Best Touring Saddle?
07-09-20, 04:59 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Best Touring Saddle?
I ride a Raleigh Supercourse with a B17 saddle. I switched the handlebars to flat so my posture is more upright now. My butt starts to hurt after about an hour, and I'm thinking of changing the saddle. I'm looking for a saddle that I can sit on all day long. The Brooks Flyer Special looks promising. Thoughts?
07-09-20, 05:30 AM
#2
Newbie
I used to really like Brooks saddles, but as I got older they didn't work well for me. Numbness, shall we say.
Switched to a Spongy Wonder about 5 years ago and have not had a problem since. Very comfortable.
Switched to a Spongy Wonder about 5 years ago and have not had a problem since. Very comfortable.
07-09-20, 05:31 AM
#3
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Have you spent enough time in the Brooks to break it in? I have one bike that my Brooks feels fine with and another that I would need a set back seat post to get a good fit. I would make sure I knew why the Brooks hurts before giving up on it.
07-09-20, 05:34 AM
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Saddles are quite personal. There is no "best" touring saddle other than the one that works best for you, which is likely going to be the worst saddle for others.
I tour on a Terry Liberator.
I tour on a Terry Liberator.
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07-09-20, 05:35 AM
#5
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It's a really old saddle. It came with the bike! Now, I was thinking that a set back seat post might help. It's back as far as it will go, and sometimes I feel like I'm sitting on the rivets. Where would I find a set back seat post that would fit my bike?
07-09-20, 05:42 AM
#6
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Have a look at the Gyes Saddles.The have a bigger range than Brooks, are cheaper and the quality is excellent. Something like the GS-09 or GS-21 are wider than the B17 or Flyer. I have a GS-21 and it's pretty good with an upright seating position.
07-09-20, 05:49 AM
#7
Senior Member
Fabric, that is the brand, in my opinion, makes the best saddles, whether your body agrees is up to it.
The design is clever, durability is outstanding and the value can’t be beat.
The design is clever, durability is outstanding and the value can’t be beat.
07-09-20, 06:58 AM
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I have fabric saddles on two different bikes. Very nice, really fits me well. Absolutely love them. Only issue is mine have started to creak a bit.
Another options is Velo Orange. Just bought one of their smooth touring saddles. It is shaped like a Brooks but no rivets so larger overall seating area
https://velo-orange.com/collections/...ng-saddle-wide
They have a microfiber one that sticks to your shorts like tape, but I like the smooth one above better since I tend to move around a lot.
Another options is Velo Orange. Just bought one of their smooth touring saddles. It is shaped like a Brooks but no rivets so larger overall seating area
https://velo-orange.com/collections/...ng-saddle-wide
They have a microfiber one that sticks to your shorts like tape, but I like the smooth one above better since I tend to move around a lot.
07-09-20, 07:41 AM
#9
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Thread Starter
I have fabric saddles on two different bikes. Very nice, really fits me well. Absolutely love them. Only issue is mine have started to creak a bit.
Another options is Velo Orange. Just bought one of their smooth touring saddles. It is shaped like a Brooks but no rivets so larger overall seating area
https://velo-orange.com/collections/...ng-saddle-wide
They have a microfiber one that sticks to your shorts like tape, but I like the smooth one above better since I tend to move around a lot.
Another options is Velo Orange. Just bought one of their smooth touring saddles. It is shaped like a Brooks but no rivets so larger overall seating area
https://velo-orange.com/collections/...ng-saddle-wide
They have a microfiber one that sticks to your shorts like tape, but I like the smooth one above better since I tend to move around a lot.
07-09-20, 08:39 AM
#10
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Regardless of what you try- there isnt a magical best touring saddle. And the more upright you ride, the wider the saddle should be since you place more weight on a wider area when you are upright. The B17 is already a wide saddle for road bikes. Next up is a cruiser style saddle that looks like a slightly smaller tractor seat.
07-09-20, 09:52 AM
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Thinking out loud here. There's going to be some change in sit bone geometry between riding in the drops and on a flat bar -- the rider's pelvis is going to rotate backward. It seems plausible the old, broken-in B-17 is going to have dimples in the wrong places for the flat bar.
07-09-20, 09:55 AM
#12
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Thread Starter
But that will just move the saddle back 20mm. If your saddle is in the proper position right now for your legs and knees to feel good, then moving it back 20mm isnt ideal since it will throw off your fit for your legs(the one thing that is moving a lot).
Regardless of what you try- there isnt a magical best touring saddle. And the more upright you ride, the wider the saddle should be since you place more weight on a wider area when you are upright. The B17 is already a wide saddle for road bikes. Next up is a cruiser style saddle that looks like a slightly smaller tractor seat.
Regardless of what you try- there isnt a magical best touring saddle. And the more upright you ride, the wider the saddle should be since you place more weight on a wider area when you are upright. The B17 is already a wide saddle for road bikes. Next up is a cruiser style saddle that looks like a slightly smaller tractor seat.
07-09-20, 09:57 AM
#13
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Thread Starter
Thinking out loud here. There's going to be some change in sit bone geometry between riding in the drops and on a flat bar -- the rider's pelvis is going to rotate backward. It seems plausible the old, broken-in B-17 is going to have dimples in the wrong places for the flat bar.
07-09-20, 10:09 AM
#14
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..the rails of your saddle allow for some saddle adjustment too, if you havent already done that(b17 is notorious for an absurdly small amount of available adjustment).
07-09-20, 10:12 AM
#15
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Thread Starter
Oh, well if you then sit in the same effective position, then sure it could work to use an offset seatpost.
..the rails of your saddle allow for some saddle adjustment too, if you havent already done that(b17 is notorious for an absurdly small amount of available adjustment).
..the rails of your saddle allow for some saddle adjustment too, if you havent already done that(b17 is notorious for an absurdly small amount of available adjustment).
07-09-20, 10:30 AM
#16
Senior Member
I hate to say this, but if you're sitting upright, no saddle may be comfortable. The first thing you should do is get a bike fit. You should be balanced on the bike on the three touchpoints and if you're not, your saddle is going to be uncomfortable.
07-09-20, 10:31 AM
#17
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I actually had it fitted a couple of weeks ago. It's better than it was but long rides are still tough.
07-09-20, 04:53 PM
#18
Banned
Gilles Berthoud https://berthoudcycles.fr/en/67-saddles no guarantee your arse will approve it..
07-09-20, 09:00 PM
#19
Member
Certainly, others may disagree, but as Indyfabz said above, saddles are personal so there is no universal "best". It's what's best for each individual.
07-09-20, 10:42 PM
#20
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I find I really need a setback post with my current bike and B17. With that, it’s great!
07-10-20, 04:38 AM
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I've always positioned saddles to line the knees up properly.
maybe you need a longer stem?
maybe you need a longer stem?
07-10-20, 07:44 AM
#23
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