Originally Posted by
Jac of Hearts
UPDATE: I moved the Boulevard back as far as it would go and tipped the nose down as far as it would go and it is a little better. Now that the nose is down I may nudge it forward just a little.
I have a smoother gel saddle coming (older Trek) so we will see if that makes a difference. When you're a big guy (or gal) the struggle is real!
The thing to remember is that
you don’t break in a saddle. You adapt to it. That goes for all saddles but doubly so for plastic ones. The plastic shell doesn’t change no matter how much you ride on it. You just get used to it or not. Even with leather saddles, it’s more a case of you get used to the way it feels.
And that is independent of what your body type is.
I would caution against riding too much with the saddle nose tilted down as far as it will go. All that does is force you to constantly push back on the saddle. It will put a lot of stress on your arms and hands. In the long run, it’s not good for you.
I would also caution against a saddle that is too squishy. You found that when you tried adding a thicker saddle. Your saddle may be too high or, more likely, you are “sitting” on the saddle while you ride. A bicycle saddle is called that because that’s what it is. A saddle is supposed to support you but it isn’t a “seat”. Learn to ride while hovering over the saddle rather then making it take all of your weight. That goes a long way towards saddle comfort.