Replacing bike saddles

lawrence281

lawrence281

lawrence281

Associate
Joined
30 Oct 2014
Posts
2,081
Location
Norfolk
So..the situation is the saddle I have atm, woudn't say its that comfortable. Firstly I'll see when my booty cheeks heal before I try it out again with the padded shorts. Anyhow I feel like I'd want to look for a better saddle to replace it with, I've checked evans cycles, and most are around £60-150. jesus christ.


Any help
 
It's the sit bone support which is the main consideration, I. E a wider more plush saddle is not nessesarily better.

How long have you had your current saddle, what sort of terrain and what sort of distances are we talking about?

If you do some googling on saddle fit you'll soon see it's more to do with personal fit than simply getting a softer /bigger saddle.
 
mattyfez said:
It's the sit bone support which is the main consideration, I. E a wider more plush saddle is not nessesarily better.

How long have you had your current saddle, what sort of terrain and what sort of distances are we talking about?

If you do some googling on saddle fit you'll soon see it's more to do with personal fit than simply getting a softer /bigger saddle.
Click to expand...

Only a day lol, did a 20 mile ride, just road and mainly looking at about 40-100 mile rides
 
Have you been riding regularly recently, before this saddle?
I say that as if you don't ride regular, it's not unusual to have some discomfort if you're not used to doing 20 plus miles.
 
Last edited:
I was posting from my phone so I'll add a bit more detail now I've got a proper keyboard...

Yeah, so do a couple of rides on your current saddle and make sure you're happy with your riding position with regards to saddle height and fore/aft position. Then you can start to decide whether your saddle is right or not based on what you feel, or where it's rubbing or what is causing any discomfort. It's pretty much accepted now that you should wear padded shorts, but here are some pointers for the saddle choice:

-Saddles come in different widths to accommodate the width of people's seat bones. Wider rear of saddle = wider seat bones.
-Notice how some saddles are scoop shaped across the top if you look at the saddle from the side (e.g. Cinelli Unicantor, worn-in Brooks B17) and how some are completely flat (Fizik Arione). The flat ones allow you a bit more variation in where you sit on it front-to-back. This is generally personal preference.
-Notice how some have a very rounded nose if viewed from the front (wide = San Marco Rolls and Brooks B17, medium = Selle Regal, narrow = Flite Titanium) and some have a flat nose and a flat top too (Charge Spoon, San Marco Ponza).

You should pretty much be sitting on your seat bones and NOT on your perineum. If you're getting discomfort/bruising in your perineum or numbness in your privates then you need to check your riding position first. If the saddle is very high and forwards you'll tend to put your weight on your perineum instead of on your seat bones. You may need to be lower and a bit further back which will roll your hips forwards and you'll sit on your bum instead. You might also want a saddle which has a flatter, wider nose instead of one which is narrow or rounded. You can also get saddles which have a cut-out to relieve pressure down there.

Hope that helps a bit. Finding a saddle which suits you can be a bit of a nightmare.
 
Jonny69 said:
I was posting from my phone so I'll add a bit more detail now I've got a proper keyboard...

Yeah, so do a couple of rides on your current saddle and make sure you're happy with your riding position with regards to saddle height and fore/aft position. Then you can start to decide whether your saddle is right or not based on what you feel, or where it's rubbing or what is causing any discomfort. It's pretty much accepted now that you should wear padded shorts, but here are some pointers for the saddle choice:

-Saddles come in different widths to accommodate the width of people's seat bones. Wider rear of saddle = wider seat bones.
-Notice how some saddles are scoop shaped across the top if you look at the saddle from the side (e.g. Cinelli Unicantor, worn-in Brooks B17) and how some are completely flat (Fizik Arione). The flat ones allow you a bit more variation in where you sit on it front-to-back. This is generally personal preference.
-Notice how some have a very rounded nose if viewed from the front (wide = San Marco Rolls and Brooks B17, medium = Selle Regal, narrow = Flite Titanium) and some have a flat nose and a flat top too (Charge Spoon, San Marco Ponza).

You should pretty much be sitting on your seat bones and NOT on your perineum. If you're getting discomfort/bruising in your perineum or numbness in your privates then you need to check your riding position first. If the saddle is very high and forwards you'll tend to put your weight on your perineum instead of on your seat bones. You may need to be lower and a bit further back which will roll your hips forwards and you'll sit on your bum instead. You might also want a saddle which has a flatter, wider nose instead of one which is narrow or rounded. You can also get saddles which have a cut-out to relieve pressure down there.

Hope that helps a bit. Finding a saddle which suits you can be a bit of a nightmare.
Click to expand...

Thanks, will take this all onboard. And damn it sure does look like a nightmare..so much to consider
 
Yeah give it some time first, then check the position, then start spending money.

I don't tend to follow my own advice though and my last two saddle purchases could probably have been avoided by fiddling with position first!
 
lawrence281 said:
I actually didn't just thought id get more answers if i made a whole seperate thread, will continue on there in the future then
Click to expand...

Think of the Road Cycling thread as more of a chatroom - more guys in there discussing things, quick responses and general chit-chat (and abusing grudas). Many of us probably check that thread daily/more frequently than the rest of the forum.

JeffyB said:
Bib shorts, if still no joy try something like the charge spoon is cheap and rated highly.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/charge-spoon-saddle-with-cromo-rails/
Click to expand...

Another vote for the Spoon.

Jonny69 said:
I was posting from my phone so I'll add a bit more detail now I've got a proper keyboard...
<snip>
Click to expand...

All fantastic info, saddle fit is one of the most personal things when cycling. Even type of pad in padded shorts can be! As you're starting out you'll have a sore butt, there's really very little you can do except keep riding and gradually as your core/butt gets stronger things will hurt less. It won't be long and the sore butt will be the least of your worries ('Shut up legs!') and it'll gradually fade into insignificance.

I always considered myself to have a large rump but in reality (measured at LBS) my sit bones are a 'standard' width. As I had experienced some pain on the Giant saddle my Defy 1 came with I swapped it out for the inexpensive Spoon. Things were much better (less movement around the saddle) even though the shapes and padding were very similar, the surface being more grippy made it feel more comfortable too.

Quality seat pads (which only generally come with quality shorts) make a huge difference.

The pads in DHB's Active/Flashlight (~£30) I found ok at the start, when I rode more (1+ hour rides) I got more pain. I still wear them for commuting and the occasional unplanned long ride. As Castelli were so expensive I tried other shorts (more expensive DHB & Northwave ~£45) to great success and only recently moved to Castelli when there was a summer sale (£90 shorts for £45!). The KISS pad in the Castelli's I have is incredible, I've done 4+ hour rides (without any chamois cream) with only slight soreness.
 
Roady said:
Think of the Road Cycling thread as more of a chatroom - more guys in there discussing things, quick responses and general chit-chat (and abusing grudas). Many of us probably check that thread daily/more frequently than the rest of the forum.
Click to expand...

abusing? aka munching on my dust :D
 
Having bought a charge spoon saddle recently, I can certainly recommend one.
Very comfortable, but as others have already said, padded bib shorts & time in the saddle are definitely required.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom