Cypress

This is an experiment I thought of while shopping for a new seat. I was thinking to myself if somebody hated the same saddle as I did, for the same reason and found happiness with another, it would give me a good place to start looking for a new saddle. I'll take information from this thread and create some sort of spreadsheet.

Please list:

1. The saddle that is perfect for YOUR ass at present.

2. The saddle(s) that James-Bond-Crotch-Laser you in twine. Be specific as to which saddle(s) and HOW it is uncomfortable.

I'll start.

1. I haven't found that special one yet.

2. Selle Italia Flite Ti. It's harsh on my sitbones, and the rounded shape hurts my garbage when in the drops.

dmotoguy

1. Specialized Alias 143.. Its so nice to sit on, have never had a problem on any length of ride.
2. none so far

I think I'm going to go to the toupe next, maybe this weekend.

matthew_deaner

1. Favorite: Terry Fly Ti. Fits my sit bones perfectly, looks cool, I like the buzz-off logo, and is comfy. It is a little heavy though.

2. Worst: Stock Bontrager saddle that comes with Trek bikes. It's like a big hunk of foam... way too soft. Made my weanie numb.

ImprezaDrvr

Selle Italia SKN Pro.

2's a long list. Toupe = ass hatchet for me. Saddle sores like crazy. Aliante = number than numb. Tried a WTB Devo, but it's too wide at the nose. Arione = cuts on the inside of my legs from the leading edge of the saddle. I've tried a lot of 'em, but the SKN seems to be doing really well.

TheKillerPenguin

1. Selle Italia SLR
Fizik Arione.

Both are pretty narrow, the Arione has a bit more padding but the SLR makes up for it with the way the carbon shell cradles yer crotch. I prefer the SLR by a slight margin.

2. Fizik Poggio- Too cushy, not narrow enough, dug into my taint.
Terry Liberator (?)- way too cushy, and got a nut stuck in its cutout when I went over a speed bump.

caloso

1. Selle Italia Flite Ti. I have four of them. It's a classic and fits my classically shaped butt.
2. Specialized Body Geometry Comp. Ugg. Heavy, ugly, squishy.

Cypress

OMG.

superslomo

I very much dig the Fi'zik Aliante with the carbon shell (****** here, so I got the Ti rails). I don't think I would have paid retail for it, but the ebay BiN price was right.

The Coda that came with my Cannondale was an absolute a$$-hatchet. I don't know whether it was the shape, or the hard edges, but that damn thing made me completely miserable.

After a few switches I tried the Aliante, and I've been very happy during the winter with it. Once I get a really long day on it I'll know whether it's the all around heavyweight champ for me or not.

kensuf

+1 on 1 with the caveat I had to make sure the adjustment was right. Before that it felt like a pair of Cruel Shoes.

HDWound

1. Selle SMP Strike Evolution
2. Stock Bontrager saddle

TheKillerPenguin

Yeah, making with the sex hurt for weeks afterwards

DocRay

1. Selle Italia SLR or Selle San Marco Aspide

2. Toupe-insufficient flex, led to bad bruising after one hour rides.

From a informal poll of the pro peloton, the Selle Italia Flite is still the saddle of choice for guys who spend 6 hour days racing, followed by the Airione for lighter riders.

Ed Holland

At present I have a Fi:zik basic model (it was around $70) on one bike, a Selle Italia of unknown origin on a second and a no-name £10 from the bike shop bargain bucket on my expensive bike.

All I really know is that my arse thanks me for less padding and a flatter section for the sit bones. The one thing that really bugs me is when the manufacturers stylise the design with lots of seams and embroidered stitching. It's the last thing you need in that region... and pointless, since if you are actually riding the bike, you're not going to be worried what the saddle looks like.

Cheers,

Ed

blonduathlongrl

I have the Selle italia and I love it, fits me just fine and......
I never ride with a padded cycling shorts never.
I found that while I was doing my training of jumping off my bike to run to get used to transtion, i just couldnt run well with a padded shorts so I got used to wearing regular spandex and I never complain.

Psydotek

1. Fizik Aliante. After a year i got it adjusted properly and it now plays nice with my @$$/taint for rides that last over an hour. I use a 5mm neoprene cover too.

I recently put a Forte Fusion for my commuter/CX bike and it also works rather well so far on short rides but i'll have to do some longer rides to see how it fares past the 30 mile mark.

2. Possibly the Forte Classic... I only gave it 12 miles before my sitbones were hurting. I attribute it to poor adjustment but i didn't get a chance to tweak it since i put the Fusion on already.

Step Down

The Selle Italia Flite on all 4 of my steeds. Seems through all the attempts to re-invent the saddle over the last few years the Flite remains the choise of the pros. I have not yet seen an elite level cyclist use one of the new saddles designed to combat "Bicycle Seat Neuropathy".

steppy

chipcom 

1. Brooks Team Professional, Ti rails - fits me like a glove, my butt isn't screaming at me after 8 hours in the saddle, ti rails reduce weight penalty, looks classy (to me) on my old steel Bianchi's.

2. Selle Royal Viper - turns the phrase 'a$$-hatchet' into a painful reality on par with Ulrich's realization that he would never win another TDF.

skandal20

1. Fizik Aliante Carbon - Jesus it's like sitting on a throne. While being fed grapes and tended to by many a wench. The dip in the middle is perfect for me, like a little hammock for my taint.

2. Selle Italia SLR - I had sores on my inner thighs from the sides of the saddle. More like sitting on splintery wood or being punched in the grundle by Mike Tyson.

jeffremer

1. Bikesmart Espresso Race (Selle Italia Pro Link Light Gel Flow knock-off). $40 at Mike's Bikes on-sale from $60, does the trick. Though I'll probably give the Toupe or an SLR a try next.
2. Stock Bontrager Race Luxe (standard on entry-mid level Treks and LeMonds). +1 on a "big hunk of foam" that is a recipe for instant numbness.

Cypress

Like I said in another thread, I would like to give a Brooks Swallow a try, but that's a $300+ endeavor that could fail. It's also half a pound heavier than anything else I'm considering. Weight might have to be the price I pay for comfort.

caloso

Yup. It's that comfortable. I commute on one and more often than not I'm just wearing dress pants or chinos.

bvfrompc

1. Oddly, the Poggio is a pleasure for me and my taint, picked up a second one of ebay for $12 which indicates to me their popularity, will take yours off your hands Penguin for the right deal. My saddle before the trusty Poggio was the Selle Italia Trimatic2 which also got horrible reviews, my butt must be very odd.


2. I picked up a cheap WTB mountain bike saddle (very wide), rode two hours and returned on my way home from the ride, walked like I had stickstuck for two days.

donrhummy

HATE: Bontrager saddle that came with Lemond bike
LOVE: Specialized Avatar:

bravo106

1. Don't know about "perfect", but the Specialized Toupe Gel I've had for about 1½ months has become one of my favorites. No numbness. Seems to fit my sitbones nicely. Just enough padding, but it's not a couch. Mostly trainer/roller rides, but I finally got out this past weekend and did ~ 28 miles and it still worked well. (1b) Selle SMP Strike Pro - No numbness here, either. Only indoor rides so the jury is still out. With the construction of this saddle, you definitely feel your sitbones as contact points. Not uncomfortable ... yet ... but it's something I notice.

2. SSM Aspide. @ss hatchet! Fizik Arione - felt great out of the box. After a few thousand miles, it was only comfortable for shorter rides. Anything longer than 30 miles and it would start feeling like an Aspide. Numbness became a problem, too.

Max Viotu

Selle San Marco ERA K-because it's fairly flat. I tried a Specialized Alias 143 and ended up with a UTI (urinary tract infection). Those 'wings' on the Alias were biting into my a$$ and putting a lot of pressure on my sit bones, and felt that a flatter saddle would work to my advantage. I regularly spent 2 1/2 hrs. plus on my indoor trainer all winter long, and never had any pain or discomfort. It's even better on the road.