dbf73

How long in terms of number of rides or miles does it take to convince you a new saddle will work for you? Know right away or long rides required?

genejockey 

It usually works the other way, but for me, if I can go 3 hours without either pain or numbness, I figure I'm good. I've had saddles that worked for 2 hours but not 3, and others where it was obvious in a 10 mile ride that it wouldn't work. BUT you have to be aware of what issues are the saddle itself and what are saddle angle. I've had some saddles that were awful when set 'level', but fine if the nose was just a little lower. So, first make sure the problem isn't that you feel like you have to really reach for the bars OR that you're being thrown forward at them.

79pmooney

Some saddles I know right away aren't it. Some of the seats that work well initially I am less than in love with in the closing miles of a 100 mile day.

20 years ago I had hernia surgery. I knew the seats I'd been riding (pre-cutout seats) no longer worked and would be h*** on the trainer; my ride for the next few weeks. Bought a cheap, thickly padded, last year's model Specialized with full length groove. Worked instantly. It was never going to be a great seat but it was just fine for 70 miles of fix gear. Bought a top of the line Specialized for my good bike. Better but still not really there. Bought a Terry Fly. Initial rides I wasn't always comfortable but sometimes it disappeared. 19 years later, they are on all my non-city bikes. There are still times when I am not comfortable for a mile or two early in rides but more often, I realize after that I didn't think about the seat once. I call that good, even as good s it gets.

79pmooney

Along those lines, I always go for a ride early on with the wrenches for seat height and post clamp an stop as often as needed to dial things in. I mark the starting locations with bits of tape. And positively love 2-bolt seatposts that allow accurate and systematic adjustment of saddle tilt and setback. They are on 4 of my 5 bikes.

My seats, when dialed in, are always nose down. I don't measure the seats as I adjust them; just tweak the two seatpost bolts until my butt says "ahhh!" but the carpenter's level always shows nose down. There's probably a seat out there that I could ride level but I see now reason to spend a lot of bucks and seat-change time looking for it.

Clyde1820

For me ...

Generally speaking, I'd say that after a half-dozen rides of some distance (ie, 1hr+), I've found it is clear whether a saddle's close or not. If not, I swap it for something else, and start the eval process again.

With some saddles, it's clear right away. Might be far too wide, thus rubbing's obvious. Or it might be far too narrow or hard, hence it's exceedingly uncomfortable (to the point that no break-in is likely to fix it).

Saddles can take awhile to break in, so it's not always immediately apparent. With leather type saddles they'll have a break-in period. I've got a Brooks B67 Aged (softer and on a sprung frame), which was relatively comfortable within the first few days. I've got a Brooks Cambium that's still somewhat stiff and takes getting used to when I hop over to it; though, the shape's "right."

Erzulis Boat 

1-What worked fine in your youth might not work later in life.

2-Very often, its the combination of saddle/fit/tires that makes it comfortable. I have a 1970 Paramount with tubular tires that I ride on "Vintage" days, and it has a Turbo saddle. I did 100 miles on it one day, and I couldn't believe how incredibly comfortable it was. I then built up 3 more vintage bikes with the same saddle. I was shocked at how uncomfortable the identical saddle had become. Of course, it was the bike/fit/tires that had changed.

3-I definitely prefer a cut-out (relieved) saddle with a "flat" back nowadays.

4- Once my butt is accustomed to longer rides, the time that I determine that the saddle works for me varies, but it can be from 20 to 100 miles. Just make sure that you have a conditioned butt, or any saddle will hurt after a period of time.

downtube42

Like most people are saying, a no can happen pretty quickly. I'll try some tweaks but 5 miles is sometimes enough to know it's a hard no.

For a yes, that's super hard without riding my longest ride. I currently have a leather saddle probably the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden for 0-20 miles. After 40 it slowly gets less comfortable. The issue seems to be mild soft-tissue pressure that don't become clear until over 100 miles. I even rode a 200k (125 mi) and thought it would be ok. On a 1200km brevet - 760 miles over 4 days - that pressure caused issues.

I think the answer is to ride your longest ride, maybe several times, before making a final decision.

Iride01 

It all depends. I have/had some saddles that were super comfortable for short 1 to 2 hour trips, but were murder for longer rides.

I have found that the more I ride the more my butt really doesn't care what it sits on. Or maybe I've just learned to not pay it attention. As long as I'm not getting actual sores rubbed into my cheeks and thighs and no blinding pain shooting through me, then It's not a big deal whether it's truly comfortable in the luxurious sense of the word.

DaveSSS 

I like SMP saddles with the full length cutout. They make a lot of models. The stratos works for my small, narrow size. SMP has some sizing guidelines based on waist size.

shelbyfv

I agree that a "no" can be quickly evident. I'm not as picky as some but I can't tolerate a saddle that is so wide it chafes my thighs or presses on the peri. I'm pretty much set on the lighter versions of the Terry Fly. My legs will give up on a ride before my butt.

SoSmellyAir

Having read all of the above responses to this question, and seen a consensus that it generally does not take too long to recognize that a saddle is not working out, perhaps the better question is how would one recognize whether a saddle is not working out due to its (a) shape and construction or (b) position? Yes, I recognize that it could be both (a) and (b). So far, I have managed to make both saddles (Ergon SR3 Pro M, Astute Starline Pilarga VT) on my road bike work after some tinkering, so perhaps my bum (similarly to Iride01) just does not too strictly cares what saddle is installed, or I might have simply stumbled into a shape that works reasonably well. But I have not gone on any rides that take longer than half a day.

GhostRider62

Plastic saddle? One ride of at least 100 miles, preferably 150 miles.

Leather saddle? depends on the break in process. Yours or the saddle.

genejockey 

The other thing I'd suggest is, once you find one that fits for as long as your legs will keep turning the pedals, BUY ANOTHER ONE! I found the perfect saddle for me about 25 years ago.15 years ago, I got another bike, and after discovering that the saddle it came with made me all numb within 10 miles, I thought, "I'll just buy one like the one on the old bike".

HA! The company'd gone out of business! Nobody had them!

I lucked out and found a local shop that had 5 of them. I bought 3, and put the last one on a bike I got in June of 2020. Since then I've been collecting and rebuilding C&V bikes, and I'm back to searching for the perfect saddle again, because some of the original saddles that came on bikes back in the 1980s would make excellent torture devices. I thought I'd found a potential 'perfect saddle' recently. Went to buy another one. Turns out it was discontinued a year or more ago.

PeteHski

I tend to get a fairly good impression within the first few miles, but need a long ride i.e. 3+ hours to confirm it will go the distance. I've had saddles that were fine for 1-2 hours, but not 3+
For me a good saddle is one that you don't think about when riding. If the saddle is at the forefront of your mind toward the end of a long ride, then it's not a good one.

Same thing applies with bib-shorts actually.

Koyote

Many years ago, after wearing out an Avocet o240r saddle, I bought the last one in the country that was still available. Took awhile to track it down. Definitely wished I had stocked up on a couple a bit earlier.

ThermionicScott 

If a trial saddle hurts or makes you go numb right away, you should abort the test ASAP!