Robert A

My bike fitter is recommending a wider saddlle, around 142-143mm, to help reduce side-to-side movement in my hips. He recommended the Prologo Dimension STN 143 because it's reasonably priced and he's had a lot of success with it with other clients. I tried it and liked it, but only in his shop. I want to look at other ideas before making the decision.

I ride a CAAD12 and tend to be a distance rider. With all the brands out there, Bontrager, Specialized, Selle, Prologo, Shimano and others, how do I begin to find the right saddle for my needs, and my body? The two LBS's near me offer 30-day return policies, but no demos. I don't mind spending more. How do I figure this out?

Sojodave

I posted this in another saddle thread. I hope this helps.

I'm kind of embarrassed about how many short-nosed saddles I have had. I'm 6'4" 200 lbs with 130 sit bones. Here is my take on each saddle.

Power Expert 155- I have done more miles on this saddle than any other. It is super important you set it up correctly and I have done up to 140 mile rides without pain. It is a one-position saddle and I have often tried other saddles thinking there is something better...Maybe there isn't anything better.
Power Arc Pro 155 - Sitting on a Power saddle is like sitting on a plank, sitting on a Power Arc saddle is like sitting on a log. Some people love them, I had a hard time committing to this saddle because it doesn't support you as well as the Power.
Prologo Dimension 143 STN - This is a lot flatter than either the Power or Power Arc. It is pretty comfortable most of the time; however, it is only 143 and is too narrow for me.
Bontrager Aeolous Elite 155 - This saddle is a short-nose saddle, but it has a wide nose and a swoop kinda close to a Romin Evo saddle. I have only ridden this saddle indoors and I hope it is more comfortable outdoors than indoors.
Romin Evo Pro 155 - Most people don't think of it being a short-nose saddle, but it is only a centimeter longer than a Power saddle. It has a big swoop with a narrow nose. The jury is still out on this saddle. I haven't ridden it longer than 30 miles and it has been fairly comfortable, indoors it was torture.
Pro Stealth 150 - This saddle is flat and the padding is very firm and the biggest cut-out I've seen on a saddle. Some people love that kind of saddle, I found the firm padding too firm and on long rides this saddle caused pain. I sold my Pro Stealth on eBay.
Power Mimic Expert 155 - This is a woman's saddle; however, I have a friend who is a dude who rides this saddle and has suffered from many saddles and he said this was the most comfortable saddle for long rides he has ever tried. I rode around the block on it and I have to admit, it felt pretty great. I have ordered one and it hasn't arrived yet, but I have high hopes this gives me the benefits of the Power saddle with a softer nose.

WhyFi

Trainer sessions are like trial by fire for saddles. If he'll let you do an hour long trainer session in his shop, do it. If the saddle keeps you moderately comfy over that period of time, buy it and don't look back - riding on the roads will be easy peasy in comparison.

If you don't want to go that route, you'll have to do the same thing that everybody else does - make an educated guess and take a leap of faith. And then probably do it again, because it didn't work out the first time.




And then probably do it again.




And then do it again three years later because they discontinued the saddle that was perfect for your ass and now you need to find a new one.

Robert A

Is there any kind of consensus on brand?

noodle soup

A "consensus" on which saddle is best?

The consensus is that you should use whatever works best for you.

WhyFi

Of course not.

Robert A

No, just on brand.

WhyFi

Everybody swears by something different. You find what works for you, which can sometimes be a long, arduous process, and then you stick with it.

noodle soup

Yep.

Some saddles have a reputation for being comfortable, but even those have a long list of people that would call them an ass hatchet.

Find a shop that has a saddle demo program, and start there. When you get one that works great, buy a few of them.

RNAV

Isn't side-to-side hip movement indicative of a saddle height that is too high (e.g., you rock because you're reaching for the pedals on each stroke)?

Cypress

Fizik Arione set dead level. Ride it until it stops hurting.

...or go down the endless rabbit hole of spending $200 a pop on saddles only to buy/install a new one right before your body adapts to their dimensions.

berner

Judging by responses to saddle fit posts, most cyclists have tried a number of saddles before finding one that worked. After a while you learn what shape and size are likely to be best. Until then there is no alternative but to try different ones.

Robert A

Improper fit was the first thought, but my fitter (who set the bike up originally) confirmed that the seat was set correctly. He thinks hip movement is due to my favoring my right leg and suggests having a PT look at my situation.

Gconan

Wilderness Trail Bikes

Moishe

My experience was similar to the consensus. When I got serious about road biking, after about four years on the stock Specialized saddle that came on my Roubaix, I bought and sold five or six saddles on eBay before settling on a different Specialized saddle.

An excellent source of information I found on the science of saddle fitting was the highly regarded bike fitter, Steve Hogg, who favors the SMP brand:


https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com...ion-smp-seats/

phenry24 

I have had good success with Fabric Scoops, both the flat and shallow profiles depending on the bike. They are 142 mm wide and can be had for fairly cheap. But to echo what everyone else has said, there is no consensus on saddles, and you should only take my good experience with Fabric as my experience, yours might be different.

bahula03

Gah, too real

This seems a bit backwards to me? By all means work on not favoring one leg so strongly, but the fit should be accommodating of that until your ability changes, and then the fit can be updated/changed.

Robert A

Discussing a bike fit on an internet forum is difficult at best. I'd rather stick to the topic of how to buy a seat.

tomato coupe

Arione's seem to be a love-em or hate-em kind of saddle.
That's where eBay is useful. Buy a saddle, try it out as long as you want, then put it back on eBay if you don't like it. It makes the whole process pretty inexpensive.

bahula03

Choose your own adventure. I'm not trying to discuss the specifics of your fit, all I'm saying is that if someone put together your fit based on how your body *should* work instead of how it *actually* works, it's not going to matter how many saddles you try. Best of luck!

Theypeedonmyrug

Amen for the ebay route to saddle happiness. I bought and sold a half dozen saddles on ebay to find one right for me. I found ebay sellers to be pretty honest and reliable about their saddle descriptions. It turns out that there are a lot of people out there selling barely used "used" saddles dirt cheap because they don't fit them, and a lot of people out there just like you who are quite willing to buy your barely used "used" saddle that doesn't fit you. I made money on some auctions, lost money on others, but in the end I just about broke even.

Lrdchaos

I’ve tried the eBay route but things just didn’t work out that well for me. I finally went to the specialized store, because it’s close to me and they have a great selection, and bought a power arc saddle. I’m still in the process of testing it for 30 days at this time. However I paid the 60 dollars for the basic fit which included measurements, and adjustments. I’m more comfortable now that I have been in the last year.

If you are going to go the eBay route, just remember there is a lot more to saddle fit than just throwing it on the bike and riding. The stack height of the seat might cause you to raise or lower your seat post, it may need to be moved forward or back depending on your reach and how you want to sit on the bike, and many other adjustments.

I liked the 30 day trial period, especially when buying a 250 dollar saddle. Plus the store took the time to measure my sit bones, which were wider than I thought so I ended up with a 155 seat instead of 143. And they did a good comprehensive fit and measure. There’s nothing wrong with purchasing a seat off another member or seller online, just be aware that some of your saddle issues might come from an improper setup on the bike.

Carbonfiberboy 

I've ridden with a lot of people. IME there are 2 reasons for side-to-side hip motion.
1) Saddle too high. Since it was a fitter who recced a saddle, I doubt that's it.
2) What I could call an incomplete pedal stroke, that is pushing down with the whole side of one's body, then the other. That causes rocking as well as side to side pumping of the upper body. I ride with a tandem couple whose stoker gets saddle sores because her captain rocks his hips so much. The cure for that is to pedal with the legs and eliminate upper body motion, which eliminates hip rocking if saddle height is correct.

That said, it's still possible that saddle height is too great because natural hip rocking leaves the knee angle correct in the fitter's view. Having a still upper body might require a lower saddle height to eliminate hip rocking, so there's a chicken and egg thing there, too.

Back to saddles: hip rockers seem to have better success with leather saddles, Brooks or Selle Anatomica or the like. Those with still hips and aero position usually do better with modern saddles, of the correct width of course.

I should also mention that pedaling style should have nothing to do with suitable saddle width. That's determined by sit and pubic bone spacing, so I don't get the fitter's reason for the rec. It the fitter thinks that a wider saddle will stop hip rocking, find another fitter.

bruce19

Ah, saddles. I've done all the saddle measurements including the computerized one. The all say I should be on a 143. but, what actually works for me is a 136. I have no idea why. My CAAD 12 came with some narrow, hard Selle Italia that I thought would be replaced quickly. Instead, it works well for me. My Guru has a different Selle Italia which also works. I don't know what to make of it. Which, I think, is the state of saddle theory.

Theypeedonmyrug

Here is why, I believe, saddle fit is so idiosyncratic for every biker:



There is a wide variation from person to person in the size and shape of the v-shaped pair of bones (the ischiopubic ramus) that connect the sit bones (above the M of “SMP” in this picture from Steve Hogg, linked above in post #15) to the pubic bone (above the a of “dynamic”). The shape and angle of the saddle should complement the shape of the rider’s ischiopubic ramus as well as its angle, which results from how much his hips are tilted forward. The rider’s weight should not be entirely on the sit bones but at least partially on the ischiopubic ramus.



One of the difficulties for a bike fitter to match a rider’s pelvic structure to a saddle is that it would require a level of intimacy that is illegal in most states. So that’s why most of us have to experiment with different saddles at different angles.