Hi guys, I have problems with finding a good saddle for myself, have tried several and decided to ask here, if you have any suggestions for me what saddles to try.
I am 182 cm tall with 86 cm inseam and I am flexible (can touch the ground without problem), but not overly flexible. I am also used to run my saddle rather more forward and when I am pushing big watts on flat I slide completely forward on the saddle. My current bike has reach of 384 mm, 100 mm stem and the distance from the middle of bars to the tip of the saddle (not horizontal, but direct) is 540 mm.
My current saddle is Fizik Antares VS regular (142 mm) my2017, which is not bad, but I have one little and one bigger problem with it. The little problem is that I am often sliding a little bit forward from the part that your sitting bones are supposed to sit on, which causes my bigger problem, which is hurting perineum. Actually it is not really hurting, but rather going numb. Not good.
I have tried Specialized Power (143 mm), which I quite liked, but sometimes my sitting bones were starting to hurt. I was feeling the edges of the saddle. Great for perineum though, but unfortunatelly I didn't test it in my "TT mode", when I tend to slide forward on the saddle, so I don't know about this situation.
Another saddle I have tried is Selle San Marco Mantra Wide (146 mm), which is no go, because my sitting bones were hurting a lot after a little while.
I also tried Selle San Marco Shortfit Wide (144 mm), which I liked the shape of, except for the sloped back part of it, which was causing me lower back pain. I also felt as if I couldn't push 100 % while sitting on it.
Another Selle San Marco Aspide Narrow (131 mm), which was too narrow for me, didn't provide enough support. Hoping to test it's wide version soon.
Currently I am testing Selle Italia SLR Superflow, which I am not quite sure how I feel about. It feels as if the main sitting part was more backwards compared to other saddles, which is why I have put it more forward than other saddles. I also feel that I am sliding from the back to the dip that's in the middle of the saddle. Didn't do any 100+ km ride on it yet, so I am not sure how it would feel then. Anyway today I was leading the group in a TT position and when sitting on the tip of the saddle it wasn't really any good. When I tried to push myself more to the rear part of the saddle I would immediately slide back forward. Probably not saddle for me. I also feel as if the main sitting part was too sloped to the sides, maybe I should try some flatter saddle? How is the SP-01? Unfortunatelly there is no place I could borrow it, so I'd have to buy it to test it. Same with most other brands.
Oh and on my XC bike I have currently Selle Italia X-LR (131 mm) and it feels good for the XCO type of riding (little extended periods of sitting on the sadle) and during extended climbs (15+ minutes) I only get sore sit bones, which stop hurting after a while of not sitting on the saddle.
What do you think guys? Thanks for your help.
Saddle suggestions
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Saddles are very subjective but I would suggest you to try SMP. It takes a while to find your correct position but after you do it can be very comfortable.
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Greatestalltime
- Posts: 121
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Sliding forward could be from your seat being too far forward.
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If you have an Antares but are flexible maybe you should try an Arione instead. But with all saddles especially Fizik make sure the saddle is correct fore/aft and tilted down at least 1-2 degrees. Very easy to make Fiziks horrible or excellent with correct or incorrect fitting.
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joejack951
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When I’m sliding forward on a saddle it is a sign that I need to tilt the nose up slightly. By not sliding forward you won’t end up on the narrow nose of the saddle which should also help the other issue.
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wheelsONfire
- Posts: 6294
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:15 am
- Location: NorthEU
Saddle comfort starts with your cycling pose. (Mantra is a hardcore racing saddle.)
How you angle your hips and perineum and how you load the saddle with sitbones and perineum.
Saddle height is not a static number completely taken from leg length.
It has also to do with your ability/ flexibility.
If your saddle is one high sideyou might not be able to actually load your sitbone, but rather put more load on perineum.
I tend to move forward and sometimes is move to the rear. In real world scenario, i move too much, out of the sweet spot.
I have rows of saddles and too be 100% honest, saddle is the most difficlut for me.
I now have settles on a TT saddle, PRO Aerofuel. The only limit is as you say, the lip the inside of thigh when i am more upright.
Often you need to decide which pose you use mostly or can adapt to.
Saddles are if something, very very personal. You should look close on all saddle and pin out what is good and what is not.
Then you have a starting point.
Do you like flat saddles from nose, the rear end?
Do you like round, semi round or flatter saddle from side to side (where sitbones are)?
(Semi round is the most usual preference.)
Wide or narrow nose (do you like to ride on the nose?)
How you angle your hips and perineum and how you load the saddle with sitbones and perineum.
Saddle height is not a static number completely taken from leg length.
It has also to do with your ability/ flexibility.
If your saddle is one high sideyou might not be able to actually load your sitbone, but rather put more load on perineum.
I tend to move forward and sometimes is move to the rear. In real world scenario, i move too much, out of the sweet spot.
I have rows of saddles and too be 100% honest, saddle is the most difficlut for me.
I now have settles on a TT saddle, PRO Aerofuel. The only limit is as you say, the lip the inside of thigh when i am more upright.
Often you need to decide which pose you use mostly or can adapt to.
Saddles are if something, very very personal. You should look close on all saddle and pin out what is good and what is not.
Then you have a starting point.
Do you like flat saddles from nose, the rear end?
Do you like round, semi round or flatter saddle from side to side (where sitbones are)?
(Semi round is the most usual preference.)
Wide or narrow nose (do you like to ride on the nose?)
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.
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.
This is good advice
No saddle will be comfortable if your saddle position is off, I've seen people testing new saddles non-stop only to find out their saddle height was way too high hence causing unwanted pressure in the wrong part of your junk. A good fitter will be able to find and help you solve your saddle issues.Thanks for your suggestions. I am definitely thinking about getting a bike fit, but I am also about to buy a new road bike, so the fit would be a bit of a waste (I am riding a gravel bike with road tires, so higher stack and shorter reach now).
Generally I think I want a saddle that will allow me to stay in an aggressive position for longer time without my perineum hurting or going numb. I definitely don't want saddle like Fizik Aliante. I need something flat or just a little bit round.
Generally I think I want a saddle that will allow me to stay in an aggressive position for longer time without my perineum hurting or going numb. I definitely don't want saddle like Fizik Aliante. I need something flat or just a little bit round.
Last edited by JayDee81 on Thu Sep 05, 2019 7:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
A bike fit is definitely a good idea. Ive been using a Lupina for a couple of years and always got pain in the perineum after about an hour, went for a bike fit and the guy raised my post, tilted my saddle (as I was in a aggressive position) and I've had no pain since. Best money I've spent. I will point out that after sitting on the pressure pad he did suggest a flatter saddle for my shape but they felt horrible and I opted to stay with Jures.
What do you mean by that? I am simply stating that on my current bike I cannot get the handlebar low enough, because it's a gravel bike and the stack is higher than for a similarly sized road bike. Where I live they don't have the fit bikes, where they can do a bikefit for you and THEN you go buy your bike, so we are stuck with getting a bike fit on our own (or what the shop has in store) bike.
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wheelsONfire
- Posts: 6294
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:15 am
- Location: NorthEU
Have you tried a -10, -12 and/ or -17 stem?JayDee81 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:30 amWhat do you mean by that? I am simply stating that on my current bike I cannot get the handlebar low enough, because it's a gravel bike and the stack is higher than for a similarly sized road bike. Where I live they don't have the fit bikes, where they can do a bikefit for you and THEN you go buy your bike, so we are stuck with getting a bike fit on our own (or what the shop has in store) bike.
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.
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.
Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
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