Selle SMP Strike TRK Lady Saddle

[RoadRaven]

OK… I have been trying for about 1/2hour to attach a pic from photoshop to this post, but everytime I try, it shuts TE down – some glitch at my end I can’t be bothered working out now… so here is a link to the picture of this saddle and if anyone else can insert this picture in this thread so people don’t have to go somewhere else to find it, I would be greatful.
:)

http://www.masherz.com/images/productpics
/sellesmp/sellesmpstrikemanbig.jpg

Here’s my question…
I was wondering if anyone had had any experience with (or knows someone who has) this saddle.
(And I am posting under ”favourite saddles” because this is the first time I have actually considered and liked the look of a saddle…)

I really like the concord nose – though my partner thinks it looks like “something that has just wilted in the sun”. But when I look at it, I see something I can lean forward and down on, and not have to consider adjusting myself. I ride on my drops in road races on my EMC2, and have just taken two more spacers off the stem on my TT bike (Giant TCR) so I get even less “wind-shadow”.

Of course, when I lean that far forward and down, there is pressure on my (excuse me) clit unless I am mindful about position… I would like to just lean forward and not have to think about it… in time trials I do just that – my head is focused on performance, not on comfort, and as a result, 20km or so later of intense riding without moving I am occasionally feeling somewhat bruised on my “front end”.

If you have ridden on a saddle with this style of nose (even if its not this one from Selle Italia)… does it make the difference I think it will?

:rolleyes:

By the same token, I also really like the wide gap all the way down the centre… too often on longer rides, or in road races, I lose circulation in my (excuse me again ;p ) outer labia and I have permanent swelling in the soft tissue on the right/inner side of my groin – this swelling doesn’t hurt, but I am bothered that it might become more than a “cosmetic” (for want of a better word) problem…

My local LBSs don't have it in stock for me to look at let alone "test-drive", so at $US78 (+ shipping) , I really have to consider whether or not it is worth asking someone to get it in for me...

[salsabike]

I did try it because I have all the same concerns you do. The ladies' version is way too wide and it chafes. Some TE folks have tried the men's because it's narrower--not sure if anyone has stuck with that saddle or not.

[RoadRaven]

Thanks Salsa

Wide on the sit bones? Or wide between the legs/along the nose?

I haven't measured the specs against my Dolce (I have two - the same saddle model on both my bikes)

[Thorn]

I have the saddle on all 3 of my bikes, bought one for the new Waterford that is still at the shop and I have an extra sitting on the shelf in case they discontinue it. Yep, love it for all the reasons you mention.

I actually ride with the nose of the saddle tilted up just a bit. When I'm down in the drops I'm supported by the ischial tuberosities in the back and the pubic bone on the front--the bone, not soft tissue. The wide cut out happily supports (or in this case doesn't support) the girlie bits.

It is an odd looking saddle (some would say one that only a happy owner could love), but I have yet to find a saddle that is wide enough for my sit bones and doesn't cramp, pinch or abuse the girlie bits (sorry, Brooks cult, I just am not convinced) and gives me 3-points of solid contact.

Some complain that the nose of the saddle is too wide. yes it is wider than many saddles, but, for me, it works.

My only complaint was that the lady strike is their low end. After about 3000 miles, the plastic base cracked and I had to replace it.

Oh, and if you like the idea of the SMP, check out Topeak's Allay. It doesn't have the concord nose (love that description, btw), but it looks intriguing--same "no support" zone in the center. I haven't found anyone that sells it, though.

[salsabike]

Thanks Salsa

Wide on the sit bones? Or wide between the legs/along the nose?

I haven't measured the specs against my Dolce (I have two - the same saddle model on both my bikes)

Between the legs.

[Thorn]

For width of the nose, get a picture from the top--the saddle isn't "ping pong paddle shaped"; instead it tapers from about 5cm outer wide at the tip to 6cm about 1/2-way down the nose to 10cm where the nose meets the body.

On the other hand, the Allay says it is 5cm from the point it leaves the body ( http://www.allaysaddles.com/line/racingsport.htm ).

[divingbiker]

I tried it and it was way too wide for me also, leading to intense pain on the bony parts where your crotch meets your leg. I wanted to like it, but I just never got used to the pressure.

[Running Mommy]

have it on the QR. LOVE it for being in the aero position for long stretches. BUT it can chafe in the upper thigh area because the nose is a bit wide.
I'm actually about to order the evolution. I looked at this model at interbike and I think width wise it will do the trick.
But after all the frogs this one worked.

[mariposa]

It's the only saddle I can ever wear.

It is so comfy that I have been known do 40-mile rides on it with regular (unpadded) pants.

I've tried some Terry's, Brooks, and Specialized; now that I have my Lady Strike TRK, *all* of those other saddles feel incredibly uncomfortable to me.

Now, I've got wide sit bones and wide hips. If you don't have particularly wide hips, you might try the (narrower but otherwise identical) men's Strike TRK first.

Oh, and yes - it works for me in the drops and in the aero position.

[teigyr]

I have the mens version and I love it. It took a while to work out the adjustment though. With the nose pointed down, I felt like I was sliding toward my bars. With the nose pointed more up, I felt like my bones were rubbing on it. This was an experiment and it has worked. I will get the more expensive version at some point; there are many more sizes there and I'll get "the" perfect one.

No doubt it's goofy looking. I think it looks like a Klingon Bird of Prey :D

[anakiwa]

I got one of these saddles at the end of the season and put it on my tri bike- I've only had 1 ride on it so I only have first impressions.

The shape was weird but actually seemed comfortable (it felt like I was sitting in some sort of cradle).

It's wide in both the sit- bones and the nose. I have wide sit bones and therefore need a saddle that's wide in the rear, but I didn't like the width of the nose. I need to do a longer ride on it to find out if chafing on the inner thighs will be an issue.

So I think it definitely has potential- but you probably need to try it to get an idea.

[RoadRaven]

Thank you all so much for responses.

I have asked a local LBS to check out the price for me if they got it in - then I will have to see if I will be committed to buying it if I don't like it...

OK. So Thorn, Running Mommy, Mariposa... love it. It is interesting that the consensus seems to be that the nose should be tilted up.

Thank you Thorn - when I can get pages to load (slow connection today) I will look at the Ally. Like you, I am utterly unconvinced as to Brooks comfort - particularly when I look at enduro and racing cyclists.

RM... it chafes when... after distances? After being in the aero position? And is the Evolution from Selle Italia too?

And Salsa, Diving Biker really don't like it... I wonder if this is to do with height or hip shape...?
I am 5'10" and have about average width hips (I had 5 children, the biggest being 10lb11oz, "naturally").

Anakiwa is deciding but sees potential... thank you for your first impressions :) If you get a longer ride in in the next month or so, can you post your impressions of that?

Thank you all again - I really appreciate your input

(I'm primarily Scots descent and it shows in my unwillingness to spend money!)

Teigyr has the men's version... is this narrower on the nose? (I can't get the pages to load today...)

[Running Mommy]

It chafes where the thigh meets the crotchal area after long rides- rides over 40-50 miles. But other than that it's comfy.
I don't notice it much now, but when I first put it on I remember noticing the width of the nose.
I have a couple of catalogs from Interbike with all the different models in them. If you would like me to send you one, just PM me your addy and I'll drop it in the mail.
It has measurements, so it might be helpful.

[RoadRaven]

Hey there folks

I am still considering this saddle - waiting for LBS to get a quote on importing it all the way to EnZed

Just BUMPing the thread and wondering what height /hip type people are cause I wonder if it has something to do with body shape.

If you don't want to post details but are willing to tell me, can you PM me?

Anakiwa - you been for many more miles on it? Any more thoughts?

Cheers, Rave

[Thorn]

Like all saddles, I'm sure it is has to do with pelvic structure, but also our distribution of padding (fat, muscle, and personal pieces).

My Details? 6' tall and the ischial tuberosities measure out at 5.5" (140mm). The nose is a little wide for me, but tolerable with my build. My family is classic pear-shaped when obese so I may be predisposed to support fat thighs. While I carry a bit too much weight at the waist, I have developed that cyclist leg so that may be why I can tolerate the SMP nose

I loaned the saddle to a woman who is very petite, but rides a wide saddle. She absolutely hated it.

[Running Mommy]

Rave-
Funny I was thinking about that the other day! I was thinking that I should have used a disclaimer that I'm a bit on the heavy side. So I would have more thigh "surface area" to rub on the saddle. I have huge stump legs anyway. Seriously, I'm built like an oak tree! Between my size 10 feet on my 5'1" frame, and my tree stump legs there is NO WAY I would blow over in a wind storm!:cool:
But as far as sit bone measurements? I've never measured??

[RoadRaven]

Thanks Thorn and RM... I'm still thinking and researching
:)

Body shape/size certainly might come into play here too...
Whoa, too much thinking when I'm still on holiday!

[anakiwa]

Anakiwa - you been for many more miles on it? Any more thoughts?


Sorry but it's winter here (or at least it was until yesterday) and I'm cross-country skiing so it will be at least a few months before I try it again.

[RoadRaven]

I forget, Anakiwa... with our 30'C+ days here, I forget not everyone is able to get out on the road!

;)

[Andrea]

I'd like to keep this thread alive because I'm considering one of these.

I've tried a selle an-atomica (wasn't happy with how much the leather stretched, already had it replaced once under warranty, now having the same problem with the new one), Brooks (even after breaking it in, was not comfortable up front), several Terrys, and other randoms, all to no avail!

I've got very wide seatbones and large inner thigh muscles that tend to get sore/bruised feeling from rubbing if a saddle is too tapered in the middle (as opposed to more T shaped like a Brooks). It poses a problem because most saddles that are wide in the back are wide in the middle as well. Any of you riding the SMP TRK have any of the same issues that I've had?

[Thorn]

Welcome to the potential love-hate relationship with the SMP. The Lady Strike is wide in the back (supports 140cm/5.5in sitbones without a complaint), but the nose is also wide.

Every now and then I keep searching the web trying to find someone who sells the Allay saddle in the wider widths (http://www.allaysaddles.com/line/sport.htm). On paper, it looks like the perfect saddle....well, on paper...errr...on the LCD screen.

[Andrea]

Welcome to the potential love-hate relationship with the SMP. The Lady Strike is wide in the back (supports 140cm/5.5in sitbones without a complaint), but the nose is also wide.

Every now and then I keep searching the web trying to find someone who sells the Allay saddle in the wider widths (http://www.allaysaddles.com/line/sport.htm). On paper, it looks like the perfect saddle....well, on paper...errr...on the LCD screen.
I think I'll be ordering one from Gottaridebikes.com. There's a shop here in Memphis that carries the Allay saddles, and had the wide one last time I looked. If you called them, they'd sell you one & ship it to you. It's http://www.rbscyclery.com. That's the next one I'm going to try if the SMP doesn't work out.

[RoadRaven]

Andrea, I'll be really interested in hearing about how this goes for you.

I have not been able to do much more about this since I started the thread, as it is summer/school holidays here still. But I am back to work in about 3 weeks :( so will get back into research then when I am in town every day :)

[koala]

OK Raven, we're about to take the Selle SMP plunge here. Received in for testing are both the Strike PRO & the Stratos models. I did not order up the TRK Lady model you're interested in, I feel it is way too wide for me. I have skinny boy hips & narrow sit bones, so I ordered accordingly. The PRO is the most padded of the men's saddles, & the Stratos has a little more padding than the skinniest of the men's saddles. My husband is having saddle issues, too, so we are both experimenting & swapping saddles back & forth. Which means that two of us will end up with sore behinds & go limping in to work over the next week or so.

I was first with the PRO. We set it up dead-level, and learned afterwards that can be a terrible mistake with the SMP saddles. The cutout is superb, the entire front area disappears. However, it thrust all the body weight on the two tiny little sit bones, and was excruciatingly painful. I gutted out an hour on the trainer, & ground down a lot of teeth in the process. Next day we tilted the nose up just a bit. That helped a lot, it spread out the weight some onto the glutes by supporting the back end of the butt. Still, it is not the right saddle for me, as it is too wide & I get whacked in the back in the crease area.

So the PRO moved onto my husband's bike, and tomorrow I get to debut the Stratos. We'll see how that goes....

Stay tuned...

[RoadRaven]

Thats great, Koala
Thanks for the details

The cutouts certainly look excellent which is primarily why I am interested in this type of design

(My partner just asked "how can something that isn't there look excellent?" :p )

Am looking forward to your next instalment and hoping you and your husband's buts aren't getting too uncomfortable in the "testing" process

[Thorn]

This weekend I found two sellers of SMP that run demo programs. Granted, neither will do you much good, Raven, as they are both based central-US, but perhaps it might be worth contacting Selle SMP and asking if there is someone on your side of the world that does the same thing. I wonder if this is a new marketing strategy for them?

One place is a bike shop out of Chicago (cbike.com). For $20 they will let you test ride the saddle for a week. The other is a tour operator that runs high-end tours in Italy (cycleitalia.com). Their overall price for the saddle is higher, but they'll let you test ride for a longer period.

Just a thought.

[RoadRaven]

Thanks Thorn.
I am doing some measurements as I find them of the various Selle models (5 of this style) and other similar seats with such cut-outs. Then I'm going to go and talk to a couple of the LBSs and see what they can do for me.

You know, I hadn't even thought of contacting Selle themselves - rather obvious but it hadn't occurred to me. Thanks for that prompt, Thorn. I'll do that too.

I really need to do something. I have been puzzling about why this is suddenly an issue as my current saddle (same on both my bikes) has been comfortable til now , and my only conclusion is that along with a slight increase in time in the saddle, I must also be out-putting more power in my specific training and am def outputting more power in my racing. More power must equal more pressure on parts of my body including how I sit on the saddle...

[koala]

It's been a week, and I'm still testing this one. The verdict is: promising, but undecided. I have been stuck indoors riding the trainer in the basement, and so far have had a couple of really good rides, a couple of okay rides, and one really bad ride. The bad ride I cross off to an inadequate chamois for a saddle this firm. You definitely need good padding to ride this saddle. You also need to experiment some with tilt. I've done flat, some nose up, a little less nose up, & a little down. Flat & down are out, just a little nose up seems to be the most comfortable. You need to play with it until you get this cradling feeling. It's hard to explain more precisely, but when you get it right, you will know it.

I need to get outdoors & try it. I'm hoping to get out this weekend for maybe a 40-mile hill ride, which will tell me a lot. I have a couple of concerns. One is that the tapering in towards the nose is a little wide, even on the skinny Stratos model, so I'm concerned about getting rubbed. Second, the rails around the cutout are quite firm. They don't hurt, which is why tilt is so important to get right, but I am always aware of them. This might go away if I'm riding outside & busy thinking about other things. Don't know just yet, will write more when I have more to report. So we'll see....

[Andrea]

Keep us updated! I am still on the fence about buying one ;)

[postiechic]

I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few of us watching this thread with interest. I'm a member of the " quest for a comfy saddle club", as many of you are. I'm very tempted to by a selle smp of some sort but reluctant to shell out big bucks for something that may have a negative result. Again, like many of you I'm slowly building up a collection of unwanted saddles. The last one being a jet 143. I so had hopes for the jett being the right one. wrong!
So, I'll keep reading, watching, researching and thinking. In the meantime I get totally envious/jealous of those who hop on a new roadbike and "love it to bits" from the very first ride. Sigh

[koala]

Decision made -- the Stratos saddle is a keeper! I decided today after my 2nd ride outdoors. Yesterday was only 20 miles, but in a 20 mph wind it was long enough. I don't shift around much in wind, I tend to ride hunkered down & normally come back rubbed & irritated up front -- no rubbing yesterday. Today was a 40-mile ride in hills. I'm pretty active on the seat on a hill ride, I move forwards & back, bend forward & shift around. I had a chance to go through all of that today, and again did not get rubbed up front. Despite the fact that there seems to be a cradle area that supports the sit-bones & the glutes, it still has enough of a platform that I can slide around fore & aft to relieve sitting in one spot. I was worried about a saddle that had only one "sweet spot", but this one has some room to roam around. I had to play with positioning a little again, because the bike on the trainer is not the bike I ride outdoors. And I might still tweak it some more, but overall I think it's good & will continue to work with it.

Before anyone rushes out to order one, a couple of caveats:

1) This sucker is firm! If you ride a seat with a lot of cush, you will either need shorts with a lot of cush in the padding, or you just might not be able to deal with it. I am used to a firm perch as I've been riding a carbon fiber shell for a couple of years, but it might not be tolerable for some others.

2) Finding the right seating position is finicky & has tremendous impact on comfort. I would not give up right away based on first impressions, make some adjustments & give it a chance.

3) I would not order a single saddle from the SMP line unless I had a 100% certainty of ability to return. I see some vendors, particularly the on-line shops, have a policy of you buy it, you own it. The saddle is too pricey & too finicky to gamble on.

4) If you have an opportunity to try one from someone who has agreed to take it back if it doesn't work, order the skinniest one that will still support your sit-bones properly. The wider ones are not only wider in the back, but wider in the taper towards the nose, which might cause rubbing.

[RoadRaven]

Well, I went into one of the LBSs yesterday who said there was no way they could get the Selle’s in through their importer and suggested I buy over the net. I’ll go into a couple more of the local LBSs first though, and see what they say. I would much sooner “try before I buy”.

Koala, your comments confirm this for me. Thank you for such a detailed review… I am more encouraged than not by your posting as you have gone into very useful detail.

It certatinly gives me more insight when I go to chat with LBSs about what I want – not just from the saddle, but from the shop themselves…
Thank you

[crazycanuck]

Hey RoadRaven,

There's a Selle saddle for sale on the Tri WA site. No idea if you'd save yourself $$$ though?

www.triwa.org.au

c

[RoadRaven]

Thanks CC
Saw your post just after you posted it, but this is the first time I have logged in and am able to reply...
Where on that site do i look
I went to it, but there doesn't seem to be a "for sale" tab... and I didn't have time to look about when I was there, and today, from home, the page will not load :mad:

[alpinerabbit]

It's been a week, and I'm still testing this one. The verdict is: promising, but undecided. I have been stuck indoors riding the trainer in the basement, and so far have had a couple of really good rides, a couple of okay rides, and one really bad ride. The bad ride I cross off to an inadequate chamois for a saddle this firm. You definitely need good padding to ride this saddle. You also need to experiment some with tilt. I've done flat, some nose up, a little less nose up, & a little down. Flat & down are out, just a little nose up seems to be the most comfortable. You need to play with it until you get this cradling feeling. It's hard to explain more precisely, but when you get it right, you will know it.


I rode the evolution model yesterday for 55k. BTW this was from IXS, who obviously licensed the patent off SMP. Same make, except no stitching on the leather.

my girly bits were very happy - either top bar position or drops. The sit bones hurt, but not bad, they could get used to it.

What worried me a bit was a feeling of numbness around the sitbones and most importantly, could it be too narrow for me - I felt that if I did not ride rather to the back of the saddle I had pressure on the "inside" of my sitbones if you know what I mean. I do hope this does not mean it is "wedging my pelvis apart".

For some reason the composite felt better; although it has exactly the same shell construction. Now the wider models have more padding and I don't think that's the way I want to go. I can test as many as I want four weeks at a time :-)

[RoadRaven]

OK... I did it...

I bought the STRIKE and I have my own little concord mounted on my TT bike...

I have ridden it a few times this week, just in short half-hour rides, as I have the East Coast Champs this weekend - a crit on Saturday (my first crit ever) and the 25km time trial on Sunday. (The other two races are in Gisborne in two weeks).

So I get to try it full-on and hard-out on Sunday.

My first impressions are that it is very comfortable.

I was worried after i had read someone (here? or somewhere else?) saying that the cut-out was so wide it felt (after some time) that it was like sitting on two hard ridges.
But I have no sense of this after the short rides. Nothing feels squished or bruised.

On my first ride, after adjusting for height and nose angle and feeling it was ok, I set out to do reps on false flats. After about fifteen minutes my right leg began aching... it took me a further ten minutes of messing about, pedaling with my knees in/out, pedaling fast and slow, before I realised that the seat was pessing into my thigh. So whipped out the allen keys and adjusted the seat 3-4mm to the left and it was fine. No leg discomfort - I guess the slightly wider nose made a tad of difference and showed up my uneven hips, or perhaps a leg longer than the other...

I have had to put tape on one side of the nose as the place where the seat material is welded together is "sharp" - however, this will smooth down with wear...

Anyways, I will check back in after Sunday. I should have ridden 10-20kms in a warm-up and cool-down, as well as the 25km ITT.

[cycotourer]

OK... I did it...

I bought the STRIKE and I have my own little concord mounted on my TT bike...

I have ridden it a few times this week, just in short half-hour rides, as I have the East Coast Champs this weekend - a crit on Saturday (my first crit ever) and the 25km time trial on Sunday. (The other two races are in Gisborne in two weeks).

So I get to try it full-on and hard-out on Sunday.

My first impressions are that it is very comfortable.

I was worried after i had read someone (here? or somewhere else?) saying that the cut-out was so wide it felt (after some time) that it was like sitting on two hard ridges.
But I have no sense of this after the short rides. Nothing feels squished or bruised.

On my first ride, after adjusting for height and nose angle and feeling it was ok, I set out to do reps on false flats. After about fifteen minutes my right leg began aching... it took me a further ten minutes of messing about, pedaling with my knees in/out, pedaling fast and slow, before I realised that the seat was pessing into my thigh. So whipped out the allen keys and adjusted the seat 3-4mm to the left and it was fine. No leg discomfort - I guess the slightly wider nose made a tad of difference and showed up my uneven hips, or perhaps a leg longer than the other...

I have had to put tape on one side of the nose as the place where the seat material is welded together is "sharp" - however, this will smooth down with wear...

Anyways, I will check back in after Sunday. I should have ridden 10-20kms in a warm-up and cool-down, as well as the 25km ITT.

PLease let us know how you go with the Selle SMP saddle. My husband and I both trialled a couple of SMP saddles that we got on approval from the Australian distributor .... if we didn't like them we could send them back. My husband kept the Strike Plus and we returned the Glider. They were both too narrow for me (wide sit bones), but the cut-out and Concord nose were outstanding, its like there was no saddle there at all.

I was disappointed that the lady's TRK was not leather like all the men's models. :rolleyes:

As I require the saddle for touring I am going to try the Selle SMP Martin Touring Saddle, but from the images on the US distibutor's web site it looks much wider in the nose than the other models (due to extra padding) and this may be a concern.

BTW so many people think it looks goofy, but i think the SMP Strike saddles look racy, and it rides "fast".

[RoadRaven]

ok...
A dream to ride on. The nose looks really wide, and at first glance I thought too wide... but my tape measure tells me its not, and so does my fanny :)

The TT went well as far as soft tissue comfort went. I didn't move for 37 minutes, no standing, no 'scooching' - nothing... and I was not at all numb in my soft tissue, no pain or discomfort at all.

Unfortunately, the horizontal/directional angle was STILL a bit wrong, and for the entire 37 minutes the right side of the nose pressed into my right inner thigh which meant my leg was in extreme pain (but being the stubborn person I am I didn't stop race mode). You can read about this aspect of the seat in the racing forum - ECNI Champs 2008.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=23375

But I am going to persevere as there was no bruising or swelling like I would normally have after the all-out effort I try to apply in an ITT.

I'll update again when I have had a chance to ride again on it... maybe this coming Sunday.

Like you, cyco, I like the concord racey look of the seat. Thanks for your reviews too.

[kadoozie]

Hey guys, any updates on the results of the Allay women's seat? Has anyone tried both the Selle SMP TRK ladies and the Allay?

[Thorn]

I have ridden them both. The SMP Lady Strike and the Allay Sport 175mm. I tossed the Allay in the trash. That is after drooling over the Allay website for months before it was in production and nagging my LBS for 2 months to order it. I really thought the Allay was going to be the answer to saddle needs. Nope.

First, I like the SMP concept. It is a very friendly saddle with respect to the girlie bits. It is very comfortable when riding in the drops with that nose for support. My issue is that the Lady Strike is just a teensy bit too narrow and/or too cushy for me at the sit bones when I'm riding comfy (e.g., hands on the hoods). As such, I get numbness in the left hip. So, my goal was to find a saddle that is a little wider, a little less cushy and still kept the naughty bits happy.

Enter the Allay. It looked right. Everything about it should have been right. But what I found was that the rear was so soft that I couldn't sit on the saddle. The foam would compress and I kept rolling off the rear platform and into the sling. If I put the air support pillow back in, then it wasn't comfortable since now I rolled forward onto the harder pillow I tried nosing it up and down, but to no avail.

For me, the Allay just didn't work. I was disappointed and surprised. Everything I read on the Allay site seemed to indicate that they really understood saddles (because, of course, they agreed with my anecdotal research ;) ), but Allay over stuffed the wider saddle. I'd love to hear someone else's opinion on one of the other versions.

[kadoozie]

thanks Thorn, I actually just read a post you'd made in another thread which has kept me from leaning towards it (I think Ive been researching saddles for a solid week now :S)

Ive only actually started riding regularly, I have wide sitbones (half-assed self measurement of 160cm, Im not a slight girl) and I know I definitely need the cut-out! (found out the hard way on a borrowed mens seat for two hours ...eeeeee:()

So my first seat purchase two days ago was a Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow. It was awesome for about the first half-hour (hadnt ridden for 48 hours prior), then I had to do a little adjustment. Seemed better yet! Things were going really really well! For another 45 minutes, but by the time the two-hour mark hit I was whining, and still had another hour to go...

Now I want to put my MTN bike saddle back on.

My problem, after success with cutouts, is that I know I can handle sitbone soreness after a long ride, but I cannot handle bruising and extreme tenderness in the pubic bone region, where the bones and tendons connect your legs and groin.

Problem is in the middle, not the front or rear.

I know it's a long-winded post, but if anyone has found a similar problem, please help :)

Like I say, I've done alot of research, the majority on this forum, you guys have been helpful so far!

ps Thorn: which Allay model did you try?

[Thorn]

The Allay model was the Sport--the "highest end" model that came in a 175mm width.

There was a thread on saddles for wide sitbones (search "sitbone" not "sit bone" if you haven't seen it). One of the things AlpineRabbit asked me was the longest ride I've done on the SMP. It made me think--I have done 3 imperial centuries on that saddle, so the saddle isn't *that* uncomfortable. Also, in that thread someone pointed out one of the Specialized that comes in a 175mm width. I haven't tried that one....I have such a fear that it will be too plush (DH has a recreational Specialized and [shudder]it is too soft for me [shudder]. I'm still waiting on my Terry Rosie.

My mutilated Brooks (B68 with a Selle Anatomica cutout) just doesn't have the soft tissue relief of the SMP. I'm afraid the SMP is the standard I hold all cutout saddles to. Also, because of the width of the B68, I'm constantly tightening up the laces I installed to keep the slot from folding inward when I ride. It isn't bad, but, like the SMP, just not perfect.

I know, I know...picky, picky, picky, but when I ride I want the only body parts to be taking punishment to be my legs, my heart and my lungs; the rest are just along for the ride.

[Andrea]

My problem, after success with cutouts, is that I know I can handle sitbone soreness after a long ride, but I cannot handle bruising and extreme tenderness in the pubic bone region, where the bones and tendons connect your legs and groin.

Problem is in the middle, not the front or rear.

I know it's a long-winded post, but if anyone has found a similar problem, please help :)

Any bone soreness will eventually lessen- I found this out when I tried the SMP Glider. The curved shape of the saddle follows the curve of your pelvis- the result is that there's pressure/soreness on bones that aren't accustomed to it. I was worried at first, but then I realized that it's a lot like the sitbone pain I felt when I first started riding. It's not nearly as bad now, but I'm still getting some chafing (which is a whole 'nother issue ;) )

[kadoozie]

thanks you guys!

[teawoman]

Another vote for this saddle. I just finished a century on it, and it did not aggravate the saddle sores I had from trying other saddles :eek:, nor did it create any new problems. For me, it has a lot of comfortable positions to shift around to. I have the men's version. SO GLAD to have found it!

[mayanorange]

Anyone ridden both the mens and womens TRKs and have a suggestion for my 145mm center to center sitbones?

[mariposa]

Anyone ridden both the mens and womens TRKs and have a suggestion for my 145mm center to center sitbones?

I have 130mm sit bones - very average. The most comfortable saddle for me is the wider lady version - even though the men's version more closely fits my sit bone size.

Bike shops and fitters are currently taught to fit you on a saddle that exactly matches your sit bone width. However, when my local LBS measured my sit bones and spent about 45 minutes switching various saddles in for me, the two most comfortable ones *by far* were the very widest ones! (The TRK Lady, and the widest Specialized saddle.) My guess is that the wider cut-out (and in the case of the Specialized saddle, the wider depression) provided much more space for my 'lady bits' to sink in and not get pressured. That had been the problem for me with every other saddle I've ever tried.

So - consider that it's not just about sit bone width. Can you order two saddles and send one back? Or try some in a shop?

[mayanorange]

mariposa- did you try the mens trk too? I think I would like a wider cutout- my problem is especially at where my thigh inserts into my hip- most cutouts still have a ridge there and pinch a vein or my sciatic nerve or something (great anatomy description for a biologist, huh?) I think on the TRK/Plus/Avant where there's that bigger opening towards the back is where it normally hits me (even the Stratos I managed to try did that), so that bigger spot might help. I have an Allay on the way, but I like the look of the SMP better.

the LBSs don't seem to carry SMPs much- I might try batting some eyelashes to avoid a restock fee but don't want to push my luck by not knowing which one is most likely to work.

[emily_in_nc]

I have 130mm sit bones - very average. The most comfortable saddle for me is the wider lady version - even though the men's version more closely fits my sit bone size.

Me too -- 130mm sit bones, do much better on a 155mm saddle than a 140ish, which gave me a chronic saddle sore I couldn't get rid of for a year til I put on a wider saddle. Just another data point....

Emily

[mayanorange]

So I finally got my hands on the TRK- I ordered the 160 mens version, but the one that came measures 177, so must be the lady's tho it doesn't say lady on it. Regardless, I'm glad of the mistake- apparently I wasn't imagining that I was just on the edge of my 160 crap saddle. I slapped it on my bike once I got off the main drag the LBS is on and upon first sit, it was a totally different bike! My bones are supported beautifully, there's no way I could cause soft tissue issues, and I think the support even is helping my arm soreness too. I adore this thing. :D Only small issue is I need slightly wider chamois to actually cover the width of the saddle.

[Thorn]

I've switched over to Boure ( http://www.boure.com/1650.html ). It isn't a super thick chamois, but works well. If you're not tall, the inseams do run longer than many shorts (a plus for me). You need to order direct from Boure, but they rival TE for speed and efficiency.

[mayanorange]

Thanks Thorn. DH has some bibs from performance that have a similar chamois to that one that I was going to try (we're essentially the same size). Going to attempt to stop off and try on more brands one night this week.