I'm still looking -- Terry saddles?

[CorsairMac]

No Terrys here: I have a Specialized MTB on the commuter, a Specialized Sport Road on the Peugeot and the Bontrager that came with the MTB which I offcially HATE!! Switching out for the Specialized MTB just as soon as tomorrow! The Spec Road has gel pads for your sit bones and they are Right where my sit bones sit! there's a channel/cutout that runs thru the middle - too narrow to fall thru but open enough to not mash the more *insert southern accent here* "sensative" parts. Right now I have no desire to try anything else!

Corsair "lives in fear of a bad saddle" Mac

[alison_in_oh]

Corsair "lives in fear of a bad saddle" Mac

Just call me Alison "dreaming of a ride that doesn't make me flinch" in OH! :D

Tonight's 34 miles were a treat. :mad: Started out gamely sitting on my bruised buttbones, but soon had to alternate between smashing my girlbits, sitting on the bruises, and rolling all the way back so my back was arched and my arms locked out...

I figured out though that the narrowness of the current saddle is causing all the pressure to go to the *inside* of my buttbones as the saddle is already falling away by the time my rear actually has anything contacting it -- which seems to be why the bruising. My most efficient position (the one necessary when, say, the guys who led you out farther than you wanted to go suddenly realize the sun is setting and we need to pick up the pace!) seems to be one where both the buttbones and the girlparts are getting pressure. Joy.

Sigh. I have a whole day off the bike tomorrow, that will help I hope!

[SadieKate]

Sounds like you need to visit a Specilized a$$-o-meter. :o

I know what you're going through. I'm cringing for you.

[alison_in_oh]

Sounds like you need to visit a Specilized a$$-o-meter. :o

I know what you're going through. I'm cringing for you.

Specialized sounds like it has its fans. One of their preferred women's geometry blah-de-blah vendors is a bike shop where my friend used to work, on my way home from the wedding I'm going to tomorrow.

Whaddya think, will hubby kill me for popping in and asking them to set me up with something, anything that won't make me hurt? Very tempted. I think I'll go look up their hours right now!

[SadieKate]

I suspect if you measure your sitbones with the thing, you don't have to buy a Specialized saddle. You could always go the sillyputty on the sofa arm approach (was that Spazz's idea?).

[spazzdog]

Yes, I am the silly putty concept grrl.

But alison, I swear to you, check out the Koobi line. I use the SI Classic ($69) and have since 2005. My saddle model has been upgraded to SI Classic Gel. But they have a whole line of saddles from womens thru racing.

Go to: http://www.koobi.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=2

They are truly wonderful saddles. Ride it for a while, if you don't like it I believe they take it back within 30 days as long as it's not damaged.

spazz

[CorsairMac]

It could just be me but that channel looked a little - ummm...well....wide. My first thought when I saw that was: I would fall into the channel!! :eek: Could it just be the pix??

[spazzdog]

No, it is wider than the usual. And it really works.

I'm a bit narrow in the nether region (no child bearing here) but its still very comfy once you get broken in to it.

The points of "owies" are different during butt break-in, i.e. you get a bit of butt beating on the lower end of the sitz (sp) bone and around those pencil like ligaments toward the front where your leg screws into your torso. But after a few days of consistant riding it goes away.

The great part about that channel is where there is air (the channel) there is no friction, no heat build up, no chafing.

Since switching to that saddle, I no longer EVER use chamois cream. I never get chafing and best of all, the eh-hmm... friction burn I WAS getting on my labia and the little buddy they protect, has never recurred.

I tried Terry saddles... no good for me.

[alison_in_oh]

Since switching to that saddle, I no longer EVER use chamois cream. I never get chafing and best of all, the eh-hmm... friction burn I WAS getting on my labia and the little buddy they protect, has never recurred.

I tried Terry saddles... no good for me.

Heh, best description ever of the damage my original saddle gave me!

The absolute worst part of the current saddle is the narrowness. Everything else I can deal with; instead of "friction burn" I'm just getting a little mashing -- and even that is improving as I grow calluses. :eek:

Hubby bought me a WTB on eBay. It's cheap, so it's OK if it doesn't work. Can't wait to try *anything* different from what I have.

It's a gorgeous day and I have a new friend to ride with and all I can think about is how much it's going to bloody HURT to sit that saddle for two hours. I'd love to get two and a half to three hours for training purposes but it ain't gonna happen on this saddle. :(

I've decided if the eBay saddle doesn't work, then it's LBS all the way and I will test-ride every recommended saddle from these boards that I can find!

EDIT: Dangit Spazz, your Pursuit is on sale for $40! That's almost irresistable, but I'd better give hubby's find a try first.

[Veronica]

We're all made differently, but I LOVE my Brooks. I've spent ten hours on that thing with none of the icky problems described.

V.

[fasteryet]

I came over to the Koobi side last fall, and am staying.

[spazzdog]

I knew you'd like it fasteryet. Every woman I know who tried it has become a faithful Koobi user.

I know it feels a little different at first, but the difference doesn't affect the ole tender bits.

[massbikebabe]

I'm with V...

Once you go Brooks you never go back...

karen

[fixedgeargirl]

I swing both ways. I have a Brooks Finesse on my mtb, and have loved it from day one. Brooks seem to develop a custom fit after a time.

When DH built my road bike, I was still a relative newbie, so I decided to go out on a limb, experiment a little, when I chose the saddle. I knew that in an aero position I would want a narrower nose than the Brooks has, and also wanted to try a cut-out. I have a Terry Damselfly. It can be, erm, intense. Initially, I wished for some gel under my buns. But when I am conditioned, which really only has to be a couple of rides a week, I don't notice it, which is high praise for a piece of gear, really. If it's fullfilling its function, everything should be running smoothly and your consciousness should be on the task at hand.

Anyhoo, that's my 2 cents.

[Veronica]

I've been thinking about putting a Finesse on my mountain bike. I have a Terry Butterfly on it now. It's uncomfortable for the first few minutes, but then I get into the ride and don't notice it so much. It does seem to squish things that I'd rather not have squished. :p

V.

[alison_in_oh]

I have never known such joy as realizing that I've just capped off 25 miles on my new saddle and am feeling only the thrill of the ride. No bruising of the buttbones. No mashing or chafing of the tender parts -- not even wearing boy-chamois! I can't wait to get a long ride in! Whoo!

(This might not be my final saddle, but it gives me such hope for my future in this sport! Such a wonderful day to be alive! :D)

[Veronica]

I think I may take my Finesse off the tandem and give it a try on the MTB.

V.

[joyrider]

...on the WTB. As to your old saddle, I'm coming to that same point with my Serfas Rx. It was great when I was riding max 30 - 45 minutes. But now, I'm just in pain all the time. Mashed ladyparts I expect and to a certain extent I can stand, but my sitbones are hurting so bad I'm really bogging down on longer rides. It's this radiating pain that lasts for days - in fact, went for a 45 minute ride last night and it's bothering me to sit here. Basically, I'm turning for home because my butt hurts so bad I can't take it anymore! Whine, whine.
Anyway, you know what's funny? My new Trek came with a WTB that I instantly ripped off to put on what I considered to be my "fancy, woman-specific" Serfas. I'm thinking about popping the WTB back on. I envy your 25 mile ride with no pain! I want that Hallelujah Moment! I, too, have a husband who is starting to turn purple every time I mention another bicycle expenditure. I guess it's a good thing I got the Serfas at REI - because back it goes! - two months later, covered in mud...

[alison_in_oh]

...on the WTB. As to your old saddle, I'm coming to that same point with my Serfas Rx. It was great when I was riding max 30 - 45 minutes. But now, I'm just in pain all the time. Mashed ladyparts I expect and to a certain extent I can stand, but my sitbones are hurting so bad I'm really bogging down on longer rides. It's this radiating pain that lasts for days - in fact, went for a 45 minute ride last night and it's bothering me to sit here. Basically, I'm turning for home because my butt hurts so bad I can't take it anymore! Whine, whine.
Anyway, you know what's funny? My new Trek came with a WTB that I instantly ripped off to put on what I considered to be my "fancy, woman-specific" Serfas. I'm thinking about popping the WTB back on. I envy your 25 mile ride with no pain! I want that Hallelujah Moment! I, too, have a husband who is starting to turn purple every time I mention another bicycle expenditure. I guess it's a good thing I got the Serfas at REI - because back it goes! - two months later, covered in mud...

Oof, I feel your pain! Sounds like how the Selle Italia treated me, I can almost feel the phantom pain now! Ick!

I've now ridden the WTB Speed She Comp for two treks of over 3 hours each in addition to intermittent 20-30 mile jaunts(...a little over 300 miles not including near-daily commutes, just 10 minutes each way). About the 3 hour mark, my rear just barely starts to get uncomfy -- basically, like I've been sitting too long! No pressure points, no smashing of any sort. I'm not sure I will ever be able to tolerate that kind of pain again! I might go with another saddle if I start getting more serious (looks like my first race this weekend!) just because I can tell that some of my power's getting sapped into the bounciness of the padding, and the nose is a bit wide so it chafes in some positions. Otherwise -- I'm stoked! Spread the word, pain-free riding is possible! :D

[Trek420]

alison_in_oh "Yeesh. I've spent the last seventy or eighty miles on a men's Selle Italia Turbomatic Gel. In a few positions I can ease the mashing of the tender bits, but my sitbones are killing me"

I just switched from the Avocet OS 2 gel to the Sella Italia Women's Gel.

I've been bike commuting on it (short rides) and 1 or 2 longer rides, it seems ok so far. I've gone back and forth between either Terry or Avocet before so this is my first Selle.

[alison_in_oh]

alison_in_oh "Yeesh. I've spent the last seventy or eighty miles on a men's Selle Italia Turbomatic Gel. In a few positions I can ease the mashing of the tender bits, but my sitbones are killing me"

I just switched from the Avocet OS 2 gel to the Sella Italia Women's Gel.

I've been bike commuting on it (short rides) and 1 or 2 longer rides, it seems ok so far. I've gone back and forth between either Terry or Avocet before so this is my first Selle.

I determined it was definitely the saddle width that caused the most trouble. The pressure was all on the inside of my sitbones, because the seat was already sloping off by the time it reached the width of my pelvis. It was like someone was driving a wedge up there to try to split my pelvis in half, ugh!

I'm pretty sure I've heard of other women liking the Women's Selle Italia though. :)