Saddle Fit: Tests, Tips, and Tricks

I thought it might be handy to start a thread of the various saddle fit stuff we know; gather it all together in one easy-to-find spot. :D


The Cut-Out Test

Sit on the forward half of a wooden chair while wearing only undies. Keep your back straight, hinge at your hips and fold forward until you can rest your elbows on your knees. (you are making a triangle of your thighs, upper arms, and straight torso)

If your girly-bits feel smooshed into the chair and uncomfortable, you might need a cut out. If the wooden chair is dramatically more comfortable than your saddle, you might need a wider-at-the-cantle saddle or a less padded saddle.

Too Much Pear-Shape Chafing Pattern

Chafing in the inner neighborhood of the lower fold of the buttock, top-of-the-leg, panty line, hamstring attachment (however you want to describe it) seems to rear its ugly head on saddles that are too pear-shaped for the motion of your hip joints.

Bless You! I hit the wall yesterday and now have a very sore girls bits. It was very hot and I did about 12 miles (previously only about 8-10 a day) and there was lots of on and off for stopping to run errands. At my average 6 mph speed, that's almost two hours in the saddle.

By the end of the day I didn't just want a cutout saddle, I wanted one of those donuts to sit on.

So, my 62 year old body is searching for solutions. I'm using this saddle now.

Update: Ignore the two saddles I've listed below. Emily in nc has shown me the error of my ways and I continue the search beginning with her wonderful suggestions.

I'm contemplating the Adamo Typhoon as well as the Selle Respiro. That's as far as I've gotten in the search of saddle info here and on the net.

I know I DEFINITELY need a cutout, a very narror horn (or minimalist horn), something wider than a racing saddle, AND gel padding. And naturally I want it to be as lightweight as possible. I'll definitely spend the extra bucks for this combination.

I'll continue to watch TE threads and hope to find something to be able to make it to a 20-30 ride.

Okay ladies, let's cure world hunger AND finally, finally, design fully functional women's bicycle saddles that fit us in our various needs.

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Originally Posted by pardes

I know I DEFINITELY need a cutout, a very narror horn (or minimalist horn), something wider than a racing saddle, AND gel padding. And naturally I want it to be as lightweight as possible. I'll definitely spend the extra bucks for this combination.

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Hi pardes,

From a quick look at the two saddles you mention considering, I'd rule both of them out immediately based on your criteria. The Adamo is quite odd and has what looks like a very wide nose and narrow rear. It looks incredibly uncomfortable to me! Seems like the wide nose would chafe your inner thighs and the rear may not be nearly wide enough to support your sitbones properly. The Selle Respiro is the heaviest, widest saddle I've ever seen. 495 grams is VERY heavy. I don't think you'll be happy with it.

How about a tried-and-true Terry Butterfly? Or a Selle San Marco Lady Gel Flow? These are very similarly shaped and sized saddles, and to my rump, are very, very comfy. They certainly don't work for everyone, but when I was in a bike club, the Terry Butterfly was by far the most popular/loved women's saddle. I'd think you'd have a much better chance of success with either of these -- they're plenty wide for most gals at 160mm, have a narrow-enough nose, a cutout, are cushy enough but not so cushy you sink in, and they're lightweight.

Good luck in your search!

Emily

Sitbone Width and Saddle Width

Don't go for a saddle narrower than your bones, you'll be resting on soft tissue and pelvic floor muscles rather than on the bones. (exceptions for tri saddles and extreme aero saddles, of course, where you are more on the pubic rami than the ischial tuberosities)

General rule of thumb: get a saddle with 1-2 cm wiggle room to either side of the sitbones. As you shift positions, climb and descend, turn, etc., you will be moving your pelvis relative to the saddle. Also, if your bones are the exact width of the saddle, you will be perched on the frame of the saddle rather than on the nicely engineered "sit spots" of the saddle.

[QUOTE=KnottedYet;353256]Sitbone Width and Saddle Width
Don't go for a saddle narrower than your bones, you'll be resting on soft tissue and pelvic floor muscles rather than on the bones. (exceptions for tri saddles and extreme aero saddles, of course, where you are more on the pubic rami than the ischial tuberosities)QUOTE]

Wasn't Ischial Tuberosities the point of view character in Moby ****?

Thank God for the bike pros around here. emily in nc saved me from buying a tractor seat.

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Too Much Pear-Shape Chafing Pattern

Chafing in the neighborhood of the lower fold of the buttock, top-of-the-leg, panty line, hamstring attachment (however you want to describe it) seems to rear its ugly head on saddles that are too pear-shaped for the motion of your hip joints.

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I think this is a great thread... but I'm confused, because ***I*** get lower-fold=of-buttock/top-of-leg/panty-line discomfort from saddles that are too T-shaped, not saddles that are too pear-shaped. ?????

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Originally Posted by liza

I think this is a great thread... but I'm confused, because ***I*** get lower-fold=of-buttock/top-of-leg/panty-line discomfort from saddles that are too T-shaped, not saddles that are too pear-shaped. ?????

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Cool! You're the first I've heard from who has that happen! I was wondering if this was only a pear phenomenon, cuz what I'd been hearing about too T-shaped was how the back of the thigh feels like it slams into the saddle. Can you write up a description of all the signs and symptoms from riding something too T-shaped?

(I only know pear-shape problems cuz that's how I suffer, and it seems to be the more common complaint; so we really need to hear how someone can tell if their saddle is too T-shaped. Please, please, pretty please??)

Okay, here goes. If your saddle is not in the right place you will also get chafing and burning. case in point, I put my saddle on someone else's tandem and did a 10 mile ride. I was in agony. I moved the saddle back just 1" and it fit me nicely again. In my case, we're talking about a very T-shaped Brooks B67 saddle.

Body weight, or overall size, is not necessarily a direct correlation to saddle size. Meaning, a very skinny gal can still have wide sitz bones, and a fuller curvy gal can still have narrower ones. I've encountered this misconception many times with lbs sales staff trying to buy a saddle. Thankfully for TE, I knew otherwise!

Saddle-y Websites

Wallingford Bicycle Parts. 6 months return period on Brooks saddles. www.wallbike.com

Sheldon Brown (RIP) talks about saddles. http://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

Bike Cult saddle museum: http://www.bikecult.com/works/saddle.html

Bontrager's saddle research page. http://bontrager.com/technology/the_...e_of_inform/en

Topeak's saddle line (Allay) home page, with links to the Allay saddles and research and info pages: http://www.allaysaddles.com/

Scholar Google engine for searching the medical literature for an in-depth look at specific issues: http://scholar.google.com

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Bontrager's saddle research page. http://bontrager.com/technology/the_...e_of_inform/en

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Hmmm...almost a contradiction in terms. :D

Well, we all know my opinion of Trek/Bontrager's latest "offering" in saddles from what I saw at a seminar in San Francisco earlier this year, and my further opinion after tracking down their research.... but I'm trying to be impartial. ;)

My addition:

Don't be afraid to try saddles that aren't labeled as women's saddles. Look at size, cutout/no cutout, and shape.

I've been riding for a little more than 2 years, and I've been through at least 15 saddles. There's nothing wrong with any of the saddles I tried except that my underside didn't agree with them.

One woman's perfect saddle is another gals implement of torture. When you find the perfect saddle buy 10 of 'em (sure as I'm posting the mfr. will decide all it needs is more fluffy padding). Saddles you love to hate? Sell 'em on TE. There's someone here who loves that saddle.