What is the best seat for a woman?

[violette]

I posted a thread last week about my sore "private parts" after going on a long ride. I realized my seat is really not comfy.

What is the best seat for us women? I saw the Terry and Brooks, any others. I just saw Jiffer's seat and I thought that would be perfect for me.

[Brandykill]

I also have the Terry Damselfly seat (in black), and love it.

[mimitabby]

It seems that every woman's butt has a diff. preference but two big winners are the Brooks line and the Selle An-atomica.

I never think about my backside or girlie bits when riding except when going over a big unforeseen bump. Because they aren't being injured!
I ride a B67 brooks.

[Torrilin]

One that doesn't hurt.

I looked at Jiffer's bike (so cute!) and went eep because her saddle was pretty much the exact same shape as the one I just got rid of for giving me saddle sores. Very much a pear shape.

I spent a fair bit of time looking at pictures of saddles online, trying to get an idea of what shapes are out there. Then I uh... spent some time with a mirror and my rear end figuring out where the sores were forming. Then I was able to pin the sores down as *just* my saddle's fault, and could ID the shape most likely to improve matters. Knotted has some really great shots comparing a pear shaped saddle and a T shaped saddle that helped me out a lot.

I ended up on used saddle, built along the lines of a Brooks. Very T shaped.

[lauraelmore1033]

I now swear by the Serfas RX saddle for women (from REI). My old saddle started really bothering me towards the end of a multi day tour and continued to hurt me even after everything had had a chance to rest and heal. The week before we were going to do a century, I realized I'd never make it through 100 miles just because I couldn't stand the saddle for even an instant more. Well, you're supposed to break in a saddle gradually to let your body adjust to the difference, but I figured ANYTHING had to be better than the current torture device. The fella at REI made a face when I said I'd be riding a century in less than a week, but said that he'd heard only good things about the RX saddle and I snapped it up. I rode those 100 miles without even a PEEP out of the girly parts (which were actually still tender). It continues to be a very comfy saddle.

[ShubieGA]

Whatever fits you best.

I tried a Serfas RX, and had some chafing issues. But just did 150 miles on a Terry Liberator X without issue. For me a narrow nose was paramount, as I have beefy thighs.

[Zen]

This is really helping you make up your mind, isn't it:p ?

I have a Terry Falcon X and am pretty happy with it.

[Grog]

+1 on "whatever fits you best".

We're all different.

Try many and see what works for you... I'm sorry that's not really helpful, but there's no other way I'm afraid. (Been there, done that...)

[RoadRaven]

Spot on Zen! :p

The only way to find out is to actually sit on them and ride...

I was lucky with the first seat we bought - I have the same seat now for both my bikes.

But if you bought one and it wasn't quite right after using it a few times, you should be able to sell in an online auction place like TradeMe or EBay... they seem to sell quickly and so you should be able to get some of your money back.

[LadyinWhite]

I tried several saddles before settling on the Terry Fly (mens). I think the damsel fly might be worth looking into but since the Fly is working, I won't change. Lilke shubie, I have beefy thighs and a narrow nose is critical to avoid chafing.

Sometimes you know immediately, the moment you sit on it. Other times you need several rides. Just be open to what your body is telling you and the huge variety of saddles out there. Don't look at just Women's either. I tried several WSD saddles and ended up with a mens design so who knows, just keep looking til you find THE one. Trust me, when you find it, you'll know.

[violette]

Thanks everyone. I looked at a seat at lunch time. My LBS guys told me which one would be good for me, but I forgot to look at the brand name...$169.00 !! WAY out of my price range but nice looking seat.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Thanks everyone. I looked at a seat at lunch time. My LBS guys told me which one would be good for me, but I forgot to look at the brand name...$169.00 !! WAY out of my price range but nice looking seat.

I always love it that guys tell us women which saddles will be comfortable for us. :cool: ;)

[violette]

I just checked eBay...Selle seems to be the seat that is for sale the most. Is this becaue it is bad or because it is good.

[mimitabby]

good question violette
Remember Sella means saddle in Italian.
Selle means saddles.

[Brandykill]

Honestly one of the after market items, you should not mind spending more $$ on it a seat. A good seat will make the difference between liking a ride or being miserable on a ride. If you are going to put money in to your bike, start with a good saddle, and hopefully your LBS will let you try before you buy. Dont let price be your deciding factor.
Just my 2 cents.

[Kano]

I started last spring on a "comfort bike" with a "Comfort" saddle. HAH! Bought a Specialized Dolce saddle, and that was a good thing for that bike. I bought a new bike this spring, and they put a Specialized "Milano" saddle on it. I rode on that one exactly ONCE on my road bike, and changed to the Dolce saddle that I enjoyed so much last year. The Milano is okay -- it's been on my comfort bike in place of the Dolce, and for an upright ride, it's doing the trick.

HOWEVER, my Dolce saddle did NOT make me happy on the road bike! My new one is still Specialized brand, it's the Ariel in a 143 width. I think it's a bit longer than the other, it's definitely a bit narrower, and it's making me happier for SURE!

What has really surprised me though in this year's quest for comfort is that the nice shorts I own are NOT as comfy this year as they were last, and the cheap "better than nothing" shorts that I wouldn't have recommended to anyone last year are the ones my bottom has been happiest in! I'm talking about the ones that REI has that I paid $20 for -- Canari brand and REI brand. What's up with THAT?????

Karen in Boise

[rapid cycler]

I went from my Trek standard-issue WSD saddle to a Terry Liberator to my current saddle and reigning champion, a Selle Italia LDY (for "lady") Gel Flow. I liked the first two OK, but I *heart* the LDY.

This is such a subjective question, because I just lent my 5200 out for an extended test ride—it's for sale—and the prospective buyer decided that the bike didn't fit her but asked if she could please, please, please buy the saddle—the Trek WSD I started with! (The answer was yes, of course, because I know how hard it is to find the perfect saddle; now I just need to decide which of the half a dozen or so other saddles we've rejected over the years will go up for sale with the 5200!)

Oh, and btw, LDYs can often be had on eBay for about $50, so they're definitely on the affordable end of quality saddles.

[Zen]

This is such a subjective question, because I just lent my 5200 out for an extended test ride—it's for sale—and the prospective buyer decided that the bike didn't fit her but asked if she could please, please, please buy the saddle—the Trek WSD I started with!

A Bontrager?
Mine was the saddle from hell.

[rapid cycler]

It actually was branded with the Trek, not Bontrager, name. Maybe an earlier model?

When I'm in an LBS that sells Trek, they almost invariably have a box heaped with discarded Bontrager saddles—it seems everybody hates them! The only miles the one on my Gary Fisher mountain bike saw were the single digits logged during my test ride; then it, too, ended up in one of those heaping boxes of Bontragers! Hey, bike companies: If you're going to load up your premium-priced rides with house-brand parts, at least put a little effort into making them rival after-market goods.