Saddle up!

OK, I've had the same Selle San Marco Donna saddle on my bike since I got it. I have had more and less problems with chafing in the tender region. My husband kept telling me to buck up and ride through it. This did help, I am sitting my bike much better now and have my position (seat height, etc.) pretty well perfected, but when I went out a couple of weekends ago and was hurting at the 20 mile mark, hubby finally gave in and admitted a new saddle might help too.

Where do I go from here? Any ideas of how to get started, and how to find the right saddle without too much trial-and-error?

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Originally Posted by alison_in_oh

Where do I go from here? Any ideas of how to get started, and how to find the right saddle without too much trial-and-error?

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Saddles are so personal that I really think it does come down to trial and error (although I'd love to hear differently!). It may help you to invest some time in calling all of your LBSes and finding the one with the best return policy. Some won't let you return it if you've used it at all; others will let you continue to swap until either you're happy or you damage the saddle.

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Originally Posted by bounceswoosh

Saddles are so personal that I really think it does come down to trial and error (although I'd love to hear differently!). It may help you to invest some time in calling all of your LBSes and finding the one with the best return policy. Some won't let you return it if you've used it at all; others will let you continue to swap until either you're happy or you damage the saddle.

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Fooey, I was looking for the magic solution. ;) In lieu of LBS with return policy (since there's no roadie-friendly store within about 15 miles) I'll look into buying on eBay and re-selling. :)

Alison -
Monique is right - there isn't one saddle that is right for all of us. I personally swear by a Fizik Vitesse, but there are others who can't stand it. There have been a few saddle threads recently with quite a few opinions. You might find the earlier discussions valuable as you search for your own personal favorite:

Sore seat
Help! Which saddle should I get?
how long to give a new saddle before you pitch it?

Good luck! I'd love to hear what you choose...

And welcome to the forum!

--- Denise

Thanks for the welcome!

Here's my major question. Enough people love LOVE the Terry saddles that I think a Butterfly or Liberator is worth a try. EXCEPT I've read horror stories about cutouts -- can anyone comment on this? How common is the problem where your tender parts "fall through" the cutout and get their circulation cut off? :eek:

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Originally Posted by alison_in_oh

Enough people love LOVE the Terry saddles that I think a Butterfly or Liberator is worth a try. EXCEPT I've read horror stories about cutouts

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I was one of the people who absolutely hated the Butterfly saddle. I think that one lasted all of 5 minutes on my bicycle... but I know there are a lot of women out there who really like the saddle.

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Originally Posted by alison_in_oh

Thanks for the welcome!

Here's my major question. Enough people love LOVE the Terry saddles that I think a Butterfly or Liberator is worth a try. EXCEPT I've read horror stories about cutouts -- can anyone comment on this? How common is the problem where your tender parts "fall through" the cutout and get their circulation cut off? :eek:

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I tried a very narrow Terry saddle (it may have been a men's model, actually; it's been a while), but it just didn't work for me. Then another bike store suggested my current saddle, a Serfas, saying that a lot of women liked it ... I was skeptical, and it's a little wider than I'd prefer, but it's been the most comfortable for me so far, and it does have a cutout, with which I've had zero problems:

http://www.serfas.com/racing_saddles/TRCW.html

I ride on a womens Specialized with no cutouts but a narrow channel. Like everyone's said tho...its a very personal thing and it just depends on each person. At the time I bought it, I thought it was a mens saddle which is what I was really looking to buy. I stayed away from the cutouts - they looked scary to me! :eek: I kept thinking - what if I fall thru it?? :p Anyway, good look on your search!

Count me in on the pro-cutout side. They work for me (Terry Butterfly)!

Emily