Suggestions for a mountain bike saddle?

[e3rdpower]

Hoping for some knowledge for those of you with mountain experience....

Roadie, currently building my first mountain bike. My magic road bike saddle for my Giant TCR Advanced SL is the Selle Italia Turbomatic. I live in FL, so mostly flat riding, fast groups and racing.

The mountain bike (YAY!) is being built on a 2009 Santa Cruz Blur carbon frame that's never been built, so I was lucky to find it.

Any suggestions on what may be a good mountain bike saddle for me?

Thanks!

[Catrin]

I've only been mountain biking for a year, but I ride the same saddle on all my bikes ... The SI Lady Gel Flow. It works for me :)

Whatever you decide, congratulations on your new bike!

[SadieKate]

I like WTB saddles for the downturned-nose. It makes it far easier to get on a tall FS bike without hooking my chamois.

My particular preference is the Lazer but there are a whole lotta WTB saddles in various widths. I would not recommend the Speed She as the nose is quite short. You don't quite realize how much the nose of a saddle changes the control of your bike until . . . it isn't there to stick where the sun don't shine on a climb. :p

[e3rdpower]

I've only been mountain biking for a year, but I ride the same saddle on all my bikes ... The SI Lady Gel Flow. It works for me :)

Whatever you decide, congratulations on your new bike!

Thanks! I thought about this, but it seems like my positioning will be so different on the mountain bike as opposed to my road bike...maybe I'm overthinking it though.


I like WTB saddles for the downturned-nose. It makes it far easier to get on a tall FS bike without hooking my chamois.

My particular preference is the Lazer but there are a whole lotta WTB saddles in various widths. I would not recommend the Speed She as the nose is quite short. You don't quite realize how much the nose of a saddle changes the control of your bike until . . . it isn't there to stick where the sun don't shine on a climb. :p

This is what I was thinking. There's definitely things to take into consideration that are different than the road! The WTB saddles look fairly pear shaped though, and I needed a very T-shaped saddle for my road bike. Oh to have a demo program...the Devo looks maybe ok.

The Specialized Phenom looks promising...maybe. So hard to tell!

[zoom-zoom]

I'm dying to try the Ergon SM3 saddle that should be on the market in the next week or two. Looks VERY t-shaped!

[Irulan]

I have the same saddles on both road and mountain bikes: Specialized Ariel

[SadieKate]

This is what I was thinking. There's definitely things to take into consideration that are different than the road! The WTB saddles look fairly pear shaped though, and I needed a very T-shaped saddle for my road bike. Oh to have a demo program...the Devo looks maybe ok.
On my road bikes, I ride the most T-shaped saddle ever and which is sadly no longer made, the Avocet Air 02. I can't imagine that even in Florida you'll have your butt planted on a mtb saddle like you would a road bike saddle. You need to be able to move around on it a lot and move behind it. No way, no how, could I do that on the Avocet. Nor would I want to sit on the nose of the Avocet the way I need to on a mtb saddle. I realize our terrain is different, but I'm sure it isn't just civilized smooth flat dirt roads either.

[e3rdpower]

On my road bikes, I ride the most T-shaped saddle ever and which is sadly no longer made, the Avocet Air 02. I can't imagine that even in Florida you'll have your butt planted on a mtb saddle like you would a road bike saddle. You need to be able to move around on it a lot and move behind it. No way, no how, could I do that on the Avocet. Nor would I want to sit on the nose of the Avocet the way I need to on a mtb saddle. I realize our terrain is different, but I'm sure it isn't just civilized smooth flat dirt roads either.

Absolutely. The trails here are quite technical to make up for the lack of well, mountains. I'll also be taking the mountain bike to Colorado on vacation for lovely singletrack :) The thought of sitting on the nose of the Turbomatic makes me a little scared. ;)