Specialized Jett vs. Ruby?

[OakLeaf]

What's the difference between these two (besides $40 and a few grams)? I'm getting closer to taking the plunge and trying a new saddle...

[VeloVT]

I know nothing about the Ruby. I would warn you that the Alias (male counterpart to the Jett) has very hard, abrupt edges. BF has the Alias and I can ride it but don't love it (and he doesn't either actually).

[koala]

The information about the Alias sounds like it applies to the old version. It has been completely redesigned for 2008. If you are thinking about this saddle, I would make sure you are getting the 2008 version without the seams & the hard edges.

I have both of these saddles, and there is quite a difference between them in terms of feel. They both look dead flat, but the Ruby seems flatter, the Jett seems to have a little bit of dip to it. The padding on the Jett is all foam, while the Ruby has gel. They are both very firm, but there seems to be more padding to the Jett. The Ruby is completely smooth, so with slick shorts I move around on it more than I do on the Jett. In the mens' equivalents, I believe the Jett is the Alias and the Ruby is the Toupe. The cut-out on both is excellent, there are no sharp edges or seams to irritate and the shape of the hourglass works well for relief. The mens' cut-out is thinner & straight, no hourglass shape. I would not want to ride the mens' versions.

If possible, I would have the shop set up both for you to sit on before you decide. It is a matter of personal preference which one might feel more comfortable. Specialized offers a comfort guarantee on their saddles, so trying one should be relatively low-risk.

[ehirsch83]

The information about the Alias sounds like it applies to the old version. It has been completely redesigned for 2008. If you are thinking about this saddle, I would make sure you are getting the 2008 version without the seams & the hard edges.

I have both of these saddles, and there is quite a difference between them in terms of feel. They both look dead flat, but the Ruby seems flatter, the Jett seems to have a little bit of dip to it. The padding on the Jett is all foam, while the Ruby has gel. They are both very firm, but there seems to be more padding to the Jett. The Ruby is completely smooth, so with slick shorts I move around on it more than I do on the Jett. In the mens' equivalents, I believe the Jett is the Alias and the Ruby is the Toupe. The cut-out on both is excellent, there are no sharp edges or seams to irritate and the shape of the hourglass works well for relief. The mens' cut-out is thinner & straight, no hourglass shape. I would not want to ride the mens' versions.

If possible, I would have the shop set up both for you to sit on before you decide. It is a matter of personal preference which one might feel more comfortable. Specialized offers a comfort guarantee on their saddles, so trying one should be relatively low-risk.


I am pretty sure you are correct about the ruby being the equivalent to the Toupe and the Jett to the Alias.

I ride on the Toupe and I love it- it is thin, and has flex to it.
I never thought I would want to ride it, I thought when I got the new bike I would be switching it out after the first ride. But nope, first ride never noticed it was there! 2nd ride was a 100 miler and still never noticed it! The only time I notice it is when I am on the trainer, and I am pretty sure that is just because I don't have the incline adjusted to the right spot.

So this just proves to each her own and go try them!! Find a specialized dealer and see if they will let you try! I would try the women's and the men's. You never know what might work the best for you:p

[OakLeaf]

I would try the women's and the men's. You never know what might work the best for you:p

True, but the reason I'm not liking my Terry Liberator Ti is that I'm pretty sure it's too narrow for me. I'm thinking of the 155 mm Specialized saddles. Don't think they make the mens' that wide ;)

[ClickIn]

I just bought a Ruby s-works bike and LOVE the specialized saddle. It's the best I've ever ridden and I'm been riding for ....20 some years! If you go to a shop that sells specialized they will measure your butt (NOT as bad as it sounds) and then you get the correct size. All you do is sit on a memory foam pad, hop up and they quickly take the measurement.
:D

[OakLeaf]

I did a little experiment today.

Most of the manufacturers tell you to measure from the center of your sit-bone prints, where Knott tells us to measure from the outsides.

Here's why Knott is right (I believed her anyway! the experiment was just out of curiosity!) and why I now KNOW I need a wider saddle.

I made another butt print sitting on a piece of paper, on my Pilates mat, on a hard plastic stool, and this time I circled the indentations so I'd have a semi-permanent record. The deepest part of the indentations was over an inch in diameter on each side, not sure how much of that is my real bones and how much is, um, adipose tissue :rolleyes:

Then I laid the piece of paper on my Liberator. :eek: The circles are mostly beyond where the saddle starts to slope to the outsides. Besides that, I think the combination of my thunder thighs and the saddle's wide-ish nose forces me forward of the widest part of it.

I'm hoping the Specialized saddle has a somewhat flatter profile, besides being a little bit wider and more T-shaped. Unfortunately all the LBS has in stock in a 155 is a Lithia which I'm afraid will be too squishy. Didn't make it up there today, as it's 30 miles away, it rained off and on, I'm trying NOT to catch a terrible cold that's going around, and I'm TWO for the duration until DH gets home (which may be another week :(). Maybe tomorrow.

[Julibird]

Jett v Ruby.

Just happened to look at both saddles today and the guy in the LBS who helped me happened to have ridden the mens version of the Ruby and found that the decorative plastic tip (which looks cool) turned out to be a major irritant. He is short (5'6"?) and lean - but said that his thighs kept brushing against the plastic part which is only slightly protrudes beyond the leather of the saddle. He traded it in for a smoother saddle.

His buddy has the same saddle and is 6'1" and has no problems with the plastic shiny part.

So, on his word I just went for the Jett - and will see how I like it this weekend. I do like that you can choose the widths.

[OakLeaf]

I put on the Lithia and wow, what a difference. It is probably squishier than I'd like, but at $73 I'll keep it for the time being.

Of course it's totally rearranged my riding position :rolleyes: I'm going for a fitting on Tuesday if I make it back by then.

[Starfish]

I just bought a Ruby s-works bike

Wow, that must be some bike. I notice you are a little new to posting here on TE...please consider starting a new thread to introduce yourself and let us get a look at that bike! :D (Or, direct me to any posts where you have already done that...wow, an S-works! OK, OK so we want to get to know you, too...it is just not very often that someone has an S-works, and I would love to see yours!)

[ClickIn]

Hi!
Sorry for the VERY late response to your post about my bike ( a fellow TE member actually told me to check in and read your post)!

Well...out of something very sad, (my 13 yr old litespeed was stolen in Italy in Sept) .... came the Ruby S-works or as I call her, The Rocket Bike! My litespeed was covered by insurance and even though it was an old frame, thanks to my SO it was tricked out with sweet components and carbon this and that. So the reimbursement check covered the new bike.

Over the years I had tried a few WSD, but nothing clicked. Once I started test riding bikes and reading reviews the Ruby s-works was at the top of the list. Luckily I was able to test ride a 2008 model in my size at a Specialized WSD Test Ride event. I got to take it out for 20 miles and my mind was made up! That was in Oct. and I had to wait till Jan. to get it.

After all those years riding a bike that was a bit too long in the top tube for me (I have a very short torso)...this bike is a dream! With my center of gravity now in the correct place, I don't get wiped around in windy gusts and cornering no longer includes fighting the pull of gravity which would yank me to the outside. Every time I take it on a new road I learn something more about it! AND no toe overlap.

Trust me, I'm in awe every time I ride it! I can't even believe this is my bike!

[ghoundz]

I have both saddles. I've ridden a few thousand miles on my Jett and absolutely love it. Very rare that I have any chafing and it is comfy.
I've ridden only about 450 on the Ruby. We put it on our "go fast" tandem because it matches my husband's Toupe and is lighter than the Jett. Although it is also good in terms of no chafing, it seems significantly harder than the Jett. I haven't been able to get used to it yet, and always seem to feel "bruised" after riding.
Bottom line - if you're not a weight weanie, go for the Jett.
-Kenadi

[aicabsolut]

I used to ride a Jett, and now I have a Ruby.

Jett:
-too flexible and squishy
-too wide at middle (more chafing on inner thigh)
-more padding holds sweat and rain and whatever else and gets stinky

Ruby
-much firmer and lighter feeling. better feeling of power transfer, because butt bones are held more stable (less rocking from a more flexible saddle)
-requires a break-in period (sore butt bones at first!), but will mold to you
-i don't find the plastic tip to be any more annoying than the tall sides of the Jett towards the front
-doesn't get all sweat soaked
-i have white, and it gets dingy, but eh oh well. it looks hot!
-looks less girly, more like the Toupe (which I love), but is a better fit for me because I needed more width at the sit bones.