Comfortable Saddle Recommendations
 

Hello all,

I've test ridden a lot of road bikes (including Roubaix comp, Giant Defy, Domane SL 6) and have noticed one common issue. The saddle is really uncomfortable and hurts my tail bone.

I had a guru fit done and ensured that all the bikes that I rode were adjusted to match the results of the fit. I'd really appreciate it if you guys could suggest a comfortable saddle that won't hurt your backside over long distances.

I'm looking to buy the saddle along with the bike and replace the existing saddle on the bike. Appreciate any insights.

Cheers!

Do you really expect anonymous strangers on the internet to be able to pick out the most comfortable saddle for you among all the ones available? That's for you to determine. Go to your local bike shop or two and try different saddles for yourself.

Kind of surprising that your "guru fit" didn't recommend some saddle types for your body shape, fitness level, and riding posture.

Saddles are the most personal of all the bike options. No one but you will be able to tell what's comfortable and what's not. I love Brooks B15 Swallow saddles. The next guy who writes will like something else even more. We're both right for ourselves, but neither is probably right for you. You need to go to a bike shop and test saddles. Talk to a reputable shop and find out what they recommend. Test ride what you think you will like. Once you find THE saddle for you, buy two, because when you need the next saddle they won't make the one you just bought.
Good luck with this decision.

Most folks I ride with locally who have swapped saddles seem to prefer, in no particular order:

• Brooks and the very similar Selle Anatomica leather saddles (the Selle feels a bit more comfortable to me on short rides on their bikes). Some with the cutout, some without.
• Three ride Brooks Cambium and like 'em. The riders range from bony thin to hefty.
• Several serious local roadies like Fizik. Choices vary according to riding posture, per Fizik's recommendations.
• One seriously fast guy I know is trying an ISM saddle to cope with persistent saddle sores.

Quite a few seem to keep riding whatever came with the bike. In eavesdropping on bike chat over beer, I get the impression that some folks -- who are casual riders cruising at 12-14 mph on nice road bikes -- switch to Brooks or Selle Anatomica based on subtle peer pressure. Fans tend to speak in absolutes. And a friend quietly admitted he now needs padded shorts since switching to a Brooks B-17 Imperial (with the cutout). But it didn't look quite broken in.

The Fizik fans are those guys who'll spend money for a bike fit and choose every little option for an nth of a degree improvement in performance. They're local KOM Top Tenners, so I suppose it works for them. And participating LBSs have a loaner/tester program for Fizik saddles.

Most folks seem to stick with whatever saddle came with the bike.

I like Lycra fabric covered saddles with firm foam. They breathe in hot muggy weather, so I don't get swamp butt. I can ride 'em comfortably without padded shorts (I wear Champion tech fabric boxer briefs under baggy shorts) for rides up to 40-50 miles. Occasionally I'll wear padded tight shorts on really windy days, but the padding isn't necessary with these saddles. Only drawback is there's probably some loss of efficiency -- I can feel a little bouncing on some terrain at some cadences. But I'm not fast enough for it to matter. I like the comfort.

But I'm tempted to try one of those castoff, take-off saddles in the bargain bin at the LBS. Looks like plenty of riders ditch perfectly good looking, nearly new stock saddles in favor of Brooks and Fiziks.

I cant give you a specific model, but from from my experience the following is true (for me). More money does Not equal more comfort. Comfort is Much more important than weight. Getting a seat with a flat, rather than convex, lateral shape and places you on your sit bones, rather than perineum, is better. Getting a seat with a cut out at the rigt spot is a revelation.

Look at SQLabs. Just got one of their saddles and am really happy with it.

It's normal. Small, undersized plastic frames, small plastic lightweight saddles.....result is they pound your ass, you need to wear diaper shorts.

read the reviews at outdoorgearlab.com. very informative.
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics...st-bike-saddle

At the end of my long saddle search, I found the SMP DRAKON. You should have a look at them, and also Steve Hogg's blog post about them.

Everyone is different, but my quest for a comfortable saddle ended when I tried a Specialize Power saddle. It's odd looking with a short nose, but it disappears under you on long rides.

Selle Anatomica. Looks somewhat ridiculous, is anything but lightweight, requires special treatment if used in rain or damp environments... but you can take it out of the box, put it on the bike, and immediately ride it for 100 miles with no discomfort. Because it is actually a saddle-- you sit in it, not on it. I've now logged 7,100 miles on my Titanico X. As comfortable as the day I mounted it to the bike. The only thing I could ever imagine replacing it with is another Titanico X.

I had the exact same experience. I went 'Pro' for the extra firmness.

Me.....A flat 144 or 145mm saddle with a cutout and light padding.

Currently it's a Serfas Phantom CF saddle I got at Competitive Cyclist dirt cheap on a closeout deal.

I should've bought two.

I put a lot of money into fittings and saddles trying to find one that would avoid my "numbness downstairs" issue.

I actually only resolved it when I was trying to fix a non-biking leg injury. I did this warmup/flexiblity program called Limber 11:
https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lim...ever-need.html

That was the first major step. I found out that by improving my bodies mobility and core strength that biking could be much, much, much more comfortable.

Thanks all! I'll try these saddles out and decide.

Certainly useful suggestion! I need to improve my core strength for sure.

Try the WTB Speed. https://www.wtb.com/products/speed
But as mentioned before is a matter of trying multiple....
Would be nice to have a list though

Personally I like the Flite Flow.

https://www.selleitalia.com/en/saddles/flite-flow/

Another vote for Brooks, though, I nearly went Selle Anatomica. Just be sure you know the width of your sit-bones and then get a saddle of corresponding width.

Depends on what your issues are with your current saddle. If numbness is a problem, try something from ISM or Selle SMP. It sounds like the Spesh Power is based on similar design approaches - get pressure off the soft bits, and at least ISM and Selle SMP do that a lot better than Selle Anatomica and Brooks.

But you really need to try them out. I got a saddle sore while riding the ISM I tried out (it could have been caused by the seat, but it could have been caused by something else), but the SMP seems fine. For me, but I'm not you.

Don't overlook the WTB Rocket Carbon or Team

Very comfortable. Even the lesser valued levels are a steal, IMO.

I've been very happy with my Super Flow

https://www.selleitalia.com/en/saddles/slr-superflow-l/

Have never set ass to one, but have heard great things.

OP, are you an experienced rider? It's normal for a beginner cyclist to have some butt pain after a ride. That should go away as you get used to riding.
(If you are a seasoned rider, please ignore this and don't be offended)

Relatively experienced in mountain biking, not so much in road biking. My previous bikes (many years ago) had an excellent saddle. I guess some of the discomfort would go away with riding more like you said.