UsedToBeFaster

Hi,

I've never seen this discussed before, but it seems like some saddles are designed for racing geometries where the person is more aero with hips tilted more downwards. See first picture below.

But others are designed for a more endurance upright design see second picture below.

The former has more "wing down" design whilst the later more "wing up" desing?

Is that a fair assessment?

Thanks.

dmanthree

I've tried a few, and I've found that the so-called dedicated endurance or racing saddles mean nothing. It all comes down to trial and error. No, it's not cheap, either.

wheelreason

More like ass easement, but yeah...

canklecat

Yup, sorta true. I choose saddles to suit the overall bike fit. My old school steel bike has a more relaxed fit, handlebar a couple of inches below saddle height. But occasionally I use clip-on aero bars for practice in case I ever decide to try time trials again. With my solid top saddles I had to tilt the nose down to relieve perineum pressure. So I got a saddle that's wider (around 140mm) for sitting more upright on most rides, with a generous cutout for perineum relief when I'm on the aero bars. Good compromise.

My other bike with somewhat more aggressive fit -- bar about 4" below saddle height -- I prefer a solid top Selle Italia, 130mm wide, with the nose tipped down very slightly. It's been fine for my usual 20-50 mile rides and occasional longer rides.

Supposedly, at least according to Fizik's fit guides, I should be riding a saddle that flares up at the rear to handle my pelvic angle, lower back, etc. But I can't get along with that type of saddle. I prefer 'em flat or nearly so, without too much padding. But I also work on core flexibility and strengthening so at age 62 I'm not quite ready for an old man saddle. Subject to change any birthday now.

DaveSSS 

I'm sold on SMP saddles with their full length cutout. Once you figure out the right width, there are different padding thicknesses to choose from. Anything that works for a racing fit with a large saddle to bar drop should work with a more relaxed fit.

Using their width suggestion for my 30 inch waist, I need a narrow model. The stratos with standard padding works great. I tried a minimal padding blaster model, but it was too hard.

WhyFi

The distance between your so-called sit bones narrows when you tilt your hips forward, so yeah, your intended position could have an affect on saddle width for appropriate support. That said, I think that any intended marketing distinction between endurance and race saddles is suspect, at best. IOW, don't let your intended position eliminate saddles from your search without first confirming yourself. It can be a long search to find the perfect saddle, but you'll eventually accumulate enough experience to have a decent idea of what kinds of shapes, widths and padding levels work best for you.