Thread: Saddle Test!
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Old 08-24-22, 12:57 PM
  #69  
downtube42
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Originally Posted by GhostRider62
One point perhaps not mentioned is that when installing a different saddle, I have found some saddles to have a large height difference requiring a lowering or raising of the seatpost. If the saddle is too high, like it is with 90% of riders, the torso will not be stable when pedaling. This lack of stability will be felt eventually in the deeper tissues at the sit bones.

I had not solved my derriere pain issues and went for a fit. It isn't clear yet whether it helped. She moved my saddle about 2 cm all the way forward and put me into a 150 mm stem. Says my bike is too small. Seems I am merely more forward onto my hands now with maybe an additional 10 mm reach to the bars. Just mentioning fit as a possibility to improve the butt pain. My stem is now -6 instead of up 6 degrees, too. These changes make a difference on how I sit and how it feels; I just don't have enough long rides to know if successful.
Funny you mention the height difference. When I switched from my Selle Anatomica leather saddle to a more modern saddle, I failed to compensate for the ~1.5cm difference in saddle height (modern saddle is taller). I rode at least one 200k, and had at best a vague sense something was off. I have a hard time reconciling that with some people reporting they can feel a 1mm change in saddle height. Once I realized what was going on, I made the necessary adjustments, and have been paying attention to saddle height as I've done more testing.

I did go to a pro fitter about a year ago. The big change was lowering my saddle significantly, to reduce low back pain. That worked. IIRC he also moved my cleats forward a bit, and rotate my bars a bit. It helped across the board, but did not make the bike disappear beneath me, which is the dream.
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