Will angels sing when I get the right saddle?

[nifty950]

I've been riding seriously for about a year and a half. When I say seriously, about 40-50 miles a week. Until a couple of months ago, the Bontrager mens' saddle that came with my bike was okay. It wasn't like sitting on air, but it was okay until I did a metric. It was my third metric...I didn't notice this on the first two, but at about mile 45 on the last one about a month ago, I was squirming around trying to find somewhere on my butt that wasn't under pressure. I never found that place. I think the reason that the Bontrager didn't bother me to start with is because I've lost a fair amount of weight (and natural padding) as a result of the cycling.

So I started the program at my LBS where you can try out their demo saddles until you find one you like. I thought I had found one in the SI Lady Gel. I did a full century on it a couple of weeks ago and the only problem I had was a little chafing, which was probably because I used Chamois Buttr for the first time (like a total fool, I introduced two variables because they gave us samples of it). It had a little pressure, but it wasn't too bad. I also tried a Terry Liberator and Liberator X. The Liberator is completely out because it was like sitting on a slab of granite after 15 miles. The Liberator X had much more potential, but it still had pressure after 20 miles or so. Not unbearable pressure, but I'm sure it would build up.

I did a 150-mile (over 2 days) ride this weekend, and I switched back to the SI Lady Gel. I knew from experience that I could go at least 100 miles without my butt being completely in pain. I was wrong. After about 40 miles the first day, I had David Bowie's 'Under Pressure' in my head because I seriously was under pressure.

So here are my questions:
- If I ever find the right saddle and it actually be completely comfortable? Will angels sing and the sun shine on me through the rain? It's okay if it won't be...I just want to know where to set my sights. :)
- I measured my sit bones and it's about 160mm from outside to outside, and 130 from center to center. Does that mean that I need to have a saddle that has a flat spot that's 130mm or 160mm? Or something else?
- Also, if I ever find the right saddle, will it still be comfortable-ish after 100 miles?
- And by trying out too many different saddles over a short period (a month or so...300-ish miles), am I messing up my butt tissue so I won't even know if I find the right one?

Thanks!

[malkin]

If angels ever sing because of my sit bones, the major world religions will need to reconsider some things.

I can sit on my bike saddle (pedaling) longer than I can sit just about anywhere else, including the couch and my computer chair.

Lots of people are way more hard core (and hard end) than I am though.

I don't think you can mess up your 'butt tissue' but I confess that the thought makes me smirk a little bit. It sounds like you are on the right track, because you are not describing the instant agony and sustained torture of riding on a saddle that is completely wrong.

Good luck!

[sarahspins]

- If I ever find the right saddle and it actually be completely comfortable? Will angels sing and the sun shine on me through the rain? It's okay if it won't be...I just want to know where to set my sights. :)

Yes, and yes :) For me it was very much an "aha!" moment - no more PAIN! Like a miracle. I tried a bunch of different saddles and there were a couple that I couldn't fathom getting back on after the first ride - those were pretty easy to eliminate!

- I measured my sit bones and it's about 160mm from outside to outside, and 130 from center to center. Does that mean that I need to have a saddle that has a flat spot that's 130mm or 160mm? Or something else?

Honestly, I don't know.. I would imagine it's somewhere in the middle.. maybe not exactly, but I would venture that it's different for everyone because we all have different pevlises. I recently measured mine inside and outside off a pevlic x-ray, and my 168mm falls in the middle... more to the outside than inside. Obviously that limits my options quite a bit.. but I love my Brooks :)

- Also, if I ever find the right saddle, will it still be comfortable-ish after 100 miles?

Absolutely. It will be the last thing on your mind after a long ride, once you've found the right one.

- And by trying out too many different saddles over a short period (a month or so...300-ish miles), am I messing up my butt tissue so I won't even know if I find the right one?

Honestly, I don't think so.. if I had continued to ride on some, before looking at something different, I actually fear I might have done some permanent damage. So I don't think switching quickly is a bad thing - as long as you've given yourself enough time to know you don't like a saddle or that it's just not supporting you how it needs to... most of those issues don't get better. The once exception is if you're experiencing some sit-bone soreness for the first time (for example, if you were previously being supported only by soft tissues).. that can take a couple of weeks to fade away, just as it would if you are returning to riding after taking some time off... however I've never found that sort of "soreness" to be anything more than mild.

[kaybee]

I've wondered the same thing. So far, no joyful noise . . . (sigh)

[channlluv]

My first thought: "No, but your girly bits may hum a little."



:)

[ny biker]

My old saddle was very comfortable, even after long rides.

However when I first got it, it was only mostly-comfortable. On very flat rides it tended to get unpleasant after a while. I actually thought about looking for a new one. Then the guy at the LBS adjusted my seat height and position, and that made it perfect.

Now it's all worn out, and I'm using one that's okay but not great. I need to keep searching.

As for saddle width, if you read the various threads about sit bones and saddles, especially responses from Knotted Yet, you'll see that the recommendation is for a saddle that is wider than your outside measurement, to give you a centimeter or so on each side for shifting around while riding.

[mariposa]

For me, there have been several bad saddles; one "okay" saddle that I thought, for a time, was the best I could do; and, finally, one magically great saddle.

After 100 miles my feet, shoulders, wrists, hamstrings, hip flexors might hurt. But that which has been in contact with the saddle - it doesn't hurt.

Don't settle for "okay." There really are saddles that don't hurt at all, even after many miles.

I don't even have to use chamois cream or anything.

FWIW, my best saddle does *not* match my sit bone measurements (as taken by my fitter at the bike shop). The fitter told me that sit-bone measurement is merely the place to start; but that he's fit many people who are visibly more comfortable in a narrower or wider saddle than their sit bones might suggest. (My saddle is wider.) Sit-bone width is just *one* factor in saddle comfort.

- Mariposa

[KnottedYet]

Angels will sing.

Sun will shine.

And after 100 miles, you may be tender in new areas, but over all you will feel pretty darn good. :D

I could hardly believe it the first time I rode on a Brooks B67 (I have monster-wide sit bones, in the 180mm range). Even though the new leather wasn't broken in and was as forgiving as a plank of wood, the saddle was amazingly comfortable. Finally, my butt bones were fully supported! My speed and efficiency increased dramatically as my muscles were free to work to pedal, instead of trying to protect my heinie.

A big part of saddle fit for me was to have a narrow transition zone from "sit" to "nose." ("T" shaped). Gradual wider transitions chafe the everlovin' cr@p out of me. I had a Serfas Niva that technically (by sitbone measurement) should have almost fit me ok, but it was more pear-shaped than "T" shaped and had a wide transition zone, and it was miserable. The old Terry Sport (early 1990's) had an abrupt narrow transition, and was great. Later versions of Terry saddles have a more gradual wide transition, and for me they are horrible and chafe.

Safe place to start is with a saddle at least as wide as your outside measurements (you want your bones holding your weight, not your hoo-ha!) and if it is domed and padded, you want the centers of the "cheeks" of the saddle to be the same as your center-to-center measurement. Someone posted a guide to cut-out size that related to inside measurements, but I don't remember what it was.

I don't know of any way to tell if you need a gradual wide transition from sit-to-nose or an abrupt narrow transition, other than to ride and see if you chafe (too gradual) or fall off the front of the sit area and jam the nose into your hoo-ha (too abrupt).

Edit To Add: by the way, since I found the saddle that really fits, I no longer need chamois. In fact, chamois just get in the way and annoy me now. I have several pairs of these: http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/womens/apparel/bottoms/shorts/pid1001226-Women-s-Ultra-7-Team-Compression-Short/1001226-001 in both 4 inch and 7 inch lengths, and they are perfect.