SactoDoug

I have just gotten into road cycling. I am doing it to lose weight. I am currently at ~201#. I have lost 5# in about 3 weeks of cycling which is a good enough pace for me.

The problem that I am running into is that I am a bit sore in my nether regions. It is not from chaffing. It is from the small saddle and the extra 30-40 pounds that I have resting on it. It feels like my prostate is taking a beating from the bumps in the road.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a road bike saddle for a 200 pounder?

Greg_R

Everyone has a different butt shape & your weight has little to do with the discomfort. This topic is covered fairly frequently so a search will give you more info.

- Coasting is bad. If you are constantly pedaling then your weight is on your legs and arms and not 100% on your butt. Road bikes & their saddles are not meant for "sitting", they are there to keep the frame between your legs and provide another anchor point (hands and feet are the others). Sitting on a road saddle will result in a sore butt.
- A notched saddle (cut out) can help with taint pressure & rubbing
- Saddle width is critical. Dealers who sell Specialized BG saddles have an instrument for measuring sit bone spacing. This will let you know how wide a saddle you should try (a starting point, not a final answer).
- Correct saddle height, tilt, and forward/rear placement is critical

Herbie53

I think the consensus is that a saddle is a very user specific choice.

FWIW I went and got my sit bones measured at a Specialized shop and bought a Toupe. I now have one of those on both bikes and luv 'em.

SactoDoug

Thanks for the replies. I did do a title search in this forum for "road" and "saddle" but nothing came up on the search.

I think I know why I was a bit extra sore yesterday now. I was riding with my coworker who cruises at 15 mph on his bike and I usually cruise around 20 mph. There were long stretches where I would pedal for 2 seconds, then coast for 5 seconds. Next time I'll just ride my mountain bike when I know he is coming with me.

I'll check out more saddles at my LBS's.

colinmcnamara

If you haven't done it yet, invest in a bike fit. You can usually get one done for 80 dollars or so. This will ensure that you are putting all the weight in the right places.

gunner65

I just ordered a brooks imperial for my road bike. I am hoping the investment pays off with longer rides.

Seattle Forrest

Fizik Aliente VS. I like mine, and tip the scales at about 235 lbs.

I don't know how reliable these are, but some reviews I read before trying one for myself: https://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/co...8_2509crx.aspx

TrekDen

Another option, and simply less expensive route to try first would be a chamois cream. Here are a few to look at. (Assos, Paceline, or DZ Nuts)

A good fitting saddle is priceless tho'.

EasyEd

I'm in the brooks camp, but ymmv. Good luck in your search. It sucks when you don't have the right saddle.

MVclyde

+1 I just bought an Aliente (carbon version). Three rides with it and I'm really happy. I'm cautiously optimistic until I do some longer rides.

Edit: I'm 225 lbs (5'10")

bbeasley

I bought a new Trek 2.3 and it came with a torture stick to sit on. I made it about 60 miles, went back to LBS and randomly picked one of four loaner saddles. The first try was a winner and I refused to give the loaner back even for a new one. The morale of the story for me is: Stock seats suck!

Surprisingly the new comfy saddle looks and feels much like the torture stick. Several of the more experienced forum members here advised me to buy 3 of the comfy saddles as I could count on the manufacturer discontinuing it or changing it for the worse.

Good luck in your search, hope you find the answer as quick and painlessly as I did!

CACycling

Not always. The Selle San Marco Ischia that came on one of my bikes works great for me. The saddles that came on my other bikes didn't.

OC Noob Rider

I have a Selle Italia SLK that I love.
6'3" 210 lbs.

clydeosaur

I've got an Alliante carbon as well. These seem to be popular for bigger guys (I'm 6'4 @ 219). Other popular ones seem to be Specialized BG saddles, Brooks & Terry flies. I'd take the advise on getting fit first, then, go demo saddles.

bradtx

SactoDoug, Try adjusting the nose of your present saddle down just a little and test ride, repeat; stay tuned to what the sit bones feel like. Sliding forward in the saddle means you've tilted it down too far. Shorts with too much padding can be problematic also, as can riding in regular shorts where a seam passes through the middle to the zipper.

Brad

Seattle Forrest

That's a very cool bike shop.

Out of curiosity, did the demo saddles come in funny colors?

cyclist2000

A slight change in tilt can have great effects. I have a saddle that I am comfortable enough with, but I tilted up a couple of degrees and after 6 mile I had painful welt. For you weight any saddle should work. You just need to find a comfortable saddle and fine tune the fit.

VaMoots

Brooks B17. Around $80 new on eBay.

socalrider

Selle San Marco Rolls, there is a reason why this saddle is still being bought 30 years after it first came out, comfort.. Save some money and buy the Smooth Top - Steel Railed version.. Here is an extensive review

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...%26BRAND.ID%3D

MorganRaider

Terry Liberator Y Gel saddle works for me along with a good set of shorts with a comfortable chamois (Pearl Izumi P.R.O.) and +1 on cyclist2000 stated: Watch the tilt.

sstorkel

I like saddles made by Selle SMP and WTB. Long, flat saddles (e.g. almost everything made by Specialized) don't work for me.

kh6idf

Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow is working well for me. I am also around 200 lbs.

CraigB

That may be because there's really no such thing as a "road-specific" saddle. About the only saddle difference you'll find that relates to bike type is a sprung "cruiser" type vs everything else. You might find some differentiation between "racing" and "touring" saddles, but even those are relatively few and occasionally subtle.

CraigB

I agree. I've said here several times (and recently, too) that all three of the bikes I've bought since 1984 have had OEM saddles.

sillygolem

Posted something similar here and managed to get enough advice to figure out how to shop for a saddle. In summary:

1. Everyone loves Brooks and there is no point in considering any other saddle even if you can't afford it or you rode one and didn't like it. No, really. If you sit on any other saddle you will immediately have severe nerve damage and be permanently disabled.

2. If you don't have a Specialized dealer and their ass-o-meter (real name) in your neighborhood you can get an idea of your seat bone width by sitting on a piece of memory foam while in your riding position. Measure the points left by your butt bones and you'll know how wide the saddle needs to be. (Note: Not all dealers do the seat fitting. You can find out which ones do on their site.)

3. "Touring" saddles have a narrow nose which is easier on your thighs and a wider top which is easier on your butt. Women's saddles are -mostly- wider than men's saddles. There are cut-outs for men and women, but I can't tell that there's much of a difference because both can vary widely in shape depending on the manufacturer.

After piecing together this information I ended up with a cheapo Bell women's saddle. It's harder than my 3-speed's beloved Cloud 9 saddle, but it's a million times better than the ass axe that came stock.