Saddles and my findings.

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campyjoe
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 2:38 pm

by campyjoe

Following is the majority of saddles I've owned and used in my years of cycling. I owned other bikes and saddles prior, but don't remember the saddles actually. I rode, trained and raced from around 1981 until 1994. I took a long break after having kids and have recently started cycling again. The top 3 saddles is what I used back in the day. I currently own the bottom 4.

I will try and briefly try and describe each.

Selle San Marco Regal - I built up the Trek 2000 frame I currently ride and this was my first saddle purchase. Honestly, I bought it because I loved the look. Used it for awhile and even though I was putting many miles in, I always experienced sit bone discomfort and numbness in the perineum area.

Selle Italia Turbomatic - I purchased and used briefly on my Trek and used later after purchasing my Colnago Bititan. Sold the bike with the saddle. Probably the most comfortable in the sit bone area, but still caused some numbness perineum area.

Sele San Marco USPS - I rode the Trek again for various brief stints over the years, but never sustained these efforts. Purchased this saddle for a deal. This was undoutably the most uncomfortable saddle I've owned. Keep in mind that I wasn't riding a lot and sporadically. Ouch! Hated everything about this saddle.

Selle Italia SLR Max Flow Gel - I've been using this for awhile. First during my brief off and on periods since 2013 up to this year when I started back seriously. I love 2 things about this saddle; the gel and the open flow section. This saddle could be ideal for me with a few changes. A slightly more compliant shell (carbon fiber) and or rail and if it were shaped like the Fizik Arione. This saddle is very comfortable, but by the end of a 30 mile ride, the shell and/or rail firmness does cause sit bone soreness. The flow section is by far the best relief in the perineum area.

Fizik Aliante VS X Kium - Very close in comfort to the SI SLR Max Flow Gel saddle. The padding is definitely more firm though, causing sit bone fatigue sooner. The recess definitely helps prevent numbness in the perineum area, but not quite as well.

Fizik Antares VS X Kium - See Aliante description. Slightly more comfortable to sit bones due to added padding. The shape helps reduce chafing better than all but the Arione.

Fizik Arione VS X Kium - My favorite shape of all these saddles. Practically eliminates chafing. If I could add to this saddle the top layer of gel and flow through cut out of the SI SLR Max Gel, I may have my ideal saddle. I would keep the firm bottom padding. Possibly a bottom carbon fiber shell would add aditional comfort.

I hope this will help and be of use to some here. Everyone's anatomy is different and different things will work, but these are my findings. I understand the need for saddles to be firm and the more miles one puts in, the better conditioned the behind will become. I will probably never put in the miles I once did when I was racing though and I don't want a marshmellow. I'm still experimenting, but for now, I'm trying to choose between the Arione, Antares and SLR Max Flow Gel.

by Weenie


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Jmdesignz2
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Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2015 2:27 am

by Jmdesignz2

Wondering Why doesn't fuzik do cut outs?

Poulidor
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Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 3:50 am

by Poulidor

For the past 15 years I have used the Selle Italia SLK. A saddle with a radical cut which has kept me perfectly satisfied with no need to look for another saddle. I must own seven or eight of them. But I'm waiting for a new frame and started to look for a new SLK to buy, to no avail. For some weird reason they no longer make the SLK model. I could use on the new frame one of my older saddles but decided to try something new: the Selle Italia SLR Flow Team. I installed it to try it and I'm loving it. The first one I bought has carbon fiber rails, but on the new frame I'll have an Eriksen post so I already have an SLR Flow with Ti rails. The Flow is more firm than the SLK and I love it. I also appreciate the hole in the middle. Not too much padding to make it mushy and unstable but just enough to provide the old bones some relief.

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wheelsONfire
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Location: NorthEU

by wheelsONfire

They say it has an effect of the shell stiffness. I think Fizik should have done a U-shaped channel in the shell instead of doing this in the padding.

I have Fizik Arione VSX and i must admit, it's so uncomfortable. The new line of Astute saddles coming 2016 seems like superb saddles.
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

campyjoe
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 2:38 pm

by campyjoe

Jmdesignz2 wrote:Wondering Why doesn't fuzik do cut outs?


I wonder the same. Maybe they consider the cutout causes the loss of too much energy.

campyjoe
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 2:38 pm

by campyjoe

Poulidor wrote:For the past 15 years I have used the Selle Italia SLK. A saddle with a radical cut which has kept me perfectly satisfied with no need to look for another saddle. I must own seven or eight of them. But I'm waiting for a new frame and started to look for a new SLK to buy, to no avail. For some weird reason they no longer make the SLK model. I could use on the new frame one of my older saddles but decided to try something new: the Selle Italia SLR Flow Team. I installed it to try it and I'm loving it. The first one I bought has carbon fiber rails, but on the new frame I'll have an Eriksen post so I already have an SLR Flow with Ti rails. The Flow is more firm than the SLK and I love it. I also appreciate the hole in the middle. Not too much padding to make it mushy and unstable but just enough to provide the old bones some relief.


I've always liked a few Selle Italia offerings and as I said, I like most things about the one I currently have. The one reason I continue to lean toward the Arione is becasue of the slightly norrower section. Most of the other saddles tend to chafe me slightly and I wear high quality shorts. With that said, the Arione tends to fatigue my sit bone area more quickly though.

campyjoe
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 2:38 pm

by campyjoe

wheelsONfire wrote:They say it has an effect of the shell stiffness. I think Fizik should have done a U-shaped channel in the shell instead of doing this in the padding.

I have Fizik Arione VSX and i must admit, it's so uncomfortable. The new line of Astute saddles coming 2016 seems like superb saddles.


Where did you learn about the Astute saddles. I didn't see anything on their site. The Kurve line also looks interesting.

Poulidor
Posts: 74
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 3:50 am

by Poulidor

campyjoe wrote:
Poulidor wrote:For the past 15 years I have used the Selle Italia SLK. A saddle with a radical cut which has kept me perfectly satisfied with no need to look for another saddle. I must own seven or eight of them. But I'm waiting for a new frame and started to look for a new SLK to buy, to no avail. For some weird reason they no longer make the SLK model. I could use on the new frame one of my older saddles but decided to try something new: the Selle Italia SLR Flow Team. I installed it to try it and I'm loving it. The first one I bought has carbon fiber rails, but on the new frame I'll have an Eriksen post so I already have an SLR Flow with Ti rails. The Flow is more firm than the SLK and I love it. I also appreciate the hole in the middle. Not too much padding to make it mushy and unstable but just enough to provide the old bones some relief.


I've always liked a few Selle Italia offerings and as I said, I like most things about the one I currently have. The one reason I continue to lean toward the Arione is becasue of the slightly norrower section. Most of the other saddles tend to chafe me slightly and I wear high quality shorts. With that said, the Arione tends to fatigue my sit bone area more quickly though.


Selle Italia offers several SLR "narrow" models.

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prendrefeu
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by prendrefeu

Nice, thank you.

I find people's experiences with saddles to be quite helpful to another person when making comparisons, however in the end (pun) it comes down to each individual's own experience riding a specific saddle. There are many bodily factors which are, of course, very personal and individual that make one person's saddle experience different from another's.
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wheelsONfire
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Location: NorthEU

by wheelsONfire

campyjoe wrote:
wheelsONfire wrote:They say it has an effect of the shell stiffness. I think Fizik should have done a U-shaped channel in the shell instead of doing this in the padding.

I have Fizik Arione VSX and i must admit, it's so uncomfortable. The new line of Astute saddles coming 2016 seems like superb saddles.


Where did you learn about the Astute saddles. I didn't see anything on their site. The Kurve line also looks interesting.


Here you are

http://www.astuteitalia.com/en/download
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

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mrgray
Posts: 775
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 1:56 am

by mrgray

my two cents: fizik kurve chameleon is same shape as fizik antares 00. kurve however is suspended on a rail frame like a brooks saddle. hugely comfortable by comparison. worth a look. there were issues with cracks in sit bone areas for pre 2014 models for some, however i'm 90 kg and am going well with it (2015 version). was holding onto antares thinking i could use it anyway on new build, tried it, no way. kills the sit bone area.

of course this is just me but i think brooks saddles were popular for a reason and i'm glad someone is trying to imitate what they did (albeit much better weight).
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kgt
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by kgt

Selle Italia Storika looks like a torture device but it is maybe the most comfortable saddle I've ever had (and I 've had many). It's a shame it is no longer produced. I would love to see a new incarnation.

Image

Selle Italia Flite and SLR work for me as well.

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wheelsONfire
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Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:15 am
Location: NorthEU

by wheelsONfire

mrgray wrote:my two cents: fizik kurve chameleon is same shape as fizik antares 00. kurve however is suspended on a rail frame like a brooks saddle. hugely comfortable by comparison. worth a look. there were issues with cracks in sit bone areas for pre 2014 models for some, however i'm 90 kg and am going well with it (2015 version). was holding onto antares thinking i could use it anyway on new build, tried it, no way. kills the sit bone area.

of course this is just me but i think brooks saddles were popular for a reason and i'm glad someone is trying to imitate what they did (albeit much better weight).


I mailed Fizik and asked if Kurve was a good choice for people suffering more from perineum pressure. They pointed me to VSX which i find does not work at

all for me. Neither my buddy who tried it. Kurve looks like a good saddle, but when Fizik told me it's not the best choice, i decided not to try it.
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

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ALAN Carbon+
Posts: 294
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 9:21 am
Location: Canberra, Australia

by ALAN Carbon+

mrgray wrote:of course this is just me but i think brooks saddles were popular for a reason and i'm glad someone is trying to imitate what they did (albeit much better weight).


Fizik and Brooks are both owned by Selle Royal, so the kurve is leveraging off tech from within the group of companies.

I have a kurve snake and love it, one of the most comfortable saddles I have ever used.

Sent from my 0PJA10 using Tapatalk

campyjoe
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 2:38 pm

by campyjoe

wheelsONfire wrote:
campyjoe wrote:
wheelsONfire wrote:They say it has an effect of the shell stiffness. I think Fizik should have done a U-shaped channel in the shell instead of doing this in the padding.

I have Fizik Arione VSX and i must admit, it's so uncomfortable. The new line of Astute saddles coming 2016 seems like superb saddles.


Where did you learn about the Astute saddles. I didn't see anything on their site. The Kurve line also looks interesting.


Here you are

http://www.astuteitalia.com/en/download


Thanks for the info!

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



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