Why do pros use firmer saddles?

[mattydubs]

Hard saddles, FTW. My favorite thus far was the Fizik Kurve line, but they are heavy. Good, but not thick chamois is clutch as I've gotten older. Right now the cytech insert in Rapha Pro Line are like heaven.

[fdegrove]

Hi,

I also hate thick chamois in shorts. I don't know exactly when chamois turned into "padding", but it's as misguided as big, thick, cushy saddles are. To talk about how saddles should be supporting your bone structure and keeping pressure off soft tissue, only to then put a bunch of padding on it in your shorts, just doesn't add up.

Excellent point, one I feel is shared by many users.

More later,

[winky]

I put in a ton of miles and I prefer a bit of a softer saddle relatively speaking.

[Rick]

Because a lot of pros weigh ~140 lbs!

(and I weigh 180; I'll take a little more padding)

[phourgenres]

It funny though, you would think someone that's 180lbs would have a lot more natural padding on their ass.

[Rick]

Unfortunately, the very thick, gelatinous padding of my "ass" does not contact a typical bike saddle. It is all concentrated in a slightly different area.

[phourgenres]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160988905706?ss ... 1438.l2649

Think this is a legit TR?

[addictR1]

i've used fizik arione in the past and never liked it. it made my boys numb as hell. now i'm riding ISM Century and it's a world of difference for my skinny ass. Sure, it has some padding, but not squishy at all. i use to have the Adamo Road, but even that was too firm for me.

[Rick]

Just for the record:
I finally found a light, firm saddle that seems to fit my anatomy and works well for me, even on long rides and long seated climbs: the Pro Turnix Carbon. It is only 170 grams. I decided to try it because you can tell just by looking at its contours that it is a little differently shaped than most saddles. Pro claims to have done a bunch of research on this. Even though the shell seems quite firm, the saddle has excellent shock absorption due to its exceptionally long carbon rails. It seems to fit my anatomy well. The ultimate criterion is simply that I start riding and think about it for a few minutes because it is new, then I just completely forget about it. No problems.

Previously I had liked the "soft" and heavier saddles: Vintage Turbo; Vintage Turbomatic; Vintage Flite; Vintage Rolls; Signo Gel Flow; Turbomatic Gel Flow.