Saddle cut-outs for women?

[velovixen]

Hi! I've been riding for a long time with Brooks saddles. Last summer I was off my bike due to surgery. Since resuming cycling in March, I've developed a tear in my vaginal wall. My gynecologist suggested that when I start riding again, I should use a "donut" saddle. I'm wondering what experiences other female cyclists have had with those saddles. Should I go with a Brooks Imperial, a Terry or some other saddle?

[Trek-chick]

I have used a cut-out style saddle before and liked it. I forgot what brand it was though. This morning I ordered one of these.

http://www.terrybicycles.com/product/detail/21449/on-sale/annie-o-saddle

It was on sale and matches my bike:D I'll let you know how I like it once it arrives. It is a wider saddle but, that is what I prefer and I have had good luck with the Terry saddles.

[OakLeaf]

Do a search on the forum for saddle fitting and cut-out test. Terry makes several different saddles of different sizes, and the Brooks is a completely different size and shape from anything Terry makes. In particular, Terry saddles tend to be very pear-shaped. If a Brooks fit you well before, you might want to look at some of the wider Specialized saddles - although their firmer saddles only go up to 155 mm, which may be too narrow for you. A Selle Italia Turbomatic Gel Flow might be an option too (I'm seriously coveting that saddle).

Is your doctor a cyclist? I'm skeptical that a cut-out would alleviate pulling, in any case. (I'm sorry that happened to you, it sounds EXTREMELY painful! :() Much in the same way that a donut cushion can actually exacerbate pressure on a bruised tailbone or hemorrhoids by pulling the tissue tight away from the anus - the purpose of a saddle cut-out is to reduce pressure on the central area (external labia and clitoris, for women) by distributing it more towards the sides. Most Terry saddles are also pretty squishy, which could exacerbate both pressure and pulling.

[bcipam]

I and most of my friends ride on Terrys. I accidently came in contact with Terry when on a week long tour, the rails of my very expensive saddle broke. Thankfully there was a bike shop in the next town and I bought the only women's saddle he had, a Terry Butterfly. I fell instantly in love! It didn't need to broken in, it was immediately rideable.

Now that may not be your experience, but my friends and I swear by the Terry Butterfly saddles...

[abejita]

I couldn't ride without the cutout. I use a specialized jett and love it.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=47233&menuItemId=9302&eid=5007

[Biciclista]

someone on here had their Brooks cut out by Sella An-Atomica... she loves it.

I always wonder what that would be like..

[softthings]

i just got the selle italia slc gel flow and i think i like it better than my toupe. for me, i feel like i want a cut out more up front though. like with the selle smps or adamo saddles. my body is saying selle smp, but my wallet is saying get real. :eek:

[WindingRoad]

I'd say Oak hit the nail on the head with the pear shape at least for the the Butterfly by Terry. I am the definition of pear and that saddle fits me freakin' awesomely! (I think that's a word :D) I switched almost all my bikes to that saddle b/c I can't find one better. A word to the wise though, buy the high end one not the middle of the road butterfly because the padding IS different. The one with Ti rails is super flexible and contouring and I bought a cheaper one with chrome alloy rails and it was awful; hard as a brick and no flex at all. The foam was different and the covering was different, in fact the covering on the cheap one started coming apart at the edges :confused:. However the textured covering on the Ti one really is nice and it keeps you from sliding on the saddle while you are riding ;)

[velovixen]

You've given me some good ideas. Actually, I was riding the narrower Brooks saddles (Swallow and Swift), but I may try the Butterfly on one of my bikes. Do any of you have experience with the Damselfly?

[kenyonchris]

You've given me some good ideas. Actually, I was riding the narrower Brooks saddles (Swallow and Swift), but I may try the Butterfly on one of my bikes. Do any of you have experience with the Damselfly?

I know there are a lot of people who like the Terry saddles, but for me they have been horrible. Awful, I tell you. I rode in the Brooks B17 for a while and loved it until mile 50, then hated it. So I changed to the Specialized Ruby, which I loved. When I got rid of my Specialized bike, I wandered around in saddle hell for a while and tried a LOT of the Terry saddles. For me, too soft. My husband told me it looked like a Trike saddle, I really don't care WHAT it looks like, but it was a little padded. I am small and pretty narrow and they were just too soft. I tried the Damselfly and one of the others (I can't remember which one) to no avail. I finally went back to the Ruby on my Pinarello, and can ride comfortably on that for 100 plus miles.
I don't like the weird plastic things on it, but they don't interfere with how I sit.

[zoom-zoom]

I know there are a lot of people who like the Terry saddles, but for me they have been horrible. Awful, I tell you. I rode in the Brooks B17 for a while and loved it until mile 50, then hated it. So I changed to the Specialized Ruby, which I loved.

First saddle I tried was a Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow (which I have been told is essentially the same as the Terry Butterfly...?). Miserable. Too wide and too pear-shaped for me. The cut-out ended up too far back, since I would end up too far forward on the seat because the shape was so wrong for me.

I now have a Specialized BG Jett 143...perfect. I love that saddle. T-shaped and narrower was what my rear-end needed.

[samaram]

Do any of you have experience with the Damselfly?

I've recently been trying the Damselfly on my commuter because I found it cheap on Craigslist and my road bike came with a Butterfly that I instantly loved. I measured my sitbones at around 145 and I thought I could handle a more narrow saddle. At first the Damselfly was an improvement over the crap stock saddle that came on my commuter, but I've started to notice more discomfort on my soft tissue, like I'm not really sitting on my sit bones (most of you more experienced ladies out there are shouting "Of Course!!"). So I love the Butterfly and I want to love the Damselfly, but it is not right for me.

That's my two cents. I like Terrys in general, and I like the Damselfly's construction and the more minimal padding than the stock saddle. But I put the old one back on because I've noticed a slight lessening of sensitivity to my soft tissue--not so much that I would call it numbing, but enough to make me want to look for a better option, most likely a second Butterfly or the Lady Gel Flow. (Right now I'm lusting after a yellow Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow--my bike is black with yellow accents!!!:D)

[buffybike]

First saddle I tried was a Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow (which I have been told is essentially the same as the Terry Butterfly...?). Miserable. Too wide and too pear-shaped for me. The cut-out ended up too far back, since I would end up too far forward on the seat because the shape was so wrong for me.

I now have a Specialized BG Jett 143...perfect. I love that saddle. T-shaped and narrower was what my rear-end needed.

++1!! Except that I have th 155mm Jett.