ericmerg1

Looking to set up a road bike for my girlfriend, she's about 230 and not very flexible. Her bike will be set up in a fairly upright position but that's subject to change with experience. She HATES my saddles which is understandable but also means I don't have anything wider for her to try, currently she's on a comfort bike with a cruiser saddle and loves it so something more padded and wider than a standard mens road saddle.

SnoryCewton

I think it depends on the riding you guys do. For short rides I think a wider cushier saddle is great. If she wants to do longer rides, its imperative that she get a slimmer saddle. I bought a Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow for my wife to replace the stock saddle that came with her road bike.


It has a pretty large cutout for the lady bits and some good gel for the sit bones. My wife is 5'10" and the seat is plenty wide for her. We've completed rides up to 75 miles, with the only soreness being of course that we just rode 75 miles. My wife recommends the saddle.

Good luck.

capnjonny 

Go on craigslist and look for a ladies brooks saddle with springs. They make a couple different models. I am a 280 lb male and I have a b 17 and b 67 with springs and I highly recommend them. I found them for$60 each in like new condition on Craigslist.

Leisesturm

The term "road bike" covers a lot of territory. I would not recommend the same saddle for a flat (upright) bar hybrid as for a drop bar race model. Both are 'road bikes'. So what bike, exactly do you have to set up for your gf? Fairly upright on a drop handlebar is still pretty bent over. Something like a Terry (women specific) Liberator or Butterfly might work. The spring saddles are for (IMO) flat bar hybrids where the back angle is greater than ~55*.

One important aspect of saddle comfort for Clydes concerns how quickly (or not) the saddle narrows ahead of the seating area. If the transition is too gradual, the cyclists thighs will chafe, and the cyclist might skootch forward to reduce the rubbing, but will then be sitting forward of the sitting area and that is just as bad as chafing. Kontact saddles make their abrupt transition a selling point. There are other saddles with a very similar shape that do not make a big deal about it. There is also the option of no saddle nose at all, especially in tandem stoker situations where the stoker is not expected to control the dynamics of the bike. I do not recommend "noseless" models where the rider wants to be in optimal control. But they are out there and they do sell. FWIW.

ericmerg1

sorry, it's a specialized allez a1 2002, shouldn't be a huge bar to saddle drop but some 1-2" lower than saddle.

Jarrett2

After going through a bunch of really expensive saddles, my girlfriend went to a good fitter and he put her on the Bontrager Ajna and she is completely happy with it.

outashape

People who don't cycle believe a wide saddle is more comfortable. Until she rides over 10 miles on a consistent basis, I would leave her on the existing saddle. All saddles are uncomfortable when you start to ride. If you take away her view/comphrension, you might lose her as a cyclist. After she picks up miles, I would try a Terry Liberator. I bought mine at REI.

10 Wheels

I would never buy a saddle or a bra for any woman.

Leisesturm

Why not? Women buy saddles, boxers, briefs and other things for the men in their lives all the time. I buy saddles for the Mrs. and the other things too because I know her size.

Penny4

Not sure if you are still looking....

I use a Specialized Lithia saddle and love it. I was previously using a Terry Butterfly, but found it to be too narrow. The Lithia goes up to 168, and has been very comfortable for me on my road bike, which has a fairly upright fit.

longbeachgary

https://www.amazon.com/Serfas-Womens...+saddle+womens

DumbPartsGuy

We picked up a Straggler for my wife so we can do some weekend bikepacking trips over the weekends this summer. She HATED the stock saddle. Starting at mile 5 she had pain. After some research, sit bones in men seem to be rather consistent in spacing, but ladies, not so much. Our local Specialized dealer had the equipment to measure her sit bone spacing. We took her bike in (not purchased there), they set it up on a trainer, and had her try out a whole bunch of different options of saddles they stocked. Now, despite the fact that I ride about 7-10x the miles per year that she does (now), I am now the one with discomfort at mile 30. I would highly recommend doing this, and paying a little more for one saddle, than having 8 different saddles, and a lady that is frustrated and no longer interested in cycling.

Her old saddle is now on my Steamroller, so it worked out in the end.