Road Fan

I need to get a H2 also. I had one and trainer-rode it once, and it was nearly perfect out of the box. Then I lucked into a good deal on a pair of Brooks Professional Selects - traded him outright. I assume I can get another H2 on S-A discount whenever I want. I've set up a number of X1 models. I usually check that the tansioner is adjusted to make the slot width 6 mm - I use an Allen wrench as a guage. So far that seems to provide support. Then I install the saddle centered fore-aft on the seat post. On the trainer I set upright on the saddle with sitbones on the wide part. If I'm sliding forward (need to push back to get my bones on the platforms) I raise the nose until I sit in place. Then I slide it backwards using a plumb line at KOPS - yes, I know, but it's a repeatable starting point and it works for me. Then I check the saddle height, measuring from the dimples in the saddle leather to the BB axis. The target value I use is the old familiar formula, 0.889 times the Pubic Bone Height (PBH). After resetting, I do a test ride, no-handed, hands on hoods, and hands in hooks. Here I'm looking for easy spinning without hip rocking, and for the pressure on my underside not to focused ahead of my sitbones. If the pressure is too far forward I lower the nose a teeny bit at a time - a Campy two-bolt or a Thomson seat post are really good for this. If the pressure is the front of the wide part against the back of my thighs, I slide it back also a teeny bit at a time. If this all results in good riding, I just ride. Sometimes I'll re-check height or setback. For me the gold standard is that after all this angling and slamming is done, my heels have to just rest on the pedal with my leg extended but not stretched - for both legs.

If I have abrasion on a ride, it's usually due to the saddle being a little too high after all this is done, so I incrementally lower it. This is what tells me it's all about hip rocking, to stretch the foot down to reach the pedal. Conversely if I feel like my foot is trying to slam down through the pedal, the saddle needs to be raised a tiny bit.

It usually takes a few weeks to work through all of this, because it takes rides to test and develop the position. It's been a few years since I've done any long rides, but last time I trained for a tour, I found the saddle was ok for 5 miles, then needed a revision as I gradually worked up to 60 mile days. I found that training my butt and evolving my fit settings happened in parallel to developing my legs to do consecutive 60 mile days.

The major change so far is I raised the seat post about ½". This is not surprising. The Selle Anatomica leather saddles have pretty elastic leather, so it will sag under your weight. Brooksies don't do this anywhere near so much. I don't think the best approach is to tension the saddle up to where it feels as firm as say, an Toupe or other plastic saddle, but for go through the process and set the saddle to be correct when you are on it - that's what matters. The original idea behind the S-A was that it will support your weight using two leather hammocks, one on each side of the butt. Holding you up like this you will not have all your mass on the sitbones, but spread evenly across the saddle. I don't know if Wayback can find the earlier websites (maybe 2009?), but the originator of the company wrote down all his theories on the design of the saddle.

big john

I know, see post 24.

1saxman

I'm happy to report that I did 15 miles at avg. 10 mph earlier today over our usual course with basically NO seat pain. This was my first time in the saddle since I made that direction adjustment, straightening the nose of the saddle to be in line with the frame. I had left it a little to the right simply because I forgot to check it - about 5 degrees off. Evidently this was enough to aggravate the hell out of my left hip. SA's instructions say to turn the saddle in the direction of the sore hip so that was a no-brainer for me since it needed to be straightened in that direction anyway. I also have not used the padded underwear that go with my biking shorts since I got the SA so what I wore today was seamless biking briefs and the shorts. I really don't like using the pad so I hope I can continue to increase the mileage every week - I'd like to get to 26 mi. as the first goal which is the distance to the river crossing bridge we had set as the first major goal, and back to the starting place. After that will come 40 mi. which is the distance from where we start to the southern end of the trail and back. After that we can set many future goals with the ultimate goal of doing a century from the north end to the south end and back. This would be conceivable at 10 mph during the longer daylight coming soon, but I expect our average speed to increase as we get tougher - maybe we can cut the predicted time for that ride to 8 hours.
If I keep this up I am seeing some kind of road bike in my future.

big john

Great news! It's amazing how much difference a small adjustment can make. You'll be ready for the Race Across America in no time.

smoore

I neglected to say in my earlier post #14 that both my SA saddles have the center cutout. To me that is an important aspect to the overall comfort of the saddle. However, I am light and I've heard that if you're larger and heavier the cutout may cause the leather to sag a bit quicker than what I experience at 134lbs. Obviously sag is the primary reason for the tension screw but just don't crank it up more than necessary as that will stretch it too much in the longitudinal direction.

Saxman, happy to hear you're having some good results.

BrazAd

I ordered an Anatomica H2 on 12/28. I rode it for over 400 miles in January and sent it back last week. I **wanted** it to work... I love the look but I couldn't get my hind end to agree with it, no matter how I adjusted it.

A riding friend here ordered one a few days after I did as he was influenced by my enthusiasm. He also sent his back, he told me during this morning's ride.

As one rider said, there is no one seat that will work for all of us!

Back to my SMP TRK,

Gary