Noseless saddles: recommendations?
 

I broke the rails of mine this evening; it lasted 7 years.

What did you have? Did you like it?

I have been using a Spongy Wonder for a while and really like it.

Another one like the one you had.

I had the Spongy Wonder for a while and still have the t shirt that came with it. Didn't work for my particular problem but I still recommend it for a well made noseless saddle.

I recommend a saddle with a nose on it. You have better control of the bike and may not be sliding off the saddle as much but some people like to put more pressure on their hands I guess.

That's not really how saddles or noseless saddles in particular work. Typically noseless saddles are more effective in taking away pressure from hands than nosed. It's not inherently related to nose or no, but noseless saddles tend to be though out better in an anatomic sense = more bone contact + surface area back to front = more stable seating platform = more stable rider = less weight on hands.

Double post due to forum glitch

Noseless is also a design that tends to favor a single seated position, which is not ideal. A rider should change saddle positions often.

I bought an Evolve Manta saddle. Super cool looking , like a ribcage made of the bones of your enemies. And it does prevent any chafing. Unfortunately, I kept slipping forward.
I also tried ISM, but my lady parts fell into the very wide cutout. Perhaps the whole seat was too wide for me.
My new Serfas Dual Density saddle seems just right on width and length while preserving control using my thighs.
So, maybe none of this advice is usable to you, except for knowing the width of your sit bones and knowing if you use your thighs to steer.

Maybe for some...have certainly seen some that are a little better but I have seen plenty where you have less control and more pressure on the hands.

Even though I don't really agree that noseless saddles push one into a single seating position, I also don't really see a problem with having just one. Hammock shape saddles do that to a stronger degree that has been ok for me for years.

seen or tried? sighting a saddle doesn't really tell you anything.

As to the usefulness of the nose, it isn't particularly. It's a bit of a relic from the time of leather saddles and there's no real need for it these days. If one needs it for keeping weight off hands there's a decent chance the nose is compressing soft tissue and thus causing damage.

As to control, I haven't noticed a lack of control with noseless saddles. Takes a bit of getting used to, but after that I'd say the rider is more stable and in control than they were with an ordinary seat.

Besides the obvious problem of uninterrupted stress on a single part of your anatomy, the single seating position has other downsides:

1. you can't move forward on the saddle, an ideal position when pedaling a high cadence or taking an aero position
2. you can't move back on the saddle, an ideal position for generating high power (especially when climbing)
3. you can't move forward or back to alleviate the muscle workload of the hamstrings or quads, respectively

If you watch professional cyclists carefully, you will see them changing their position on the saddle constantly. They adapt this behavior naturally, after thousands of hours in the saddle.

That uninterrupted stress isnt't that big of a deal actually. You have the same kind of uninterrupted stress on your hands and feet as well. Sure you can switch hand positions, but the pressure is always going to be localized on the palm area of the hand. If there's too much stress there, there's nothing any amount of hand position swapping can do to alleviate it. Same thing with the feet, but usually you can't switch foot positions. As to uninterrupted, it's typically considered good form to stand and pedal every once in a while so you can get some pressure off the pelvic region.

I'll divide this latter part for hammocking curved saddles and noseless even though noseless saddles have options in both categories.

Curved.

1. You can, but it's generally not a good idea since sitting on the nose typically leads to pressure buildup on the soft tissues instead of bone structures. This can then interrupt blood flow and impinge nerves. Done too long and too frequently this can lead to permanent damage. The only time I'd consider sitting on the nose or "on the rivet" would be whilst sprinting since the pressure on the pelvic region is then diminished to a large degree.

2. You can but it depends on the shaping of the rear whether that's a viable option. However typically with curved saddles one tends to sit pretty far back anyways so going much farther back can result in the saddle running out.

3. Muscle workload is more related to pelvic angle and orientation. Moving back or forward can force changes in pelvic angle, but typically it's a better idea to learn how to lean back and forward to recruit different muscle groups. This is where curved saddles are at a disadvantage, because they usually lock one into a pretty static pelvic angle. Great for long distance riding because of the superb pelvic stability the locked in position provides. Not that great for racing though.
However if the curved saddle is setup for a racing orientation it can be just as good or even better than a flat traditional saddle for racing as then the locked in position is quite aggressive and aerodynamic.

Noseless.

1. You might not be able to move forward but with a noseless saddle you are typically able to tilt the pelvis forward to a high degree and far beyond what nosed saddles usually allow. Noseless saddles evolved from time trial and triathlon saddles meaning they take their design cues from saddles designed for the most aerodynamic positions possible. Needless to say this also works for high cadence.

2. Cutting off the nose doesn't need to alter the rear of the saddle desing in any way and usually it doesn't. Even ISM's have a typical rear saddle region where one can move to when climbing etc.

3. See point 2. There's no reason why this wouldn't be possible with a noseless saddle. You don't have the rivet position but in my opinion no casual rider actually needs that position anyways.
One the other hand the noseless desing allows for far larger pelvic angle variation when compared to the nosed saddle so in this regard the noseless saddle is superior.

Taking gear, bikefit or riding cues from the pro's is typically not a wise choice. Their realities are pretty different from that of a casual rider or even a semi serious racer. Pro's also don't usually choose their gear so that switching about the saddle can be just alleviating pain or numbness caused by a saddle that they did not choose and which doesn't fit well. The pro's also don't always care about their well being all that much so numbness or other discomfort is more than likely to be ignored by some in the pro peloton.

That being said, it is interesting to see that some pro teams are apparently switching over to noseless saddles. But really it depends largely on whether their sponsor makes noseless saddles and whether they are willing to provide them for typical road racing. In time trials nobody uses typical nosed saddles anymore.

Ergo - The Seat - Endurance

Yes, but I have to buy a new saddle and may as well investigate other choices. Also I got it for $25 last time; the cheapest I can find one now is $60, and there's only 1 vendor, and the manufacturer's website doesn't work anymore - makes me wonder about it.

Thanks. It's even more expensive, but could be worth it.

That's decent advice, and under consideration.

I slipped off for a while but after I got used to it I didn't notice. I use an old saddle from my parts box, mind the nose, catch my thighs on it.

Every time I see this thread title, I think it says "Noiseless Saddles"!

:)

The Spongy Wonder is certainly an investment, but if it works at it lasts a long time (as it should and as it has for me, at least) it can be cheaper in the long run.