear to be out of stock, but Evans came up with the goods. (all were £25 posted)
Rode it for the first time today. I had to keep reminding myself to think about the saddle, as it felt so similar to the old one. Only difference was a bit of pressure on the perineum on a long seated climb, but I'll just drop the nose a degree or two to sort that. Otherwise, it fits my sitbones just like the old one, and I'm sure that when I've got it adjusted properly (it's a tad too far back at the moment as well) it'll be fine. It is well shaped for a bit of scooting backwards and forwards off road, with a slightly raised rear portion, which means you tend to push your backside back into it when pedalling on the flat, giving loads of support. Love it.
Rode it for the first time today. I had to keep reminding myself to think about the saddle, as it felt so similar to the old one. Only difference was a bit of pressure on the perineum on a long seated climb, but I'll just drop the nose a degree or two to sort that. Otherwise, it fits my sitbones just like the old one, and I'm sure that when I've got it adjusted properly (it's a tad too far back at the moment as well) it'll be fine. It is well shaped for a bit of scooting backwards and forwards off road, with a slightly raised rear portion, which means you tend to push your backside back into it when pedalling on the flat, giving loads of support. Love it.
punkypossum
Donut Devil
- Location
- My own little planet...
I've got the ladle - the female spoon - and am pretty happy with it, review in the review section!
Cubist
Still wavin'
- Location
- Ovver 'thill
longers said:
I was told it would be fully healed in about 6 weeks, and the accident was four weeks ago now. Just did a test run to see whether I would pay for it afterwards, so climbed 5 miles of the A640 to Buckstones Edge, and turned round and came back down again. There are some really good off-road loops just below Buckstones and I was really tempted to see whether I was up to some moorland singletrack, but only allowed myself a short section of bumpy descent where I knew I could walk home if I had to.
Lower back is hurting a bit now, but not in total agony.
Sorry, I'm another Brooks user. Even my magisterial posterior doesn't need a B17, so I deploy it on a Ti Swift, which I will accept is stupidly expensive although I did get two at once six years ago when they were only £60ish. My thinking:-montage said:
- the single most important piece in a bike is the saddle. If it isn't comfortable, what's the point of having a bike?
- the difference between a very light saddle and a Brooks is about one full bladder. I could lose 50 times that off myself anyway. If you want to be a weight weenie, look to the wheels and frame.
- the price of my Brooks was a quid a week if it only lasts a year. In fact it's going to last at least ten years. Ten comfortable years.
Cubist
Still wavin'
- Location
- Ovver 'thill
Beautiful though they are, Brooks don't really look at home on a XC hardtail, and I think that unless I wanted to spend all my life looking after it, it would be wasted on me. 
punkypossum
Donut Devil
- Location
- My own little planet...
They are doing the charge knife as well now, which is an actual racing saddle - it's a bit more expensive at £40 tho.
I like the look of that Charge Spoon - maybe another one for me to try?
I've switched the saddle on my audax bike back to the San Marco Rolls it came with (I'd put a Spec Avatar on it) and - much to my surprise - preferred the original San Marco! I found it's narrower & rounded shape more comfortable, the Spec being flatter and putting more pressure on my sit bones. I get more rub on the perineum area but that's more tolerable for me than the butt ache that would eventually set in with the Avatar.
I think it's been said before but I really do reckon you have to find what shape/size saddle you get on with and look for something that matches. It's not something I think you can really tell from pictures either, I reckon you have to have the saddle in your hands to really tell. I do wish the adverts for saddles would give you some idea of the saddles dimensions or such like, it might make getting the right one a bit easier. The fact that x people rave about a saddle doesn't mean it'll be right for you.
I've switched the saddle on my audax bike back to the San Marco Rolls it came with (I'd put a Spec Avatar on it) and - much to my surprise - preferred the original San Marco! I found it's narrower & rounded shape more comfortable, the Spec being flatter and putting more pressure on my sit bones. I get more rub on the perineum area but that's more tolerable for me than the butt ache that would eventually set in with the Avatar.
I think it's been said before but I really do reckon you have to find what shape/size saddle you get on with and look for something that matches. It's not something I think you can really tell from pictures either, I reckon you have to have the saddle in your hands to really tell. I do wish the adverts for saddles would give you some idea of the saddles dimensions or such like, it might make getting the right one a bit easier. The fact that x people rave about a saddle doesn't mean it'll be right for you.
