New Saddle Review

[elk]

Hi maties

I was just reading this review---written by the guy who did my bike fit---about a new Bontrager saddle that he's having a lot of success fitting people with. Especially, he wrote, women who have not had luck with other types...

Hopefully it will aid at least one unhappy girl in her quest for comfort...

http://www.bikegallery.com/blog/2009/product-review-bontrager-inform-saddles/

If I wasn't so happy with my Brooks, I'd try it ....

[deeaimond]

Hi Elk,

thanks for the review, its saying some things that I've always thought to myself but didn't dare say too much about because all the 'experts' were saying otherwise.

First the sit bones thingy... I can't imagine all the weight on my sit bones, the flesh covering them would be completely grinded out between the saddle and my bone..

secondly, the cutout. I ride a saddle with no cutout and its really comfortable, but then again. i've never ridden a cutout saddle, so maybe some people found relief.

I've been looking out for a new saddle, so I might just consider this one

Thanks!
D

[lattae]

It would be interesting to find out if women have any good reviews for this saddle. It seems like they have a good measuring device to get info on what size a person needs,, that certainly looks more accurate than sitting on something and trying to measure your sit bones yourself. I'm tempted to check out the saddle at my LBS just to see what they look and feel like in person. I hope we get some reviews on this one...

[elk]

Make sure to let us know if you try one!

[GLC1968]

Thanks for sharing this, Elk. I'm in the market for a new saddle and I just sent it to my husband with the request that we make a trip to Bike Gallery this weekend. :D

[arielmoon]

This looks interesting. I had seen them on the 09 Madones and was curious about them. Like my Selle San Marco it has an indentation instead of a cut out and makes a lot of sense. The price is very reasonable but I cant seem to find any info about what it is made of. Basically, I dont want a leather saddle.

[GLC1968]

Here is another review - but by a woman (she doesn't give as much detail, but it's still encouraging):

http://bethbikes-bethbikes.blogspot.com/2009/02/gamjams-reviews-seat-seatpost-bontrager.html


Arielmoon - according to Bontrager's website, the R and RL WSD are both synthetic leather. The site doesn't list the RXL yet.

[tctrek]

This looks interesting. I had seen them on the 09 Madones and was curious about them. Like my Selle San Marco it has an indentation instead of a cut out and makes a lot of sense. The price is very reasonable but I cant seem to find any info about what it is made of. Basically, I dont want a leather saddle.

arielmoon, is the Selle San Marco working out for you? I've had mine about a year now and love it. If anything happened to it, I would replace it with another. I have not had a hot spot or any soreness since using it.

[arielmoon]

arielmoon, is the Selle San Marco working out for you? I've had mine about a year now and love it. If anything happened to it, I would replace it with another. I have not had a hot spot or any soreness since using it.

I do like it quite a bit after the first 10 mins. The first 10 mins of the ride I am thinking that it is so hard. After that it is great. However that was before....

The only reason I would consider something else is that since the accident, my sit bone on the left is that much more sensitive. I expect breaking the pelvis where did has much to do with that. Also, it feels a tad wide.

Anyway, it got scuffed up in the accident and I was thinking of replacing it when I get money from the claim against the dog owner. It is on the table to just get another one or something different in the same price range and then compare.

[tctrek]

I do like it quite a bit after the first 10 mins. The first 10 mins of the ride I am thinking that it is so hard. After that it is great. However that was before....

The only reason I would consider something else is that since the accident, my sit bone on the left is that much more sensitive. I expect breaking the pelvis where did has much to do with that. Also, it feels a tad wide.

Anyway, it got scuffed up in the accident and I was thinking of replacing it when I get money from the claim against the dog owner. It is on the table to just get another one or something different in the same price range and then compare.

Sorry to hear that. I sure hope you find something that is kind to your behind.

[arielmoon]

Sorry to hear that. I sure hope you find something that is kind to your behind.
Thank you.

The Selle San Marco doesnt hurt right now but I wouldnt say that I am entirely comfortable either.

It may just be that I still have a little healing yet to do. I still get some pressure in the groin area. Too soon to tell I think!

Weird thing is that the thinner chamois shorts (Sheebeast Triple S) I own are more comfortable than the thicker PI ones. That was true before the accident as well.

[ny biker]

I tried the Inform last summer - I don't remember which model but it was the more expensive one. I thought the nose was very comfortable. Unfortunately it was too pear-shaped for me so I wound up returning it. If they made one that was t-shaped, I would try it.


Here is a thread about them from last year:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=25618

BTW Bontrager offers a 90-day comfort guarantee, so there's no risk in trying it.

[elk]

Thanks for sharing this, Elk. I'm in the market for a new saddle and I just sent it to my husband with the request that we make a trip to Bike Gallery this weekend. :D

(Join the BTA and you'll get 10% off at Bike Gallery :D)

[foothillsbass]

My girlfriend is in a very frustrating quest to find a comfortable saddle. Her sit bones are 160mm wide (measured by both Specialized and Bontrager technology), so she falls in the sit bone width purgatory between performance saddles and cush saddles. She is a fast recreational road rider with the occasional race thrown in for fun, so a firmer performance saddle is her preference. She tried the Bontrager inForm R saddle, 160mm width, and did not like it at all. For starters, it is 160mm at its widest point at the underside of the saddle; the top of the saddle at the edge is 155mm. Because of the unusual angular shape of the sides of the saddle and width of her sit bones, the sides would compress like an accordion, making for a very uncomfortable feeling. In addition, the padding was much softer than the RL (which was unavailable in her size), which causes its own set of problems over a longer ride. Because of the softness of the padding, it negated any advantage of their shape intended to support the rami. Of course, if her sit bones fit within the 130-155mm group that apparently all performance saddle makers believe that all women fall between, we're certain it would have been more comfortable. Kudos, though, to Bontrager for their fit guarantee.