Bike saddles
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Bike saddles
newish roadbike rider here. Own a Trek Pilot 1.2. bought it off a woman. cut out seat for a woman I think. lots of padding. Looking for ideas for a bike seat. here's the thing. I'm a heavy rider. 5'5" 197 lbs. looking for a seat that's comfortable that I can ride on for hours.
Likes For Paultreks:
#2
Galveston County Texas
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: In The Wind
Posts: 33,223
Bikes: 02 GTO, 2011 Magnum
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1350 Post(s)
Liked 1,245 Times
in
623 Posts
Keep looking and trying them.
Too much padding is not good on your rear.
Too much padding is not good on your rear.
__________________
Fred "The Real Fred"
Fred "The Real Fred"
#3
Galveston County Texas
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: In The Wind
Posts: 33,223
Bikes: 02 GTO, 2011 Magnum
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1350 Post(s)
Liked 1,245 Times
in
623 Posts
Try One Thrid of your Weight onto your Arms and Hands.
One Thrid on your Feet and Legs
One Third of your Weight on Your butt.
One Thrid on your Feet and Legs
One Third of your Weight on Your butt.
__________________
Fred "The Real Fred"
Fred "The Real Fred"
Likes For 10 Wheels:
#4
Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,538
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4359 Post(s)
Liked 4,000 Times
in
2,669 Posts
What is wrong with the current saddle after riding it for a significant amount of time after adjusting it to your body which would include saddle angle, setback (or forward) and height? Ask yourself that first before looking to a new saddle.
In terms of a new saddle you need to find one the right width for you sit bones (ischial tuberosity) and try some different ones. The saddle the everyone here likes is entirely different from the other saddle that everyone here likes. Everyone's butt is different and the saddles I like may not be the same you like. You might take a few saddles to find the right one for you.
In terms of a new saddle you need to find one the right width for you sit bones (ischial tuberosity) and try some different ones. The saddle the everyone here likes is entirely different from the other saddle that everyone here likes. Everyone's butt is different and the saddles I like may not be the same you like. You might take a few saddles to find the right one for you.
Likes For veganbikes:
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2022
Location: Missoula MT
Posts: 1,767
Bikes: Handsome xoxo, Serotta atx, Canyon Endurace CF8
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 904 Post(s)
Liked 1,899 Times
in
849 Posts
seems pretty excessive....maybe I am doing something wrong but I have very little weight on my hands/arms and I do a lot of 70-100 mile rides...I am on the heavy side for a cyclist.
Likes For jadmt:
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Hotel CA / DFW
Posts: 1,733
Bikes: 83 Colnago Super, 87 50th Daccordi, 79 & 87 Guerciotti's, 90s DB/GT Mtn Bikes, 90s Colnago Master and Titanio, 96 Serotta Colorado TG, 95/05 Colnago C40/C50, 06 DbyLS TI, 08 Lemond Filmore FG SS, 12 Cervelo R3, 20/15 Surly Stragler & Steamroller
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 601 Post(s)
Liked 781 Times
in
498 Posts
#7
Senior Member
"I am on the heavy side for a cyclist."
Stop it. Stop with this statement. It is nonsense.
Racing road and mountain bikes I was 210 pounds. Wasn't fat, just large boned and kinda big muscles with a nice layer of fat. Not gut hanging fat, just normal daily living fat. In other words not pathetically thin, just normal. My teammates never called me fat or heavy for a cyclist, they just let me pull them to the line for the sprint!
No longer racing and over 60 I am 235 pounds and have an old man's gut. I ride and lift as always, but my body defied gravity over time and the bulk of me moved from the legs to the torso.
As for a saddle, the options and opinions of those options are endless. What works for some does not work for all, thus your quest has just begun. The saddle I use on my road bikes and up to last year on my touring bikes has always been the Sella Italia Turbo saddle. Now on the touring bikes I use a Brooks B17. On the mountain bike the Turbo saddle was it, then on the 29er I kept the Fizik Aliente that came with it. Again, the choices are endless and time in the saddle will determine which choice is the right choice for your butt.
Stop it. Stop with this statement. It is nonsense.
Racing road and mountain bikes I was 210 pounds. Wasn't fat, just large boned and kinda big muscles with a nice layer of fat. Not gut hanging fat, just normal daily living fat. In other words not pathetically thin, just normal. My teammates never called me fat or heavy for a cyclist, they just let me pull them to the line for the sprint!
No longer racing and over 60 I am 235 pounds and have an old man's gut. I ride and lift as always, but my body defied gravity over time and the bulk of me moved from the legs to the torso.
As for a saddle, the options and opinions of those options are endless. What works for some does not work for all, thus your quest has just begun. The saddle I use on my road bikes and up to last year on my touring bikes has always been the Sella Italia Turbo saddle. Now on the touring bikes I use a Brooks B17. On the mountain bike the Turbo saddle was it, then on the 29er I kept the Fizik Aliente that came with it. Again, the choices are endless and time in the saddle will determine which choice is the right choice for your butt.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 5,380
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2488 Post(s)
Liked 2,957 Times
in
1,680 Posts
Veganbikes made a good point above: even if everything about the bike is perfect for you, you're going to need to get your body accustomed to riding. Going our for a series of shorter rides (maybe 15 or 20 minutes each) over the course of two or three weeks would be much better than doing rides of an hour or more right off the bat.
That said: you say you're new to cycling. Might be a good idea to look at some videos aimed at beginning riders that address issues such as choosing the right style of bike for the kind of riding you have in mind, choosing the right size of bike, adjusting the bike to fit you comfortably, etc. (You might already have the right style and size of bike and it might already be adjusted just right for you, but it can't hurt to confirm those points.)
That said: you say you're new to cycling. Might be a good idea to look at some videos aimed at beginning riders that address issues such as choosing the right style of bike for the kind of riding you have in mind, choosing the right size of bike, adjusting the bike to fit you comfortably, etc. (You might already have the right style and size of bike and it might already be adjusted just right for you, but it can't hurt to confirm those points.)
Likes For Trakhak:
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Redmond, WA & Bangkok, Thailand
Posts: 566
Bikes: 1999 Giant ATX MTB, 2002 Lemond Zurich, 2018 Fuji Transonic 2.3, 2019 Specialized Tarmac Disc Expert
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 171 Post(s)
Liked 395 Times
in
227 Posts
newish roadbike rider here. Own a Trek Pilot 1.2. bought it off a woman. cut out seat for a woman I think. lots of padding. Looking for ideas for a bike seat. here's the thing. I'm a heavy rider. 5'5" 197 lbs. looking for a seat that's comfortable that I can ride on for hours.
Likes For SpeedyBlueBiker:
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bastrop Texas
Posts: 4,485
Bikes: Univega, Peu P6, Peu PR-10, Ted Williams, Peu UO-8, Peu UO-18 Mixte, Peu Dolomites
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 968 Post(s)
Liked 1,631 Times
in
1,047 Posts
Welcome to the forum...
Ok Fat Arse.... Ha
Start here but remember all the comfortable seats/saddles were snapped up by Elves at the turn of Middle Earth...
Amazon
Ok Fat Arse.... Ha
Start here but remember all the comfortable seats/saddles were snapped up by Elves at the turn of Middle Earth...
Amazon
__________________
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,395
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1562 Post(s)
Liked 1,734 Times
in
974 Posts
When you are pedaling hard, it comes naturally, that your legs would push down on the pedals and take the weight off your butt. When you are coasting, stiffen one leg and slightly stand (not standing up, but just enough to take some weight) on that leg to take the weight off your butt.
Likes For icemilkcoffee:
#14
Newbie
Join Date: Dec 2023
Location: Western Riverside county, Southern California
Posts: 31
Bikes: 07 Raleigh supercourse, 04 Specialized epic MB, Surly 1x1, Recycled Recumbents Mach 2, 63 jc Higgins racer single speed, early 60’s Armstrong roadster, KHS tandem electric conversion, GT mb electric city bike conversion.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 21 Times
in
14 Posts
As with any “newish” rider, saddle comfort comes first with time in the saddle. I think many riders give up on bike riding because there rear hurts too much. It can be very difficult to survive the pain if you don’t toughen up the bottom gradually. Finding a seat right off the bat that will allow you to ride for hours at a time pain free is a myth for the majority. After 60 years of riding with many different saddles, at some point during a ride my butt starts getting uncomfortable. That’s just how it’s made down there. Even sitting on a chair or even a couch without adjusting your position now and then can hurt too. Experiment with different saddles and learn ways to lift off and/or move around to extend your rides to make them more comfortable, but most of all gradually increase your time on the bike.
Likes For Chain smoker:
#15
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,616
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10969 Post(s)
Liked 7,495 Times
in
4,191 Posts
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,491
Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE
Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7652 Post(s)
Liked 3,479 Times
in
1,836 Posts
Search online for ways to measure the actual width of your ischea .... if you find where the support bones are located in Your butt, you can find a saddle width which puts support where you needed it. Then it is just trial and error. Everyone sits a little different, at different angles, had different flexibility ...
Explore Bike Fit online generally ... there are plenty of good guides for fitting a rider to a bike, and there is no reason (that I can see) to pay hundreds of dollars unless you are already advanced and trying to fine-tune your form. For a beginning rider, your body will change so much in the first season of riding, there will be a different "perfect" fit will change weekly. Learn the basics, particularly making sure your saddle placement is correct in relation to the bottom bracket, and carry tools to fine-tune your saddle position on the road. (I was equally long-winded in a post about home-bike-fitting in post six in this thread https://www.bikeforums.net/general-c...ndle-bars.html)
Stems are generally cheaper than saddles ... make sure your bars are at the right height and distance, and swap stems to get them right before you start thinking about saddles. Some riders have the bars too low or too far away, and have to tilt the saddle to reach the bars without getting jabbed .... which puts extras weigh t on your hands and makes you push back to keep form sliding forward. Everyone is different but most people seem to run their saddles pretty close to flat or with a slight nose-down angle---very slight. If your saddle is tilted, you probably need to address reach and maybe saddle height.
After several months, you will probably settle into a comfortable riding posture, and will be able to make fairly long-lasting adjustments to make sure all the contact points (saddle, bars, pedals) are dialed in for your body and capacity. Then and only then can you start thinking about a better saddle.
Well ... of course, if you want to buy a big cushy saddle now and another later, or use one of those mega-thick gel covers or whatever ... go for it. Maybe you will like it and keep it, maybe down the road you will find you want less padding and more support (I find soft saddles lead to chafing and saddle sores eventually, but if you are doing 1/2-hour rides or whatever, it probably won't be an issue.) Just don't (unless you want to) drop big bucks on a new saddle until you are sure where you want it and what size you need and all that. I have found some pretty cheap saddle which work great, and also found what general shapes work for me and then bought higher-quality saddles (longer-0lasting) in about the same shape.
As Chain smoker smoker notes, part of learning to ride is training different parts of your body to work in new ways. You aren't used to pushing down with your legs for long periods, so your legs will get tired, which leads to putting too much weight on the buttocks and hands, ... then your whole body hurts and you think cycling sucks. Actually, it is just that you aren't ready yet.
Keep riding, keep concentrating on using your legs more than your seat for support, and realize that when you find yourself leaning on your arms it is likely you have worn out your legs and it is time to head home.
As you spend less time sitting on the saddle and also develop the specific buttocks muscles used for sitting on a saddle, you will then start to see where the saddle fits and doesn't fit you.
I like saddles with a central channel or cutout, but not everyone does. I like saddles which are wide in back (for my giant fat butt) but not wide in the nose (so my giant fat thighs don't rub.) I don't like really long noses and I generally don't like flat saddles as I move around more than some .... if you are a rider who "assumes a position" and then just pedals, a flat saddle might offer more support. i fidget, so flat saddles tend to dig in when I shift.
After you ride a while and try a few cheap saddles (some bike shops have swap saddles, where they will let you try different used saddles for a short while ... but if they do, be upright and actually buy the right saddle from them when you find it ....
Explore Bike Fit online generally ... there are plenty of good guides for fitting a rider to a bike, and there is no reason (that I can see) to pay hundreds of dollars unless you are already advanced and trying to fine-tune your form. For a beginning rider, your body will change so much in the first season of riding, there will be a different "perfect" fit will change weekly. Learn the basics, particularly making sure your saddle placement is correct in relation to the bottom bracket, and carry tools to fine-tune your saddle position on the road. (I was equally long-winded in a post about home-bike-fitting in post six in this thread https://www.bikeforums.net/general-c...ndle-bars.html)
Stems are generally cheaper than saddles ... make sure your bars are at the right height and distance, and swap stems to get them right before you start thinking about saddles. Some riders have the bars too low or too far away, and have to tilt the saddle to reach the bars without getting jabbed .... which puts extras weigh t on your hands and makes you push back to keep form sliding forward. Everyone is different but most people seem to run their saddles pretty close to flat or with a slight nose-down angle---very slight. If your saddle is tilted, you probably need to address reach and maybe saddle height.
After several months, you will probably settle into a comfortable riding posture, and will be able to make fairly long-lasting adjustments to make sure all the contact points (saddle, bars, pedals) are dialed in for your body and capacity. Then and only then can you start thinking about a better saddle.
Well ... of course, if you want to buy a big cushy saddle now and another later, or use one of those mega-thick gel covers or whatever ... go for it. Maybe you will like it and keep it, maybe down the road you will find you want less padding and more support (I find soft saddles lead to chafing and saddle sores eventually, but if you are doing 1/2-hour rides or whatever, it probably won't be an issue.) Just don't (unless you want to) drop big bucks on a new saddle until you are sure where you want it and what size you need and all that. I have found some pretty cheap saddle which work great, and also found what general shapes work for me and then bought higher-quality saddles (longer-0lasting) in about the same shape.
As Chain smoker smoker notes, part of learning to ride is training different parts of your body to work in new ways. You aren't used to pushing down with your legs for long periods, so your legs will get tired, which leads to putting too much weight on the buttocks and hands, ... then your whole body hurts and you think cycling sucks. Actually, it is just that you aren't ready yet.
Keep riding, keep concentrating on using your legs more than your seat for support, and realize that when you find yourself leaning on your arms it is likely you have worn out your legs and it is time to head home.
As you spend less time sitting on the saddle and also develop the specific buttocks muscles used for sitting on a saddle, you will then start to see where the saddle fits and doesn't fit you.
I like saddles with a central channel or cutout, but not everyone does. I like saddles which are wide in back (for my giant fat butt) but not wide in the nose (so my giant fat thighs don't rub.) I don't like really long noses and I generally don't like flat saddles as I move around more than some .... if you are a rider who "assumes a position" and then just pedals, a flat saddle might offer more support. i fidget, so flat saddles tend to dig in when I shift.
After you ride a while and try a few cheap saddles (some bike shops have swap saddles, where they will let you try different used saddles for a short while ... but if they do, be upright and actually buy the right saddle from them when you find it ....
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 982
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 506 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 639 Times
in
357 Posts
You can argue about the relative proportions, but building core strength is another key to comfort. If your core can't support you, your hands will not be able to bear any weight and more will be on your but. Also note that pedaling harder effectively reduces the weight on your saddle.
#18
Senior Member
It's true that we have to break our butts in to fit saddles, but softer saddles tend to compress, so they get hard, often in the worst places, even though they start out soft.
Sitbone width is not the right measurement. If you lean forward to reach the handlebars, your weight is likely to be born by the pubic rami, which start at the sitbones and get narrower as they go forward. Variations in the angle, curve, and length of the pubic rami are probably part of the reason that the saddle that works for some of us doesn't work for others. Then there's the fact that a lot of saddles will work well for 20 minutes, but hurt after 2 hours. Worse, some that are fine for 2 hours, hurt after 3.
You really have to experiment to find one that works for you.
Sitbone width is not the right measurement. If you lean forward to reach the handlebars, your weight is likely to be born by the pubic rami, which start at the sitbones and get narrower as they go forward. Variations in the angle, curve, and length of the pubic rami are probably part of the reason that the saddle that works for some of us doesn't work for others. Then there's the fact that a lot of saddles will work well for 20 minutes, but hurt after 2 hours. Worse, some that are fine for 2 hours, hurt after 3.
You really have to experiment to find one that works for you.
#19
Senior Member
Padding should be in your shorts, not on the seat, IMO.
I use a completely unpadded Brooks C15 on my gravel/commuter bike, and a very lightly padded Giant Fleet SL on my road bike, and in conjunction with decent bib shorts they are comfortable for hours and hours of cycling.
I use a completely unpadded Brooks C15 on my gravel/commuter bike, and a very lightly padded Giant Fleet SL on my road bike, and in conjunction with decent bib shorts they are comfortable for hours and hours of cycling.
Likes For The Chemist:
#20
Senior Member
Philbob57, your explanation of why sit bone measurement is misleading and not always accurate is the best I have encountered, and explains why different saddles work for the same rider in different body positions on the bike. Comes down to testing saddles to find the magic solution.
#21
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2023
Location: Fountain Hills, AZ
Posts: 189
Bikes: 1995 Trek 990 (configured for road), Hotrodded Dahon folder, Trek 1400 (not ridden any more), Iron Horse 3.0 homebrew e-bike, 1984 Trek 770 (trying to resurrect)
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 89 Post(s)
Liked 131 Times
in
80 Posts
Padding should be in your shorts, not on the seat, IMO.
I use a completely unpadded Brooks C15 on my gravel/commuter bike, and a very lightly padded Giant Fleet SL on my road bike, and in conjunction with decent bib shorts they are comfortable for hours and hours of cycling.
I use a completely unpadded Brooks C15 on my gravel/commuter bike, and a very lightly padded Giant Fleet SL on my road bike, and in conjunction with decent bib shorts they are comfortable for hours and hours of cycling.
As others have said, these things are personal. I also prefer saddles with a generous center cutout section. And I like the advice given earlier to figure out what you don't like about the saddle you currently have and then use that info to choose a new saddle. I'd just add that you should probably get a couple pairs (minimum) of cycling shorts while doing that initial evaluation - if you are going to be using cycling shorts. Be sure to start a thread asking which cycling shorts are best. :^)
#22
Newbie
Thread Starter
Thank you for the advice. your second paragraph was helpful. The first paragraph- you didn't like how I phrased it? ok I'l try it a different way maybe makes more sense. My power to weight ratio sucks. 200 lbs may be ok for a tall person who can put out some watts, and not so much for a shorter person lacking muscle.
#23
Newbie
Thread Starter
I hear what you're saying, and I really can't blame the shorts. I have so-so Santic bibs I've done 30 miles in no problem and really nice PearlZumi shorts that my butt was killing me in. I think I need to lose the weight, gain the muscle in my legs, and increase my sufferage time on the bike. Reason for the post about the seat is wondering if I could improve the riding by changing out the womans cut out seat with one built more for my body.
Last edited by Paultreks; 12-30-23 at 08:55 AM.
Likes For Garfield Cat:
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Posts: 7,085
Bikes: Cervelo Prodigy
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 478 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 87 Times
in
67 Posts
The saddle and the bike shorts (or bibs):
I think of the saddle as the "fixed" thing and the shorts as the "variable".
The variable because riders will tend to "shift around" when riding depending on the conditions such as elevation, speed, etc.
It may be unlikely that the fixed and variable will always "match up" during a ride. As long as a rider is aware of this dynamic, a rider can "game" the position to alleviate some discomfort.
One thing about the sit bones and the tissue around it. The outer skin may develop some hardening and discoloration. What is of greater significance is the tissue underneath. Prolonged irritation may cause a small callous to develop in the tissue. A small one to begin with and later the nerve endings will transmit some pain.
I think of the saddle as the "fixed" thing and the shorts as the "variable".
The variable because riders will tend to "shift around" when riding depending on the conditions such as elevation, speed, etc.
It may be unlikely that the fixed and variable will always "match up" during a ride. As long as a rider is aware of this dynamic, a rider can "game" the position to alleviate some discomfort.
One thing about the sit bones and the tissue around it. The outer skin may develop some hardening and discoloration. What is of greater significance is the tissue underneath. Prolonged irritation may cause a small callous to develop in the tissue. A small one to begin with and later the nerve endings will transmit some pain.