Big Clydes --- what saddle do you use?
05-26-15, 08:22 AM
#1
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Big Clydes --- what saddle do you use?
In my way of thinking - the bigger the butt, the bigger you want the saddle. I know this is counter to what some (many?) will say.
Anyway -- I have this one.
Bontrager Cruiser Saddle - Fitness & Recreation - Saddles - Components -Trek Store
When I first start out, it is a bit uncomfortable, but after a couple of minutes it feels fine. As saddles can get up into the hundreds of dollars, I don't have the luxury of trying out many of them.
Anyway -- I have this one.
Bontrager Cruiser Saddle - Fitness & Recreation - Saddles - Components -Trek Store
When I first start out, it is a bit uncomfortable, but after a couple of minutes it feels fine. As saddles can get up into the hundreds of dollars, I don't have the luxury of trying out many of them.
05-26-15, 08:28 AM
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The saddle choice you show is certainly OK for a "comfort" bike like the Trek Shift, but it would be uncomfortable to ride on if you had a hybrid or road bike, in my opinion.
Last edited by dr_lha; 05-26-15 at 11:04 AM.
05-26-15, 08:43 AM
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I will certainly counter this. The important measurement is the distance between the sit bones. This doesn't change as you gain or loose weight.
The saddle choice you show is certainly OK for a "comfort" bike like the Trek Shift, but it would be uncomfortable to ride on if you had a hybrid or road bike, in my opinion.
The saddle choice you show is certainly OK for a "comfort" bike like the Trek Shift, but it would be uncomfortable to ride on if you had a hybrid or road bike, in my opinion.
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05-26-15, 08:57 AM
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I started racing as a teenager when I weighed 190 lbs, then got up around 290 in my mid 20s. I have more recently stabilized around 240 lbs. I developed a preference for a particular shape of saddle in my late teens/early 20s, and that has not changed through all my weight changes. As mentioned above, the weight is borne by the bones beneath your pelvis, and the dimensions of these bones does not vary greatly in adulthood.
Different saddle shapes are better suited to different riding positions, and everyone has a differently shaped arse and different preferences, but in general, a more upright riding position (as found on 'comfort bikes') are better suited to wider and more padded saddles like the one you linked, while a more stretched out position that many recreational cyclists prefer are better suited to a narrower saddle that supports weight on the sitz bones and stays out of the way of the legs. Most cyclists also prefer firmer as opposed to thicker and softer padding, especially for longer rides. The softer the saddle the harder it is to keep it from putting pressure on body parts that aren't the sitz bones.
Different saddle shapes are better suited to different riding positions, and everyone has a differently shaped arse and different preferences, but in general, a more upright riding position (as found on 'comfort bikes') are better suited to wider and more padded saddles like the one you linked, while a more stretched out position that many recreational cyclists prefer are better suited to a narrower saddle that supports weight on the sitz bones and stays out of the way of the legs. Most cyclists also prefer firmer as opposed to thicker and softer padding, especially for longer rides. The softer the saddle the harder it is to keep it from putting pressure on body parts that aren't the sitz bones.
05-26-15, 11:02 AM
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In my experience, bike saddles (and motorcycle seats, sofas and recliners) that feel soft and cushy in the store when you squeeze them with your hands, will NOT feel good for the long haul under your arse as they are not supportive. I'd suggest you go to a bike shop that has one of the sitz bone indicator benches. You sit on it and the colored impressions can be measured to see what saddle will fit you best. I did that at Trek Store of Chattanooga and the saddle they recommended for my Trek Domane was very comfortable and definitely NOT one I would have expected to be.
05-26-15, 11:09 AM
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how long are you planning to ride your bike at any given moment?
Do you were padded shorts/bibs?
Do you were padded shorts/bibs?
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05-26-15, 01:02 PM
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I have Brooks on all my bikes. They work well for big boys.
05-26-15, 02:14 PM
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Good stuff
and this one too!
I started racing as a teenager when I weighed 190 lbs, then got up around 290 in my mid 20s. I have more recently stabilized around 240 lbs. I developed a preference for a particular shape of saddle in my late teens/early 20s, and that has not changed through all my weight changes. As mentioned above, the weight is borne by the bones beneath your pelvis, and the dimensions of these bones does not vary greatly in adulthood.
Different saddle shapes are better suited to different riding positions, and everyone has a differently shaped arse and different preferences, but in general, a more upright riding position (as found on 'comfort bikes') are better suited to wider and more padded saddles like the one you linked, while a more stretched out position that many recreational cyclists prefer are better suited to a narrower saddle that supports weight on the sitz bones and stays out of the way of the legs. Most cyclists also prefer firmer as opposed to thicker and softer padding, especially for longer rides. The softer the saddle the harder it is to keep it from putting pressure on body parts that aren't the sitz bones.
Different saddle shapes are better suited to different riding positions, and everyone has a differently shaped arse and different preferences, but in general, a more upright riding position (as found on 'comfort bikes') are better suited to wider and more padded saddles like the one you linked, while a more stretched out position that many recreational cyclists prefer are better suited to a narrower saddle that supports weight on the sitz bones and stays out of the way of the legs. Most cyclists also prefer firmer as opposed to thicker and softer padding, especially for longer rides. The softer the saddle the harder it is to keep it from putting pressure on body parts that aren't the sitz bones.
In my experience, bike saddles (and motorcycle seats, sofas and recliners) that feel soft and cushy in the store when you squeeze them with your hands, will NOT feel good for the long haul under your arse as they are not supportive. I'd suggest you go to a bike shop that has one of the sitz bone indicator benches. You sit on it and the colored impressions can be measured to see what saddle will fit you best. I did that at Trek Store of Chattanooga and the saddle they recommended for my Trek Domane was very comfortable and definitely NOT one I would have expected to be.
05-26-15, 04:30 PM
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I've lost 165lbs and still need a fairly wide, squishy saddle, even for longer rides. This is what I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...f_rd_i=desktop My daughter wanted a saddle like that but then she decided it slowed her down and she went back to a skinny little Selle Italia saddle, which is comfortable for me for about a mile, then it starts feeling like it's lodged between my bones.
05-26-15, 07:17 PM
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I've lost 165lbs and still need a fairly wide, squishy saddle, even for longer rides. This is what I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...f_rd_i=desktop My daughter wanted a saddle like that but then she decided it slowed her down and she went back to a skinny little Selle Italia saddle, which is comfortable for me for about a mile, then it starts feeling like it's lodged between my bones.
05-26-15, 08:01 PM
#12
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Wide sit bones, plus touring -- I like the support (some would say "stiffness") of a Brooks, but the B17 just is too narrow. I ride the B68, which sadly has been discontinued. 
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05-26-15, 09:06 PM
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I ride about that far on the trails once a week on the Townie, and 6 miles a day the rest of the week...no problems with the saddle on the longer rides. I doubt I'll ever get a road bike, no matter how much more weight I lose, they're just not my thing.
05-27-15, 05:16 AM
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Brooks B17 for me. I tried the C17 Cambium but found it to be a little narrower and less comfortable than the B17. So now my son rides it.
05-28-15, 12:22 PM
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I think I found the one. It is the Selle SMP TRK 280 x 160 mm.
I also took out the stem extension that lower the hand bar and I don't have a tail bone pain anymore.
I am able now to ride my 13 miles a day without pain or numbness.
I also took out the stem extension that lower the hand bar and I don't have a tail bone pain anymore.
I am able now to ride my 13 miles a day without pain or numbness.
05-28-15, 12:28 PM
#16
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Selle Italia "Flite" with the cutout in the center of the seat. I am right around 360 pounds with a 47 inch waist and 6 foot three inches tall. Expensive saddle? yes. Worth every penny? yes.
I ride in bib shorts or a tri-suit, and just pulled 31.6 miles with very few stops for rest and stretching on Sunday of last week; saddle worked as advertised.
The key is you have to learn to ride light (this will save wheels and other components), and realize the saddle on a bike isn't to be sat on like one would sit on a chair as you have to be the suspension for the bike.
I ride in bib shorts or a tri-suit, and just pulled 31.6 miles with very few stops for rest and stretching on Sunday of last week; saddle worked as advertised.
The key is you have to learn to ride light (this will save wheels and other components), and realize the saddle on a bike isn't to be sat on like one would sit on a chair as you have to be the suspension for the bike.
05-28-15, 07:42 PM
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I'm 6'6" and currently 315 pounds. I have two bikes, both with Brooks B17 saddles. One is the standard, the other is the Imperial. Love them. I use them in combination with Aerotech padded shorts.
06-01-15, 10:04 AM
#23
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67 mile ride yesterday on my saddle, didn't think about it once. Best $14 I ever spent that.
This one if anyone cares:
https://www.amazon.com/4ZA-Stratos-Li...ds=4za+stratos
Although they're now charging $34 for the model I paid $14 for. Don't you just love Amazon's pricing?
This one if anyone cares:
https://www.amazon.com/4ZA-Stratos-Li...ds=4za+stratos
Although they're now charging $34 for the model I paid $14 for. Don't you just love Amazon's pricing?
06-01-15, 03:04 PM
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Another member of the brooks brigade here.
though the more I lower my stem and get less upright the more I wonder if something else might be better.
though the more I lower my stem and get less upright the more I wonder if something else might be better.
06-01-15, 05:11 PM
#25
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What are you B17 guys doing to protect it from water? I really want one, but seem to get caught in the rain 2-3-4 times a year and the bike also gets wet when hauling it on the back of the truck. A plastic bag is the answer to the latter, but how sensitive is it otherwise?
Thanks,
DaveW
Thanks,
DaveW