New Saddle Design by Topeak: Talk about Soft Tissue Relief!

[Ana]

I stumbled upon this while browsing for the Topeak Morph Road frame pump:

It's called the Allay :)

http://www.allaysaddles.com/line/lineall.htm

It says it's unisex and looks like it may have ultimate soft tissue relief (check out the side view!). It looks like it has a nice "T" shape like so many saddle seekers have expressed the desire for. I would LOVE to hear from anyone who has tried it or knows someone who has tried it! :)

[sgtiger]

Those look pretty cool. I'd like to hear the reviews too, please.

[MM_QFC!]

I saw them at the Topeak booth at Seattle's recent Bike Expo and when I touched that band of material (I do believe it's called the "AirSpan system with compress-free zone"), and gave him a questioning look (as I'm leery of seams, ridges, even edges of material in that strategic area), he said that it doesn't cause any issues...
I didn't get to sit on it though, so I'm interested in women's reviews too.

[Ana]

Here is a comment at the end of this thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-391332.html

[Thorn]

The Allay has been mentioned in multiple TE saddle threads. The most specific, I think, is: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=21707 Use the search function to learn more.

The saddle has been in limited distribution until very recently.

[Ana]

Yeah, I read that thread right after I posted my findings :) I can't find a lot of info on it.

[auntiebobo]

I ordered one at the Seattle Bike Expo and rode on it the first time this last Saturday - 28 miles. The jury is actually still out for me. It definitely isn't any worse than the stock saddle my Ruby Expert came with but I still felt a bit tender after just 28 miles. Next step will likely be to take it to my LBS and make sure I've got it positioned right as I don't think I'm sitting back on my sit bones enough. For me the cut-out in the orignal saddle just seemed to create more pressure points. I'm not sure if my tissue isssues (sorry couldn't resist) are posture and fit related or just not yet finding the right saddle.

I'll keep ya'll posted on what I decide.

[Idealmuse]

I just ordered one too. I'm hoping it's wide enough. Anyway I'll let you guys know what I think in a few weeks.

[salsabike]

It's still on my trainer, which I am on about two to three times a week for about 75 minutes. I still like it. But I know I won't know for sure till I take it out on a 30 mile trail ride, which should happen within the next month. Given how important the saddle quest is for all of us, I promise I will keep you all posted.

[auntiebobo]

So, I rode the Allay again today - just 26 miles and started to feel some discomfort around mile 20. I decided to pump to bladder full of more air and I could notice it becoming noticeably firmer and much more comfortable. It looks like that may be the trick for me keeping it firm and it seems very comfortable.

[alpinerabbit]

It says it's unisex and looks like it may have ultimate soft tissue relief (check out the side view!).

Check out the top view too :D:D:D am I twisted or what does it look like to you gals.....:eek:

[bmccasland]

Check out the top view too :D:D:D am I twisted or what does it look like to you gals.....:eek:

You mean, not a bike saddle? Blink blink :o

[KnottedYet]

I am loving the Topeak Allay website!

so much good saddle info!

Looky, not only do they give the dimensions of the saddle, BUT they also give the sit-bone span that the saddle supports!

(so, like the 175mm Allay has a 120-150mm sit-bone correspondence)
http://www.allaysaddles.com/line/sport.htm

I LOVE IT!!!!!

I wish all saddle manufacturers gave out this kind of info!

[Ana]

Maybe it's a ploy to get you into the bike shop in search of a saddle....perhaps they know that once you have a bike you have bike-buying weakness! :P

[emily_in_nc]

Does anyone else have anything more to report on the Allay saddle? I'm specifically interested in whether the edge of the nose section rubs the girly bits. It looks awfully narrow in that section.

I have decided I need a wider saddle after measuring my sitbones on my yoga mat and discovering that they are wider than I realized (about 130 mm c-to-c). I've been riding a skinny Selle San Marco Atola Gelaround, and although the cutout is excellent (diamond-shaped and soft) so the soft-tissue relief is amazing, I've got a persistent saddle sore on the left side in the crease between my inner thigh and labia. Finally realized, when pressing on the tissue in that area on both sides, that I am sitting mostly on the bones on farther in on my pelvis, not enough on my sitbones (which are not sore at all).

I've just started riding again this spring (mtb), so the soreness is pretty pronounced. I've had better luck with Terry Butterfly saddles over the years, though I do get chafing/rawness in back on longer rides so always thought they were too wide for me. Now I'm thinking that the width in back was right after all, and that it's the fact that they are more pear-shaped that was a problem.

So, I'm currently thinking about a more t-shaped saddle for my mountain bike. Considering the Allay (but it doesn't have a cutout, which I've always needed in the past to avoid that stinging when peeing after a ride) and the Specialized Ruby SL (which does have a cutout) in the 155 mm size so far. The Ruby appeals the most but is pricy.

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks,
Emily

[Thorn]

I tried it. I did not like it. I really, really wanted to like it. I've been drooling over it for more than a year. When it finally was released, I made my LBS order it for me and nagged them until it arrived. I thought it would be perfect--wide enough across the rear, get out of the way where I didn't want it and T-shaped to get rid of that chafing.

Alas, with my 175mm Sport Road wide model and great enthusiasm, I put it on the trainer. Yuck. Way, way, way too soft in the sit area (sigh...why do saddle manufacturers think wide must be poofy?). With the air pillow in, there was too much pressure on the bits; with the air pillow out, I fell off the rear. Its hard to explain, but the sit area was so soft that without any support in the nose, sitting compressed the rear and...whoosh...into the cutout area I'd slide.

I tried nosing up, shoving the saddle forward (the rails were too short to get it really far forward), nosing down (hey, I really, really wanted the saddle to work and I was willing to try anything!), nose flat...nothing. The saddle just didn't work for me.

So, for now, I'm back to my Selle SMP Lady Strike. Chafes a little, but a good cutout and wide enough to just support the pelvis. And, yes, this vegetarian even broke down and tried a Brooks B68, but, alas, I need a cutout. However, Brooks says if the B17 Imperial trials go well, there will be a B68 Imperial at year end. The real question is whether the nether regions will last that long....sigh...

[mimitabby]

bummer Thorn !

[Thorn]

Yeah, me ol' bum is a bit bummed, too! :D

But, the bright side was that I actually got the Brooks marketing person to respond to my email about the possibilty that a B68 Imperial might some day exist. So, while my Topeak Allays dreams have been smashed, they have been replaced by the hopes and dreams that Brooks moves forward with their cutout and really does make a B68 Imperial.

We all need hope that our perfect saddle is out there....somewhere....

[emily_in_nc]

Thorn,

Thanks for the information -- that is really exactly the information I was looking for. I wondered about many of the aspects of this saddle that you mentioned. I really think I need a cutout too as I've always had problem with chafing in the girly bits when I didn't have one. Right now I'm looking at the Specialized Ruby SL and Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow saddles. In the meantime, I'll go back to my Terry Butterfly in order not to continue injuring myself!

I really appreciate it as you just saved me $50 -- I felt that this saddle was probably too good to be true, and too complicated for me with the air pump and everything. I like to keep things simple whenever possible!

Emily

[Ana]

Oh no. Another possibly good idea resulting to disappointment.....too bad. :(

[Tonya]

I have the allay saddle on order, should arrive tomorrow.

[Ciao]

Any update from those of you using the Allay? I was in the US for a bit and got to try the Jett at a LBS - I was thinking it would work, and the channel width was right (length could have been a hint longer for me) but the sides of the channels were like rocks... So, my 2nd thought was the Allay.

Thanks for any info...

[salsabike]

Shape is great. But the air pillow slowly loses air and eventually makes it sag in the middle, in the MOST uncomfortable way. Until they fix that, I wouldn't buy it again. I have one that we will try to prop up in the middle with foam, maybe.

[Biciclista]

Shape is great. But the air pillow slowly loses air and eventually makes it sag in the middle, in the MOST uncomfortable way. Until they fix that, I wouldn't buy it again. I have one that we will try to prop up in the middle with foam, maybe.

well that's a drag, you haven't even had it that long!

[Ciao]

That's a bummer... :(

Does anyone else have experience with the Allay? Any different - or the same?

[mayanorange]

I got one to try and while I love the concept, the nose was way to narrow for my apparently wide ischial rami bones. Hubby rides it and really likes it. I ended up in the Selle SMP strike lady.