Bontrager women's Inform saddles now available

[ny biker]

I just got an email from my LBS manager telling me the Inform women's saddles will be in store tomorrow.

I know Bontrager saddles generally have a bad rep, but I'm curious to see what all their research has led to. So I plan to check them out. There is a 90-day comfort guarantee.

Of course the timing is not great for me right now since I've been training all summer for a 70 mile ride that will take place in just over two weeks and I don't want to mess with a new saddle until that is over. So I will try the new saddle starting in late August/early September (maybe for the Civil War Century?).

But if anyone is saddle shopping right now and they want something without a cut-out, this might be worth looking at. They come in different widths and a Trek dealer should have a measurement device to determine which width is recommended for your sit bones.

The background on their research is here:

http://bontrager.com/inform

They still list the Inform saddles under "Men's/Unisex" but maybe that will be updated soon.

(No I don't work for Trek or Bontrager, I'm just intrigued by their research and willing to give it a try. :))

[mimitabby]

very interesting. the inform RL comes in 3 sizes. the R model looks like a torture device.

I hope someone tries one of the bigger sizes out soon, I am most curious to hear what they are like. (and they do have a nice narrow nose)

[mayanorange]

Very interesting..... my little biomech mind likes to see dots and force graphs!

"One interesting result of this pressure mapping was the realization that the highest points of pressure do not correspond to the sit bone structure; cyclists do not sit on their sit bones."

This is sort of what I was thinking on my last ride- trying to find where I belong on a road bike still- and whenever I thought 'wait, I have to sit on my sit bones', I'd tuck my butt under and be really uncomfortable. Instead, I wanted to tip my pelvis forward a bit (this of course makes me remember that my current saddle squishes my girly bits, but that's another issue). I can't even imagine actually sitting on your sit bones in the drops and sure enough, they're graphs in the drops show the huge increase in pressure, especially in the ladies, when you go into the drops. Also, I still think the sitbones should be supported even though we're not always right on them. My only question from this would be is the SMP design more what we need- the pressure seems to be all centrally located, maybe because we have round pelvises and saddles tend to be flat?? I'd LOOOOOVE to see similar graphs from Selle on the SMP to see if they get a more even distribution of force in the entire 'cup' shape. They have quotes that it proves good circulation, but don't show the pressure proof.... which usually means it isn't there. I'm very intrigued nonetheless as a biomechanist and as someone who hates their current saddle!

PS- there's an article in last month's Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal that has similar pressure data from a Bontrager Race and Fizik. If anyone wants to see it, email me and I'll send you the pdf- it's one of those journals that requires a subscription so I can't just link to it.

[Fujichants]

I bought one of these saddles today...I will post a review after a couple of long-ish rides. I got it in the 154 mm after being fitted on the Bontrager measurement thing.

I must say...it looks really nice, and I got a lot of compliments on it already. But it also looks like it is going to hurt. I'll let you guys know!

[Fujichants]

NEVER MIND. The store sold me a men's one! I am going back there tomorrow to order the women's one. Seriously...GRRR this frustrates me.

[Zen]

I was just at my Trek dealer today and bought a Terry Butterfly.
He never mentioned these.
I guess he knows how I feel about Bontrager saddles :p

[ny biker]

I'm planning to go in tomorrow to have my butt measured and pick out a saddle. I've got a couple of short (20-30 mile) test rides planned for this weekend and if they go well I'll test it on the Civil War metric next weekend.

[Zen]

How do you pronounce Bontrager?

Bont-rage-er?
Bon-tray-grr?
Bon-tray-jer?

[emily_in_nc]

How do you pronounce Bontrager?

Bont-rage-er?
Bon-tray-grr?
Bon-tray-jer?

I was told it was pronounced "Bon-trahh-grr", with the emphasis on the middle syllable (ahhhh sound). German, I guess. Not sure that's right, but the person who told me was rather informed about all things cycling.

Anyone know for sure?

[VeloVT]

I have not seen the women's version of this saddle yet. However, earlier this summer, bf was looking for a new saddle and I was scoping out the local shops for him. I handled the men's version of this saddle and it looked to me like something I would be able to ride (and I have had some pretty bad experiences with the older generations of Bontrager saddles). I think these new Bontrager saddles are much better -- I am willing to give Bontrager saddles a second chance based on how these look.

They have a much flatter profile, unlike the older ones that had a pronounced curve from tip to tail. That curve **killed** me... But apparently it works for some people. It's kind of like the difference between the Fizik Arione, which I find very comfy, and the Fizik Aliante, which I haven't actually ridden but it looks like a torture device to me, with that big contour. However, it's one of their best selling saddles, so go figure...

[VeloVT]

I say it "bahn' tray-ghur" but I probably sound like I don't know my stuff :rolleyes:...

[OakLeaf]

http://www.bontrager.com/faqs/general_faqs/en

[ny biker]

I'm planning to go in tomorrow to have my butt measured and pick out a saddle. I've got a couple of short (20-30 mile) test rides planned for this weekend and if they go well I'll test it on the Civil War metric next weekend.

Well after 20 miles on my new saddle, the Inform RL, I'm not sure what to think.

First I should note that my old saddle was pretty comfortable. Sometimes it would hurt on long rides, usually on flatter terrain, which I guess is because I don't move around on the seat as much when I'm not climbing. The pain was clearly due to too much pressure on the narrow part in front. But the saddle is old and getting worn out so I figured it's time to look into a new one. The old one (a Juliana, which they stopped making about 5 years ago) is t-shaped with no cutout. I measured the widest part and it's about 155 mm wide.

So I did the sit-bone measurement at the LBS and they said I was "in between" and therefore recommended I try the narrower saddle, which is 140 mm. Okay, so it's narrower than the old one, but I'm keeping an open mind here. It's also more pear shaped. But I'm willing to test it.

I did a quick ride (10 minutes or so) yesterday when I first got it and it was okay. It feels harder than the old saddle, but there is definitely more weight on the sit bones and less pressure on the front, which is good.

After today's ride I felt a little chafed, which might be because of the pear-shape. Or maybe it's because the weight is distributed differently on this saddle compared to the old one? Anyway overall I felt okay.

So the jury is still out. Tomorrow I'm hoping to ride for 30 miles or so, and this time I'll use chamois butt'r. So maybe I'll know more then.

I am kind of wondering if I'd be better off with the wider version (150 mm), but if chafing turns out to be the main issue than I don't think wider would be better.

To be continued...

[Andrea]

I just tried one last night. I measured exactly in between the small (140) and medium (150) sizes. I tried the 140 to make sure it wouldn't love it, but it felt too small (not too surprised since the saddles I've been most comfy on are at least 150mm). So, I did 25 miles on the 150.
The good:

It's got a stiffer base than the Ruby that I've been on for a couple of months, which I like.
The "dent" rather than cutout thing is pretty sweet. Even with the squishy padding, my soft tissue was very comfortable riding on both the hoods and the drops.
That "bump" of padding in the front was also really nice when I was doing some hard pedaling in the drops, where I tend to rotate forward towards my pubic bone (not comfortable at all on the Ruby).


The not-so-good:
It's got pretty squishy padding that started to chafe my side-taint about halfway through the ride (similar to what I've experienced with a Terry Butterfly and the SI Shiver).

I'm going to try again today with some Assos creme, but chafing in that spot has been the downfall of many saddles before this one...

[Zen]

The not-so-good:
It's got pretty squishy padding ...

Then it's off my list.
Padding does nothing but irritate me.

[Biciclista]

I can't believe the LBS took a gal (Ny biker) who was in between and put her on the SMALLER Saddle. That means, it is too small.

sigh...

NY BIKER, aside from the pear shape and the foam squishiness, maybe you can try the bigger one?


I'm not surprised that this is Bontrager's best effort at making something for women.. :confused:

[ny biker]

I am planning to try the wider saddle, I just haven't had time to get to the shop yet. TS Hanna got in the way last weekend.

I have no reason to blame Bontrager for anything. I did the Civil War metric on my old saddle on Sunday and was reminded of how much pressure is on the nose of that saddle when I ride with it. There was no such problem with the Inform.

[JaneE]

How do you pronounce Bontrager?

Bont-rage-er?
Bon-tray-grr?
Bon-tray-jer?

From the Bontrager website:

"Q: How do you pronounce Bontrager?
A: We get that a lot!

Bon as in bonfire
tra as in traffic
ger as in grrr"

http://bontrager.com/faqs/general_faqs/

Slowly but surely I'm learning how to pronounce things so I don't sound like quite such a noob. :)

[Miranda]

The not-so-good:
It's got pretty squishy padding that started to chafe my side-taint about halfway through the ride (similar to what I've experienced with a Terry Butterfly and the SI Shiver).

I'm going to try again today with some Assos creme, but chafing in that spot has been the downfall of many saddles before this one...

Amen to that sister...

I wish I could cut a hole in that "side-taint" thing:(. Just when I think I've about got it nailed on a saddle, this ugly beastly spot rears it's head for a hello.

I measured for a 150. I ordered both a 150 and 160. I rode the 150 last night and the lovely spot made itself known. I haven't put the 160 on, but we will see if that's any better. The center dip is pretty good I will agree. And the platform is pretty flat.

Wish I could take my kitchen knief to it and cut the sides of the "side-taint" thingy spot off the saddle. I'm getting pretty deranged in my saddle search... ya never know...*laughs like evil* oooo aaahhhh hhaaaa hhaaa.

My saine side will be sure to take police pics of the saddle homicide at the crime scene.

For now... that is all.

[Andrea]

Amen to that sister...

I wish I could cut a hole in that "side-taint" thing:(. Just when I think I've about got it nailed on a saddle, this ugly beastly spot rears it's head for a hello.

I measured for a 150. I ordered both a 150 and 160. I rode the 150 last night and the lovely spot made itself known. I haven't put the 160 on, but we will see if that's any better. The center dip is pretty good I will agree. And the platform is pretty flat.

Wish I could take my kitchen knief to it and cut the sides of the "side-taint" thingy spot off the saddle. I'm getting pretty deranged in my saddle search... ya never know...*laughs like evil* oooo aaahhhh hhaaaa hhaaa.

My saine side will be sure to take police pics of the saddle homicide at the crime scene.

For now... that is all.

Just in case you haven't tried it- the Specialized Ruby is the first cutout saddle I've ridden that has never bothered my side-taint. I hate how flexible it is, though.

[Trigress]

I say it "bahn' tray-ghur" but I probably sound like I don't know my stuff :rolleyes:...

I'm Norwegian, I say Bånn-trager. That didn't help much did it? For those of you hating the Bontrager saddles it might amuse you that "bånn" (pronounced as in James Bon'. ) means "bottom" as in very bad indeed, not as in buttocks. :) OK, I'll see if I can get a life.

By the way, I bought a Bontrager men's saddle 128mm the other day and I absolutely love it, but then I appear to have unbelievably narrow sit bones.

[Aggie_Ama]

Anyone still riding this? What do you think? I saw one at Mellow Johnny's last weekend and was quite intrigued but unfortunately broke because it was 20% off. I hate my Selle Italia Lady Gel because it is too wide and chafes, otherwise I like it. If it just wouldn't chafe I wouldn't be having this problem! Have a narrow commuter saddle I like but it is too narrow and too firm for long distances. I need sorta squishy, I like cut out but willing to give this one a go.

[dex]

I'm still riding the inForm RL on my Litespeed (the more "aggressive" of my two road bikes--i.e. more saddle to bar drop than the other). I've gone back and forth between the 140 and the 150, more out of curiosity than anything else. I can't say that I've noticed much difference between the two in terms of comfort, so I think I'm going to keep the 150 and call it good. (The LBS that I bought it from has been great at letting me switch out the saddles on a whim.)

The saddle on my other road bike has a cut-out, but I find that the channel/groove in the inForm RL gives my bits all the room they need. And, I just like the look of it, to be honest. :rolleyes::p

To be fair, it seems like most of the complaints/concerns about this saddle that I've read involve chafing at the sides. That's not a problem I've encountered with any of the saddles I've tried, so I can't comment on that. (Hrm...except the Terry Butterfly that came on my Litespeed. The nose on that was just a bit too beefy for me, and I thought it had the potential for chafing and annoyance on longer rides, so I replaced it pretty quickly.)

[Andrea]

Anyone still riding this? What do you think? I saw one at Mellow Johnny's last weekend and was quite intrigued but unfortunately broke because it was 20% off. I hate my Selle Italia Lady Gel because it is too wide and chafes, otherwise I like it. If it just wouldn't chafe I wouldn't be having this problem! Have a narrow commuter saddle I like but it is too narrow and too firm for long distances. I need sorta squishy, I like cut out but willing to give this one a go.
Check out the SI "lady" SLR. It's not quite as wide or padded, and has a pretty nice cutout. It hasn't chafed my side-taint, even though I still get numbness in both my seatbones and soft tissues if I don't stand up every 10 minutes or so after an hour of riding. It's not quite as flexible as the Specialized Ruby which caused the same type of numbness, but it does have more padding, so I'm still in search of a wide, brick-like saddle with a cutout.

[tzvia]

The search for THE saddle is never ending with me. So I bought the RXL in 154 after a sitting on the sit-bone thing measured me as wide boned. Looks well made, but as it's been raining, I've only rode on the trainer with it. Let me start by saying, I like firm saddles with just enough padding to prevent soreness from the jarring of our imperfect roads. Been riding an Aspide Glamor and like it, but the shell flexes a bit much for my taste; if it were stiffer, I would just buy one in white and be done with it.

The first 5 minutes on the Bontrager were uncomfortable. The sit bones complained - pressure points. Then it stopped being a pain. The next 40 minutes were ok. On the next several trainer 'rides' it did not feel comfortable or uncomfortable; it was just there. Granted, I use a cheap pair of FOX Lycra shorts with minimal padding on the trainer and even the Aspide feels less comfortable than when I am on the road. Hopefully, today will remain rain-free so I can really give it a shake-down ride.

I have been looking for a sub 200 gram saddle that fits women and is designed for performance and not for a beach cruiser and frankly, there's not much out there. If this saddle feels good on the road I will be thrilled.

[tzvia]

Finally got out to ride a bit between the raindrops yesterday. Not a very long ride- with the rain threatening the whole time, and having to walk through some muddy areas with lots of tree branches. The saddle was a lot like it was on the trainer. At first I thought "oh gosh, this was a mistake..." and a few minutes later it was fine. After a few more minutes I stopped thinking about it and just rode the bike and enjoyed the rain-cleaned air. It is definitely stiffer than the Aspide, and really supports me well but does not create any pressure anywhere even without a center hole or channel. It's still to early to tell, with just one ride outside and not a very long one, but it looks promising. If you are looking for the living room couch, it's not for you, but if you want a lightweight performance saddle for wide sitbones it is worth a try and besides, it has that 90 day return...

[Andrea]

I was taking a look at the Inform saddles... just to clarify, the one that I was trying and did not like b/c of too much padding is the WSD saddle with the soft tissue "dent." I think the one that Tzvia is using is the unisex version- which I have not tried because I'm convinced that I need soft tissue relief of some sort :p

If the WSD one was less padded like the unisex one, I'd probably go for it

[tzvia]

Yes Andrea, I think it is the unisex one. As it is available in wide sizes I thought I would try it. Yes it has no 'dent' or channel. But the center area is a softer but supportive material. I actually like it. On saddles with a cutout/channel, the middle has nothing holding me up and the edge of the channel becomes a pressure point. Like all my weight is concentrated there. That bothers me, so I stay away from saddles with holes. My MTB saddle is the WTB Diva, which feels fine in the dirt, but if I ride it on the pavement, I can feel the pressure from the edge of the channel; it actually hurts. Thankfully I found out it was no good on the road before I bought one for my road bike.

Well, rain again tomorrow and Sunday. I hope it clears up enough for me to get a few hours of riding in.

[tzvia]

Update on that saddle-the RXL is awesome! I've been able to ride quite a bit on the road and on the trainer, and it seems to get better with every ride. I don't know if it is 'breaking in' or if it's my rear that is getting used to it, but it feels firm and supportive without hurting even after several hours. I don't miss the center channel at all, and as it's only slightly curved, it is easy to shift from the nose to the back, and center myself as I ride without feeling lumps and bumps and craters. Granted, it's not for everyone; some people want cushion, or holes or whatever, but it may not be needed if the saddle supports your frame correctly to begin with. The trick is finding one that does that. Now let's see if it holds up with lots of use... The days are getting longer and soon it will be light enough to ride when I come home from work.

[bike4ever]

I had my first ride on my Inform RXL size 150 today. I need to tweak it a little, but I didn't have any issues. I went with Bontrager since we sell these and it would be easier to sell if I ride one.

[maxattack]

I have been trying to find a saddle I don't hate for longer than I can remember. Bought a Bontrager RL inForm, tried the 140 and now the 150 (in between sizes). First 5 minutes it hurt. After that, I didn't notice it at all, and thought YEE HAA, finally found The One! Then it started hurting my sit bones. Depending on which shorts I wear, this happens every time (earlier or later into the rides). I really want to like this saddle — no pressure at all in front, and the shape is great for me. But my stupid wimpy sit bones are killing me.

I've had this problem with several saddles. I seem to have nothing but skin between my bones and the saddle :o (this can't possibly be true...). Any suggestions? I'm thinking of trying the R model (more cushion it says).

[tzvia]

Maxattack,
I hear you on that one. I am 'apple' shaped (working on that-lost almost 40 lbs already) and I have no rear. All my fat is around the waist and on the underarms and there is nothing padding my behind. Took forever to find a saddle. I found the soft ones let me sink in, which sounds nice on paper, but without support it hurt a lot. The RXL I finally tried (see my post in this thread if you haven't already) is very thinly padded and hard and slightly radiused side-to-side. It took some 8 rides to get comfortable. I don't know how much you have ridden your RL, but if it has only been a few rides, keep at it unless it is really unbearable. If you need more cushion, are you using good shorts? I can feel the difference between my cheap Fox shorts and my good Specialized ones. Good shorts are worth every penny.

Also make sure that your seat hight, fore-aft and tilt (should be level) are set correct.

[maxattack]

Hey tzvia, congrats on the 40 lb weight loss, that is fantastic! I am very impressed.

I do use very nice shorts, and you're right, it can make a huge difference, sometimes more than the saddle I think. The brand I have that has a slightly thicker chamois allows me to go longer before the pain starts, but the pain still starts! It's still early season for me (was snowing at my house again this morning, ick), so I haven't given it more than a few rides. Wondering how many I need to do before I throw in the towel on this saddle.

I'll look into the RXL...

[Kelly728]

After some ups and downs in the saddle hunt, I'm hesitant to say I found "the one". I purchased the WSD RL version today in the 160mm size. I knew I had some wide sit bones but :eek:. So far, so good. I took it out on a very short 5 mile ride just to play and it felt great. I liked having that support under the bones. Surprisingly, as a previous lover of the cutout, the lack of cutout worked very well. Absolutely NO pressure in the girly bits. I'll report back when I can get out on a longer ride with the new saddle.

[tzvia]

I finally bought another Inform, this time the RL Unisex (I'm not convinced that all that padding on the WSD models makes them more comfortable-it's been just the opposite for me.) It's for my MTB and replaces a WTB Diva Carbon which was an ok saddle till I lost weight. You would think- "get a more-padded saddle" but the Inform Unisex has very little and is the most comfortable saddle I have tried in over 20 years. Rode it several times and it feels just like my road saddle (hollow Stainless rails instead of the TI on the RXL.) All that bounding over rocks and roots- and I feel nothing painful.

Moral of the story? Sometimes more IS less- if the padded jobs are uncomfortable, try something with less padding...

And it's great that it has a 90 day return if you are unsure it will work out.

[Bron]

Thanks for the information about these saddles. I got a wsd RL just over a week ago and so far I like it. I can feel my sit bones, but I don't think that is such a bad thing - better than feeling the soft tissue. I haven't tried it out on a long ride yet but will report back when I have.

[Beane]

I recently bought a bontrager WSD RL saddle from someone local. I took it for a very short test ride before purchase just to make sure that the 160mm width wouldn't be way too big (I have been measured on the specialized butt-o-meter and was recommended a 143 width for road riding). It felt OK so I bought the seat.

Just took it on an ~18 mile ride and was quite comfortable the whole time. I thought the saddle looked big and squishy but it was actually nicely firm (not rock hard, not like a couch) and apparently my sit bones are wider than I thought... This may also be that I am on my slightly more upright commuter bike. In any event, the saddle seems pretty good so far and has been a pleasant surprise. I usually go for saddles with cut outs, so I was also pleasantly surprised by the complete lack of soft tissue pain.