Saddle return policy (TeamEstrogen)

[JaneE]

Hi,

I've spent the past three days pouring over every saddle thread that I could find...don't think I've made through all of them yet, though. ;)

I've been having saddle issues, as so many women posting to these forums are also having. Been through a number of saddles from my LBS, and while they've been very patient I think their selection of in-stock saddles is on the limited side.

My question is: What kind of return policy does the Team Estrogen site have regarding saddles? I've looked all over and can't see a FAQ page or any kind of return policy. (Having said that, there could very well be such a page but my blind-as-a-bat-ness is just getting in the way :confused: ) I think I'd like to give one of those Selle An-atomica saddles a try, but they're pricey enough that I'd like to know that if I end up hating it I could return it without too much trouble.

We're going to be giving touring a try this summer (we'll be picking up our new Surly LHTs possibly tomorrow...yippee!) and I'm desperate to find a saddle that doesn't make me scream (or at least *want* to ;)) after only a couple of hours on the bike.

TIA! :)

Jane

[SadieKate]

If it isn't here, call them and get it direct from the horse's mouth (so to speak).

http://www.teamestrogen.com/shipping.asp#returns

[JaneE]

Thanks, SadieKate. :) I'll be giving them a call tomorrow.

'Course, the information was easy to find once I knew where it was. ;)

Jane

[JaneE]

Just as a follow-up:

I sent a note to the TE customer service email address yesterday. I ended up calling their order number this afternoon and asking the nice lady on the other end of the phone about a Selle An-Atomica return policy. She put me on hold while she checked, then told me that yes, there is a 90-day return policy on the Selle An-Atomica saddles. Good enough. I ordered a nice red one this afternoon. :)

Then I got a reply to my original query to customer service: No returns on the Selle An-Atomica! :confused:

I immediately wrote back, of course, hoping to get a definitive answer. On another thread I read a response by someone at TE stating that there IS a guarantee on the An-Atomicas but there is NO guarantee on the Selle Italia. Maybe that was the root of the confusion?

Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I received yet another response clarifying that TE is DEFINITELY offering a 90-day guarantee on the Selle An-Atomica. No explanation of why I had been told the opposite just a few minutes earlier, but...whatever. I'm happy. :)

Can't wait to get the saddle...I have high hopes! :)

Jane

P.S. Just got an email stating that the saddle has already shipped. Yeah! I should definitely have it by next Monday. :)

[Blueberry]

P.S. Just got an email stating that the saddle has already shipped. Yeah! I should definitely have it by next Monday. :)

Glad you got your answer - I'd look for it Saturday - I'm always pleasantly surprised:)

CA

[ladyicon]

I also just ordered a Selle An-atomica saddle. I found it for $10.00 less with only $5.00 shipping. Western bikeworks only has a 30 day return policy. Gee...I hope this is long enough for me to decide :confused:
Let me know how you like the saddle as I will report on it. What type of bike are you putting it on? What saddle are you riding now? Sorry about all the questions, but it took me quite some time (2 days hehe) to decide to spend the money on one.
I am putting it on my Specialized Ruby expert. I am now riding the Jett and find that I am getting sores, meaning the saddle is too narrow for me.
When it comes to saddles and comfort for longer than 20 miles I get soooooo confused on the whole situation. This saddle had better fit well for the price :rolleyes:

[momof4greatkids]

I'm test-riding a new saddle from Brooks called "Imperial" which is similar to the Selle ana-tomica.

If the Selle is anywhere near the quality of the Brooks you will love it. Great choice.

Colleen

[JaneE]

I'm mainly riding my Dolce right now. We've been *trying* to get in some longer rides (50+ miles) in preparation for doing some touring/camping this summer but the dad-gum saddle issues are really handicapping me.

I've tested several Specialized saddles over the past few weeks: Lithia, Jett, Dolce...none of them have worked out. I'm getting a little nervous about it since we'll be picking up our touring bikes either tomorrow or Saturday (Surly LHT) and I'm not holding my breath that the stock saddles on those will be oh-so-comfy.

If this Selle works out I will be getting another one for the new Surly. :D

I will certainly post an update after I've given the An-Atomica a try.

Jane

[Norse]

Looking forward to hearing your updates JaneE and ladyicon as the SAA is one that I am considering in my struggle (see "saddle sore" thread) to find the right saddle. I went down to a LBS the other night and picked up a Jett 143, but I am going back tonight to get the 155 as my sit bones are on the edge with the 143 when I am on the hoods. I don't think the Jett is likely to be more than a temporary fix to the chafing/saddle sore problem though as the sit bone area is hard as a rock. The Lithia, on the other hand, seems too cushy for my tushy.

My road bike is a Trek 5200.

[OakLeaf]

Norse, did you ride a Lithia? I was worried it would be too squishy too, but it's been fine to ride. (I don't race or ride terribly hard, though.) I may go for a Jett next time just for a little less padding in the forward area around the cutout, but the sitbone area doesn't move around noticeably. Really, just by sticking my thumbs in them at the LBS, it seems like the Jett is only a little bit harder than the Lithia.

[lattae]

I'll be looking forward to your reviews on the SAA also.. I've been using a selle italia gel flow and really love it but due to excess sweating it's already wearing down. So I'm thinking about the SAA since its leather and has the cut out. I may order the SAA in a couple weeks. Keep us all posted about the saddle.

[Norse]

No, I have not actually rode on the Lithia, just looked at it and poked my fingers at it. Maybe I'll have to try that too.

[ladyicon]

Got my saddle in the mail yesterday and put it on my bike. Went for a short ride in the neighborhood, did a few adjustments, went for another ride and so on. When I thought I had it dialed in I stopped adjusting and waited for today and went for an 8 mile ride. I could only go 8 miles :(.
I had this terrible rubbing on the backside of the saddle. I adjusted some more, but still annoying rubbing :mad:.
I am soooo impatient when it comes to things like this :eek:.
I will go for a longer ride this weekend, but first I must adjust some more. As of today, the saddle is going back on Monday :(.
If anyone has any suggestions, I am very open to them.

[lattae]

Well let us all know about your weekend ride on the SAA. I was about ready to purchase one but don't not sure about it. Do we have any reports on the Brooks Imperial yet? How expensive is the Imperial?

[JaneE]

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to this. Between the bad weather we've been having and a wisdom-teeth-removal-gone-bad for one of our kids (he's better now, thankfully) I haven't been able to spend much time on bike issues.

Anyway, the saddle was delivered last Saturday. That's pretty darned quick service considering that I only ordered it two days before that and live on the whole other side of the country. :)

It was installed according to how my previous saddle had been mounted and it felt better right out of the box than the others I'd been trying, though it by no means just "disappeared" under me. Hmmm...guess we'd better actually read the instructions. :D

So, I've been experimenting with fore and aft and think I have that nailed. I've also been playing around with the tension. There is a HUGE variation between tight and loose tension. As of this morning I think I'm getting pretty close. :)

Bottom line: It's a keeper. I'll continue to tweak it a bit and until I'm able to get out for anything other than a quick test-spin around the neighborhood (hopefully tomorrow) I guess I won't know 100%. I feel fairly confident in saying, though, that it is BY FAR the most comfortable saddle I've tried. I'm feeling pretty good about it. :)

[ladyicon]

I wish I was having the same ease of fit :confused: Do not go by what I think about the saddle, you can always return it if no like. I thought I had the saddle dialed in on neighborhood test runs too. Good luck on your long ride, let us know.
How tight do you have the tension screw???

[JaneE]

I wish I was having the same ease of fit :confused: Do not go by what I think about the saddle, you can always return it if no like. I thought I had the saddle dialed in on neighborhood test runs too. Good luck on your long ride, let us know.
How tight do you have the tension screw???

I actually (finally ;) ) followed the instructions and loosened it almost all the way and then started re-tightening it bit by bit. This is the process I'm in now...a little more and then a little more, etc. It's feeling pretty good but a long ride will certainly tell the tale. :)

I'll keep you posted.

[redrhodie]

I actually (finally ;) ) followed the instructions and loosened it almost all the way and then started re-tightening it bit by bit. This is the process I'm in now...a little more and then a little more, etc. It's feeling pretty good but a long ride will certainly tell the tale. :)

I'll keep you posted.


The day I got mine, my LBS guy told me not to be too quick to adjust the tension. He also has an An Atomica (or two), and said ride it until it sags a little, then make the tiniest adjustment, like a quarter turn. I've only added tension to one of mine one time. As the manual advises, don't adjust it to make it look a certain way. It's okay if it slings a little, as long as the cut out doesn't start to close or overlap, you're still good.

Ladyicon, I'm not sure if I can offer any help, since I had mine installed at my LBS by my bike monk. I did read the manual, but there were so many things to consider, I left it up to the pros. I would say that if you didn't have it installed by someone who really knows bike fit, it may be worth it to give that route a try.

We are all different sizes and shapes, so if it doesn't work out, another will. It will just take time to find your Prince Charming saddle. Good luck on your quest!

[ladyicon]

Unfortunately I do not have a bike monk, I wish I did!!! My LBS's have not been able to help me before.
I have decided that I will NOT give up and spend the weekend trying to make it work.
It feels comfortable till I go more than 8 miles or so. Everyone i have talked to says to be patient and keep changing things (one at a time though). It will be worth the time to feel comfortable :p. The bottom line is.... I will not give up! :confused:

[mudmucker]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by rubbing on the backside of the saddle. Do you mean that you are sliding around and therefore moving too much? Is an edge of the saddle rubbing on your leg?

Here are some things that I have found and/or remedied with this saddle and have adjusted. I've had this saddle for a year and it's working out pretty well for me.

1. At first, I had some rubbing on my left inner thigh, caused by the edge of the material. I took a file and filed it smoother and rounded it off (when I knew I was going to keep it). That and the right saddle position.

2. At first I didn't feel like I had a platform for power output, or rather didn't feel like I was getting maximum power with each pedal stroke. I had to tension it quite a bit to feel that there wasn't so much give, as some of the power output was going into the saddle as opposed to foot-pedal-forward motion. I had it so it was still cushy; it absorbed road impact and didn't bruise the sitbones like other saddles. (Alot of my pavement here is bad). Once I tensioned it, my mph actually went up a bit, but that could be because it also was the most comfortable that I'd been on a saddle.

3. Once I tensioned it, I did kind of slide around. Shorts that weren't slippery also helped keep me in place. I had gotten a fit done by John Allis at Belmont Wheelworks, a former racer in the 60's. He recommended tilting that kind of saddle up a little because you don't slide around or down into the hammock. He said when he raced on leather saddles he always used to tilt them up big time to keep him in one spot.

Obviously, too much tilting puts pressure up front so there is a balance.

4. I had to go to shorts with thinner chamois with this saddle.

[ladyicon]

Thanks for the info. Mudmucker. I think what I find myself doing is pushing backward on the saddle. I will go out and nose the saddle up a bit and see if that works. My chamois is fairly thin, I wear PI Ultrasensor shorts.
Thanks for the info., I will put it to good use. I will post a picture later.

[JaneE]

Just got home from our Saturday ride (55+ mile loop up to Lake Ontario and back). Made a few minor adjustments to the seat along the way: scootched it forward about another cm and played around with the tension a bit (tightened it a bit, realized it wasn't as comfortable, loosened it again).

Over all I'm very happy with this saddle. :) When we got home I felt as though I could have continued to ride, instead of feeling like I wanted to cry. ;)

I will definitely be purchasing another one for my touring bike.

Ladyicon: maybe you need to move your saddle forward a tiny bit if you find yourself pushing yourself back constantly? I haven't experimented with any nose-up or down adjustment, but I'm going to just to see (and feel) the differences. Good luck!

[mudmucker]

I think what I find myself doing is pushing backward on the saddle.
Ah, the same thing would happen to me. I kept pushing back on the saddle. That's why John tilted it up a little, because I kept sliding forward into the concave/hammock part of the saddle and it threw everything off. It helped tremendously, but again, there is that fine line of too much and front parts get pressure. Tilting it forward for me, put too much weight on my arms.

Another symptom of pushing back on the saddle is that your stem might be too short. That is, if you already have the fore and aft set to your liking. JaneE you bring up an interesting point; my fore-aft was set, but one would think to move the saddle forward if you keep pushing back. It's a little counter-intuitive, but John actually gave me a longer stem. I think because one essentially might have too much proportional weight to the front and you want to keep pushing back from it. A longer stem put me at least, at such an angle that more of my weight was placed to the back part and I didn't push back anymore or move around as much.

This may or not be your case. And getting in a slightly more aggressive position might not be where you're at, or maybe it aggrevates something else. Lots of things to balance.

[OakLeaf]

Another thing that caused me to keep pushing back on a saddle was when the saddle was too pear-shaped for me - so it kept forcing my thighs forward, and the rest of my body had nothing to do but go along. It sounds like you can adjust the lacing to make this saddle more T-shaped?

[mudmucker]

How interesting. I never would have thought of that cause and effect. Instinctively then, you would want to move the saddle forward.

An-atomica's don't have lacing underneath. Darn if I missed that one as I do prefer T shaped but the pear is alright too. I actually just had to go run out and check. Mine doesn't - maybe the newer versions do? That reminds me - I've seen it somewhere - maybe someone modified theirs, but I do recall somewhere that someone might have added lacing on their own. Ah, another topic - I digress from the thread.

[JaneE]

If you're still having problems getting the Selle An-Atomica to work well for you, you might try contacting the company directly.

When I ordered my saddle (from TE) I was told that the company is VERY accommodating, patient and helpful to people who are having fit issues.

The contact info from my instruction sheet is:

Email: cs@mcmwin.com
Phone: (707) 372-6540
On the web: www.mcmwin.com

[lattae]

How's everyone doing with their new SAA? I just purchased mine and went on a test ride and it felt a lot different than my selle italia gel flow... I'm hoping that this saddle will withstand the sweat and humidity better than my previous saddle. I'm going to do a longer ride tomorrow and see how this saddle feels. I hope its a keeper. I don't quite understand the tension bolt,, I don't know whether to leave it alone for now or what.. guess I could always email the manufacturer or read my instructions more carefully.

[mamaof5]

Koobi Saddles are AWESOME! We used to own a pro-road shop, and I tried just about every saddle that came through the door. I now ride a Koobi PRS, and it's the best saddle I've ever ridden- hands down. Friday was my first day back on the bike in years. I put in 35 miles on my first trek out and never even noticed the saddle. The owner asks questions when you call to make sure he gets you in the best saddle for you. They're not cheap, but well worth it! http://koobi.com/bicycle-saddle-reviews-0.html

[ladyicon]

Hi Latte. Sadly, I sent mine back this week :( It was just too much saddle for me and I felt like was riding on a hammock. :rolleyes:. I put my Jett saddle back on, but I am still uncomfortable. I guess I am looking for the perfect saddle for me.
I will order some from TE since their return policy is so good.
good luck with your saddle. Read the directions carefully and it will explain all the parts of the saddle.

[lattae]

I went on a 33 mile ride this eve and I'm not sure if I'm going to be happy with this saddle. I heard some squecking noise from the nose of the saddle with every peddle stroke. It just seems like my alignment is all off since I started riding with it. I'll keep trying and see if I can make this work.

[KatyLady]

I've been riding with a SAA for several months and am very happy with it. I set the tension according to instructions when it was new, tilted it down ever so slightly, and never looked back.