sleepyhead

I’m wondering how people decide on a saddle?
Whether a saddle works or not seems really random. The one I’ve bought isn’t working.

I’m in Japan. The local bike shops have not been helpful with advice. Also returning stuff is difficult because Japanese companies don’t want to take things back. I’ve ordered things from wiggle they'll take stuff back but usually its better to keep something because of shipping costs. Demo’s are not an option here as far as I know.

Northwestrider

It's a roll of the dice to some degree. IMO you could take saddle recommendation from other riders that have been there before you. My list in order of preference is , Anything Brooks ( its the B17 for me ) Selle SMP, and lastly the Selle Anatomica. The ladder didn't work out so well for me, but others have given the saddle good reviews. Good luck.

SwampDude

How does one determine which saddle fits the sit bones? Can the bike fit guy at a LBS measure the bone structure and recommend a specific saddle?

Doug64

Yes, Shops that sell Specialized saddles have a "memory foam" fit seat After sitting on it they measure the impressions made by your sit bones. This correlates with their saddle fitting, but I'm not sure how you extrapolate it to other manufacturer's saddles.

bradtx

sleepyhead, What doesn't work for you in a saddle can be a guide for what you need. For me a slightly wider saddle than what I like on my roadies works better. My posture is perhaps a bit aggressive on my touring bike, but less aggressive than for my roadies.

Brad

fairymuff

Since you mention Wiggle. Wiggle sell the award winning Charge Spoon for £22 ($37). I have one, and I really like it. It gets very good reviews with many people commenting on the fact that it's as good as many saddles that cost many times more. Charge is a relatively small UK company, and they're not very well known outside the UK, so this saddle may have been off the radar for you. At £22, it might be worth a shot. Obviously, there will be shipping to add, but if you don't like it, it won't have cost the earth.

sleepyhead

Thank for the replies.

The thing I don’t like about my saddle is I get pain in the center on longer rides. This starts to affect my reach. So I haven’t gotten to width yet. I was considering the selle anatomica. It has a cut out and the lack of sizing choice was appealing.

I’ve seen an SMP. It looks interesting but there are a lot of versions and it seems to be $200 for the better ones. I’m somewhat worried about getting a collection of expensive saddles that don’t work.

I’ll take a look at the charge saddle.

SwampDude

It seems that when in doubt about saddle fit, choosing one with enough width to easily span the distance between sit bones would be wise. I'm not suggesting a tractor-seat model, but one with a wider support area that provides a spacious platform.

My understanding is that cyclists who seek high performance want the narrowest saddle possible; the saddle needs to adequately support the sit bones without unnecessary width, and the shape is otherwise substantially streamlined to permit maximum freedom of motion. Less speed-oriented cyclists who ride for long periods, on the other hand, are more inclined to include reasonable comfort on the list of saddle attributes; thus, a wider saddle that provides a more comfortable platform but doesn't interfere with pedaling motion is a good thing.

Bear in mind, these are the thoughts of a guy who typically rides saddles that come on bikes from the factory. However, I'm thinking about changing out the saddle that came on my Trek FX7.5 because it just isn't comfortable. I'll look for a wider model with a little more cushion. My goal is to be able to ride for two or three hours without consciously trying to find a position on the way home that doesn't hurt.

westrid_dad

There are various ways to measure your sit bones, and yes, you can try this at home!

Saddle Comfort and Bike Touring

fietsbob

Know little about shopping in Japan (or Singapore).. since its your backside to satisfy , not mine
I can only suggest sitting on a variety, in shops.

generalizing... sitting up a wider saddle is recommended .. , but keep the nose width reasonable ..

saddle designers specify different foam densities for different rider catagories firmer to softer ..

softer would be restricted to a local ride ..

leather , like in shoes Break in .. there you would spring the whole saddle to make it absorb bumps

you can do that with the Seat post choice..

SwampDude

Thanks. The article is a helpful reference without being tediously technical.

fietsbob

the piece talks about the wish for being able to hang a British style large saddle bag from a Fizik Vitesse..

I found workarounds to do just that , via a Minoura rear of the saddle 2 water-bottle cage mount ..SBH 300

Accessories | MINOURA JAPAN top screws hold a pair of P clamps around the bag dowel

I saw it off below the top screw mounts.

WestPablo

Contact www.brooksengland.com/ and discuss you problem with customer service.

"Getting in Touch" upper right-hand corner...

www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/bike-saddles.html

Clem von Jones

Order the Vader VD-104 from ebay. I defy anyone to dislike this saddle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4e9AuXsc7w

eja_ bottecchia

Sit on it.

Caddy909

I really liked this article from Cervelo on saddle fit:

The Four and a Half Rules of Road Saddles - Cervélo

I'm in the process of trying saddles. Amazon has a good return policy, but I only try these indoors on the trainer. I've ebayed a few used ones and then ebayed them right back. Just took the plunge and am waiting for the Selle Anatomica to arrive. Currently using the Charge Ladle (female version), but it definitely has problems with prolonged sitting for me.

Also, I'm not 100% sure what happened, but I went to my local bike shop, did the Specialized foam sit test and ended up with a 140mm saddle. I was riding uncomfortable for about 2 years thinking that one day I'll finally "toughen" up. I just measured my sit bones using a forum method and they are exactly 140mm center to center...

acantor

I think it's rare for anyone who sits in a saddle day after day to NOT experience some discomfort. The Brooks is as comfortable a saddle as I have tried (and I have ridden many over the past 30 years), but there are limits. I might be fine for four or five hours of riding, but on a seven or eight hour day, probably not. If it's not my bottom that hurts, it's my shoulders, or neck, or arms... or several of the above.

I find that wearing padded bicycle pants contributes to comfort on long rides.

Dirt Road

I'm trying to learn to love the "Fizik Rondine Mg" that Cannondale put on my T2000. I've removed and reinstalled it a dozen times or more. Here's the rub (no pun intended): the sit points are only the slightly bumpy end of the "rami" or the ramus, the lower bones of the large opening in the bottom of the hip. Fizik thinks that we'll roll our hip forward, amazingly RAISING ourselves slightly so that the central parts we adore are raised from the nose of the saddle and that portion of our weight that is borne by the saddle is spread out along the long axis of each ramus, with the angle between them narrowing toward the front.

The bizarre thing is that it works. I probably look ridiculous having my ample posterior planted on this small saddle, but if I roll my hip slightly forward (one way to do this is to scoot back off the rear of the seat while holding on to the bars - then maintain this position when moving back on the seat), it really does seem to spread my weight out and reduce the pressure, as well as raising the adorables above the saddle.

As for whether this is preferable for a touring position, I haven't decided. It certainly increases the reach to the bars (or rather the angle of the elbows). I'm still experimenting with this. My next step will be to install a longer stem and move the saddle slightly forward.

Anyway, I'd think you'd want a saddle with a flat portion that you can move around on some to get frequent new positions as well as minimal and flexible side wings that stick to your rumpus without impeding leg extension.