saddle, saddle who has a good saddle

[firelady]

Yes I have a new bike. My old saddle worked great before kids and 30 lbs ago. I will be riding DC to Pittsburg in Sept and am on my 3rd saddle. I need a touring saddle for 75 mile days. Fat old lady could use your advise. Thanks.

[Biciclista]

Pleasea check our favorite saddles thread:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/forumdisplay.php?f=36

unfortunately there is no one solution. A lot of us have Brooks saddles
and swear by them. A lot of others of us HATE them.
The same can be said of any other saddle out there.

One thing though, you will have to build your ability to ride on ANY saddle.
75 miles at a stretch is not easy at first.. work up to it.

[Reesha]

I'm with Mimi... You have to get your butt calluses! The soft tissues of your rear adjust to the hardness of any bike seat. When I start a season my rear end feels like it got kicked real good. I usually pop 400 mg of ibuprofen and get right back on the bike the next day. I break in my butt.

[ny biker]

Also do a search for threads on measuring your sit bones, so you know how wide your saddle should be.

[KnottedYet]

Measure your sit bones!
(they are made of rami and tuberosities. For now, don't worry, just measure!)

Weight has absolutely NOTHING to do with width of bones or saddle size. It's all about the skeleton!

Measure your bones, tell us your feelings about the stock saddle and what saddle it is, and I guarantee you there will be at LEAST five women with saddle suggestions!

[Trek-chick]

....only your butt knows the answer to that question.:D

[firelady]

Thanks, was just wondering what was out there these days. I have ridden for over 30 yrs the past 24 on a womans avocet saddle. I have recently purchased a new bike and am looking for a new saddle to go with it. I am 6' tall so have wider bone structure then most women and all men in the hip region. I have ridden TOSRV (dbl century) twice but that was 20 yrs ago and before children. I have found the saddle that worked for long distance rides before children doesn't work for me now (girl parts have changed). I currently have a resprio soft men's saddle but it gave me such saddle sores that I will be off the bike for a week. I also need to raise the saddle up some as my quads were cramping at the 48 mile mark. I have been researching some Brooks saddles but don't know which is the best for long distances (sprung or unsprung) I do have the micro adjust on this bike so I don't think the flyer will work.

[KnottedYet]

The saddle that will work best for long distances is the one that fits you best.

Don't be shy about posting your sit bone measurements. Heck, I've got the widest span of all, and I'm not shy.

SEVEN AND A QUARTER INCHES, EVERYONE!!! LOOK HERE, MINE ARE 185 MM OUTSIDE-TO-OUTSIDE!

As you can imagine, having sit bones wider than most saddles did cause me some difficulty.

Brooks B67 and B68 really and truly fit me. If your span is anything like mine, that's where I'd suggest you start. If you need a cut out, the B68 is available with cut out. Sprung or unsprung is a matter of personal preference. I like sprung best, but that's just me. I don't like short noses (short so skirts don't catch) so I stayed away from the B67-S and B68-S.

For rides of more than 50 miles, my favorite saddle by far is my Brooks B67.

www.wallbike.com gives 6 months free trial on saddles.

[Dannielle]

I'm new here but thought I'd chime in that I've had my Brooks B66-S since Saturday and it's a dream. An absolute dream. I got the pre-aged antique brown because it matches my bike best and I'm amazed that it's already breaking in nicely. It hasn't even been a week yet! I rode 16 miles on it this morning and barely noticed it under me.

[firelady]

Thanks, I have been seriously thinking about a Brooks saddle but can't figure out if I want a short nose woman's saddle or the longer nosed men's saddle. Then I can't figure out which Brooks I want! Ahhhhhh. I am 6' tall and my sit bones measure 178 mm so I am just over the B17 and the Flyer. I do mostly long distance rides of 20 to 75 miles and most of those are on an "improved" bike path of cinders and limestone grating. I am now riding a Cannondale T2 (touring bike) so am in a moderate forward lean (not upright but not low like a racer). Ever since having children my girl parts are, well shall we say more pronounced then they use to be, so that becomes an issue too (cut out might be nice). Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Biciclista]

Thanks, I have been seriously thinking about a Brooks saddle but can't figure out if I want a short nose woman's saddle or the longer nosed men's saddle. Then I can't figure out which Brooks I want! Ahhhhhh. I am 6' tall and my sit bones measure 178 mm so I am just over the B17 and the Flyer. I do mostly long distance rides of 20 to 75 miles and most of those are on an "improved" bike path of cinders and limestone grating. I am now riding a Cannondale T2 (touring bike) so am in a moderate forward lean (not upright but not low like a racer). Ever since having children my girl parts are, well shall we say more pronounced then they use to be, so that becomes an issue too (cut out might be nice). Any suggestions are appreciated.

I'd strongly advise AGAINST the short nosed saddle unless you're on the back of a tandem. I think it's a terrible misnomer that the short nosed saddles are billed as "women's" when the original reason they made them for women was so that their voluminous dresses did not get caught on the longer nose saddle. So if you're not riding in a full length skirt, you don't need the shorter saddle...

[ny biker]

Thanks, I have been seriously thinking about a Brooks saddle but can't figure out if I want a short nose woman's saddle or the longer nosed men's saddle. Then I can't figure out which Brooks I want! Ahhhhhh. I am 6' tall and my sit bones measure 178 mm so I am just over the B17 and the Flyer. I do mostly long distance rides of 20 to 75 miles and most of those are on an "improved" bike path of cinders and limestone grating. I am now riding a Cannondale T2 (touring bike) so am in a moderate forward lean (not upright but not low like a racer). Ever since having children my girl parts are, well shall we say more pronounced then they use to be, so that becomes an issue too (cut out might be nice). Any suggestions are appreciated.


Have you done the smoosh test?

[KnottedYet]

I am 6' tall and my sit bones measure 178 mm so I am just over the B17 and the Flyer.

You are well over the B17 and the Flyer.

The B17 is 170mm wide, HOWEVER the outer 10 mm on each side is metal cantle plate. You don't want to put your sit bones there. The actual sit bone space on any suspended leather saddle is ALWAYS less than the width.

In the Brooks saddles, the plate is 1 cm wide. Subtract the width of the plate (from both sides) and your sit bones need to fit within that measurement.

(Brooks saddle width) - (2x10mm) > or = (sit bone outside measurement)

So for a B17:
170mm - 20mm needs to be greater than or equal to 178mm

It's not just 8 mm off, it's 28 mm off.



- Now let's do the math with a B68 Imperial -

Saddle width: 210mm

210mm - 20mm = 190mm

190mm is > or = 178mm

Your sit bones will land on suspended leather on a B68 Imperial, clear of the cantle plate.
(also a B66, B67, B72, B18, etc etc etc)

[Dannielle]

I'd strongly advise AGAINST the short nosed saddle unless you're on the back of a tandem. I think it's a terrible misnomer that the short nosed saddles are billed as "women's" when the original reason they made them for women was so that their voluminous dresses did not get caught on the longer nose saddle. So if you're not riding in a full length skirt, you don't need the shorter saddle...

Why would you recommend against the short nosed saddles? What's the downside? Why would the exception be for the back of a tandem?

I have a short nosed saddle and don't notice anything missing. I don't have a road bike though...maybe that has something to do with it??

[KnottedYet]

Reasons why some folks don't like short noses:

*less control of bike if you like to steer with weight shift

*shorter rails (harder to adjust saddle placement)

*nose shackle under leather is closer to body, soft tissue can land on metal instead of suspended leather.

[OakLeaf]

With a short nosed saddle, there's that much less available for steering.

I'm guessing the stoker on a tandem doesn't do much if any body steering, so the nose wouldn't be missed... but having never ridden a tandem, I wonder if the captain does much body steering either, outside of racing situations?

[Dannielle]

Thanks for explaining. That makes sense. I'd like a road bike someday and I can see how it could make a difference for steering in a less upright position. My current bike has me sitting fairly upright so steering with the saddle isn't really an option.

[bikerHen]

Have you tried a Selle An-Atomica? I put one on my road bike a few years back and have been very happy. Since losing weight this year, I've had all kinds of comfort issues with the Brooks saddle on my Surly so I have sadly replaced it with an An-Atomica as well. So far so good. The real test comes in a week when I'm off to Canada for a two week, 500 mile tour. I'm REALLY hoping it works. My little three day tour over the fourth of July weekend was a little painful with the Brooks. No way would I have make it for two weeks. bikerHen

. . . I put the Brooks on the back of a Schwinn Twinn tandem vintage cruiser I just bought. We're taking it out for a flat 30 mile family ride our bike club is doing tomorrow. I'm hoping it will be more comfortable than the monster Schwinn Approved saddle that came with the bike. I get to be stoker while my husband and daughter share captain duty. Hopefully we'll all make it back alive and still talking to one another.

[tiva]

Measure your sit bones!
(they are made of rami and tuberosities. For now, don't worry, just measure!)

Weight has absolutely NOTHING to do with width of bones or saddle size. It's all about the skeleton!

Measure your bones, tell us your feelings about the stock saddle and what saddle it is, and I guarantee you there will be at LEAST five women with saddle suggestions!

OK, I'll take you up on this! I'd love some suggestions. Here are my stats:
1. sit bones: 145 mm, center to center
2. cut out: YES--from both the "sitting forward test" and personal experience, I absolutely need cut-outs, the bigger the better
3. riding position: I ride a Cannondale Synapse 5, so a road bike but in a moderately upright position. I've got a short torso. I do go down into the drops fairly often
4. saddles tried so far: I'm using a Serfas Carma road saddle (based on the team estrogen website), which isn't ideal, but by twitching the saddle slightly to one side, I'm not in pain at least (one leg is shorter than the other). The stock Cannondale synapse saddle hurt (no cutout). On my hybrid, I have some cheap squishy serfas with a big cutout that I quite like for that bike
5. price: well, it sure would be nice to stay under $100, and to keep the weight as low as possible--the carmas is 270 grams, and I'd like not to go over that. But the carmas, at 150 mm width, isn't wide enough for me.
6. question: once you have your sit bone measurement, how exactly do you use the printed specs for a given saddle, since they don't tell you how much distance the saddle gives you for your sit bones. Should I add 10 mm (5 mm each side) to a given saddle width? It seems to depend a lot on the shape of the back of the saddle, since the Carma is tapered on the sides, and so while it seems to be 6 inches across, it really isn't on top.

Thanks!

[OakLeaf]

Sounds like you're talking about what we refer to as T-shaped saddles vs. pear or wedge-shaped ones.

If the sides of the saddle are forcing you forward so that you're not sitting on the widest part, you need one that's more T-shaped (i.e. has a sharper transition).

Specialized saddles are some of the most T-shaped moderately priced saddles out there. Their Lithia, Jett and Ruby (listed from squishiest to firmest) come as wide as 155 mm, which might be wide enough for you.

I have an old 155 Lithia I could send you to try... the gel padding is completely worn out and I can almost guarantee that because of that, the cut-out won't work for you, but at least you might be able to figure out whether the width and shape are close enough to try a new one?

[tiva]

Sounds like you're talking about what we refer to as T-shaped saddles vs. pear or wedge-shaped ones.

If the sides of the saddle are forcing you forward so that you're not sitting on the widest part, you need one that's more T-shaped (i.e. has a sharper transition).

I wasn't actually being very clear--I meant that the taper is when you're viewing the saddle from the backside (so the width given by the manufacturer isn't for the very top of the saddle where I sit, but for a bit below the top) rather than when you're viewing the saddle from above (pear vs. t-shape).

Thanks for the generous offer to let me try your old saddle. I might take you up on the offer, but first I'll try to find a similar shape with a larger cutout.

[sundial]

I do mostly long distance rides of 20 to 75 miles and most of those are on an "improved" bike path of cinders and limestone grating.

I have ridden gravel roads with a Brooks sprung and unsprung saddle on my touring bike and I went with a sprung saddle--the Champion Flyer 'S'. (http://www.wallbike.com/chflyers.html)It cut down on lower back fatigue considerably on the gravel grinder rides. :) As for whether to choose a women's saddle vs. a men's saddle, I think part of your decision should be based on your bike geometry. I personally like the women's saddles on the commuter/touring type bikes and the men's saddles on the road/mtb bikes. I do like the long ride comfort of the women's saddles as I have not felt like I'm sitting on the hardware. I personally haven't noticed that my steering is affected by the shorter nose but as others have indicated it could be an issue.

If you can't decide what Brooks saddle is right for you, I would contact Bill at Wallbike (http://www.wallbike.com) and ask for his suggestions. He is quite helpful and will patiently answer all of your questions. Good luck! :)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Reasons why some folks don't like short noses:

*less control of bike if you like to steer with weight shift

*shorter rails (harder to adjust saddle placement)

*nose shackle under leather is closer to body, soft tissue can land on metal instead of suspended leather.

Don't forget a very important issue of this:
Because of the shorter rails, you cannot shove your saddle nearly as far back as on the regular saddle model, which has rails more than an inch longer. This was a HUGE issue for me, because i needed desperately to get my center of gravity further back.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Don't be shy about posting your sit bone measurements. Heck, I've got the widest span of all, and I'm not shy.

SEVEN AND A QUARTER INCHES, EVERYONE!!! LOOK HERE, MINE ARE 185 MM OUTSIDE-TO-OUTSIDE!

I'm exactly the same. We are sitbone sisters... the widest of them all! lol!
That's why only the Brooks B67 or B68 models fit me. :cool:

[KnottedYet]

I'm exactly the same. We are sitbone sisters... the widest of them all! lol!
That's why only the Brooks B67 or B68 models fit me. :cool:

Yeah, baby! <virtual high-five> :D

"We are the champions..."

[Holland]

Hi!

The fact that I dug up this thread from a year ago, oughtta show how desperate I am. After reading for hours, I'm still not finding the answer that applies to me. Pardon me for bringing up this topic again. I need help in choosing a saddle. I don't have a bike yet, I have to find one upon reaching my touring country, Holland. (Long story, I won't get into now.) I figured at least I could bring my own saddle.

I'll be touring around 8 hrs a day, 6x a week, for 2 months. On this site, I've seen a lot of recomendations for Brooks, and bike shop folks have said it generally takes a few weeks to break-in. I only have 2 weeks before I take off, so I don't know if Brooks is ideal for me. What are other saddle suggestions. This is all new for me, please be specific.

Sit bone center-to-center is 14cm or 15cm, hard to tell. I think that translates to 140mm or 150mm. Don't know what else to measure or consider.

Thank you for reading and replying.

[Holland]

Hi Muirenn, thank you!

I will phone wallbike tomorrow and talk to the folks. Q: If your sitbones measure 125, and your B-17 is 170 across, how does it borderline too narrow?

I did the chair, elbows on knees test, suggested here by KnottedYet (I think) and based on the result, I don't believe I need cut-out. I looked at the Stella Diva and Lady Gel online and both seem to be cut-outs, also they look hard. Umm, why are cushy saddles not good for long riding? Thanks!

[Holland]

Muirenn, thank you for your suggestions. I just ordered my Brooks B-67, yay! I got the regular one, 260 mm length, instead of the S version, 240 mm length. The shop didn't have the regular size, so I need to wait for their delivery. I'm contemplating if I should just get the S version and not have to wait.

Q1: How does that 20 mm length (shorter on S) and 12 mm height (taller on S) make a difference?

Q2: I read somewhere that says the S version is anatomically cut for women. Any truth to that?

Q3: The B-67 has single rail, as opposed to dbl or triple rails. If I don't have a bike yet, how would I know to choose a single rail or otherwise?

BTW: Bill from Wallbike was very helpful and patient with all my novice questions. I did forget to ask the above ones, and am now too embarrassed to call him again.

Thank you!

[Owlie]

Yeah, the Lady Gel Flow is pretty squishy, even in comparison with the Jett, which is not a very hard saddle. It's fine for my sitbones, but the nose and cutout padding were not terribly kind. (The shape was all wrong too, but that's a different thread.)

[Miranda]

I didn't read all of this thread word for word, so sorry if this is not in the ball park for you.... but... I ride this a Terry Butterfly, the Tri Gel version, with the leather cover, not lesser priced version, it's noted to be for long-distances and bad backs... which I fit both. It's this... http://www.rei.com/product/752407/terry-butterfly-tri-gel-saddle-womens
which I don't see on TE or the Terry website... thus discontinued, so ooooooooohhhh no:( ...BUT, if you can find it somewhere on the net, it's great imo/e.

You mentioned something about bike adjustments... FWIW I had tried this exact same saddle before and it gave me pain... that was on my ill fit old road bike... on my new road bike that fits like a glove... the same saddle disappeared underneath me... as it should.;)

Good Luck:).

EDIT ADD: Btw, I'm a peri-menopausal middle aged broad whose had a couple near ten pound kids the natural way (minus the stitches and scar tissue part)... so I know what you saying in a way... sometimes our tissues change with hormones and there are threads on TE about that... fortunately my ob-gyn doc is also a cyclists, so is his peds doc wife... we had some discussions about hormones, tissues and how it affects riding. Just more food for thought besides the saddle.

[Holland]

Thank you ladies. I ordered the Brooks B 67 and now I'm afraid it may be too hard cuz everyone warned me about it taking too long to break in. My 2000 mile trip leaves in a week. Am looking at Terry Liberator cuz saw it at a shop today. Also saw Selle Lady Flo but this looks harder than Terry Lib. Don't know.
Any further input? Thanks.

[Biciclista]

holland, you'll be fine. The B67 is hard like a wooden chair. any saddle is going to tire out your butt if you are not used to riding all day!
a very big proportion of long distance riders are on Brooks saddles for a reason!

[Sky King]

holland, you'll be fine. The B67 is hard like a wooden chair. any saddle is going to tire out your butt if you are not used to riding all day!
a very big proportion of long distance riders are on Brooks saddles for a reason!
I agree, in a perfect world you would get some miles in before the big tour but over all I think you will be happy - fingers crossed the shape works well for you! Can't wait to hear the results.

[ridingfiend]

Thank you ladies. I ordered the Brooks B 67 and now I'm afraid it may be too hard cuz everyone warned me about it taking too long to break in. My 2000 mile trip leaves in a week. Am looking at Terry Liberator cuz saw it at a shop today. Also saw Selle Lady Flo but this looks harder than Terry Lib. Don't know.
Any further input? Thanks.

I predict it will take about 200 miles to break in. After that, the break-in process continues, but it just gets better.

The first 200 miles could be uncomfortable, true. But I tried many painful saddles that didn't work. Had no chance of ever working. 5, to be exact, and I found a good saddle quickly compared to many. I needed a race saddle though, and didn't want Brooks for speed.

The majority of people who don't like Brooks give up too soon. Cush saddles may work at first; for a couple hundred miles. But it they don't happen to be right for you, then things progressively worsen. And chances are, you are not going to happen to choose the right one.

Ask yourself: do you want to be uncomfortable for the first 200 (during which time you are getting used to riding anyway, it does take conditioning), or uncomfortable for the last 1800?

I think this is accurate:

http://www.touringcyclist.com/gear/model_16877.html

[Biciclista]

Ask yourself: do you want to be uncomfortable for the first 200 (during which time you are getting used to riding anyway, it does take conditioning), or uncomfortable for the last 1800?

I think this is accurate:

http://www.touringcyclist.com/gear/model_16877.html
well said, Ridingfiend; and welcome to TE!!

[Holland]

Thank you ladies for your input. I like the article, thanks Ridingfiend. Ok, I decided to stay with Brooks. Haha, I'm willing to handle 200m discomfort and getting 1800m+ joy. My next question is: B67 or B17? I just ordered a Surly Cross Check. It's shipping to my LBS and may get there by Friday. Then, I get to try it out for 2 days before having them disassemble and put back in the box to be brought on a plane. So I won't get a fair chance at testing out the B67, that got delivered today. Yikes...I'm super stressed. Still waiting for racks and panniers, etc to be delivered, too. Thanks.

[Holland]

Thanks Muirenn! I really appreciate your time to respond to me lengthly. I will print out your suggestions and take it with me. :)