Wider Chamois, Different Shoes??

Hi guys,

So I finally picked up my Selle SMP TRK saddle yesterday and I think we have a winner! It's the first one that actually is supporting my apparently very wide pelvis and not squashing my lady bits. My only slight issue is my She-Lastic (Shebeest) chamois is just a smidge too narrow up front now where the bars hit the front of my rami bone. Anyone have suggestions of shorts that are similar, but wider up front? If I was a smidge bigger I'd try their Plus chamois, but I'm a M-L.

Shoe-wise, I have a fallen arch in my left foot and my current shoes (PI vagabond MTB) don't stop my pronation enough. So current options are $45 inserts (most likely the specialized ones) or returning the PIs to Performance and maybe getting the Specialized BG shoes- I quickly tried a pair on yesterday and the arch felt pretty good I think, tho I was between the 41 and 42 in the womens. Maybe the 41 mens would give me the mm wiggle room I need. Any other brands I should consider (under $100 please)?

Thanks again,
Gwenn

Specialized also makes shims that go under the footbed in the shoe, so those might help with your current shoes. I have to say I'm a fan of Specialized's shoes. I have a typical woman's (narrow) heel, but I need a bit of room in the toebox. I have the Trivents for my road bike and Riata for my commuter.

As to your chamois issues, beware of too much material. I've had issues with chafing with a too-big chamois.

Yeah, but it sounds like she doesn't need a forefoot shim, but support under the arch and to the heel. However, the sole of the Specialized shoe is wedged a little, so it helps orient the foot a little bit better on the pedal to encourage a more supinated position.

As for the chamois, you could try men's shorts. I wear men's shorts, because women's ones don't tend to fit right, and bibs are hard to come by. I have a 155mm wide saddle, so my pelvis isn't super narrow or anything, and they fit ok there. They have a bit more going on in front for obvious reasons. If you need a lot of width in the middle to back, this may not work for you. Another reason I don't like a lot of women's shorts is that the chamois can be too wide in the middle for me--feeling too much like an enormous maxi pad for the way I'm built.

The foot thing is a little of both I think- partially offset knees that make me pronate and would maybe do better with some shimming, partially needing very specific arch support. I tend to pick shoes with too little support as that hurts less than too much, but I think I missed by too much! I stopped at the LBS tonight and tried on some Specialized shoes- both mens and womens and they seem to feel better. I just wish REI or Performance would carry them- I love that 100% guarantee.

I also tried on some PI shorts and they were horrible- talk about maxi pads! (In feeling, tho still not quite wide enough) The only other brands they had were womens BG and Castelli Mens, which both had too skinny fronts to them. DH has moved to bibs, so might try his old shorts to see if they work- they're Canari and I think a bit too much padding for me, but you never know. I love the feeling of the shelastic, so all the others feel like they tried to staple and entire couch in there so far. Haven't found any Terrys to try yet...

I have not tried a lot of different shorts (and never tried mens'), but I much prefer PIs over Terrys. I have two pair of Terrys and they both feel like I have on a pull-up! I still use them simply because I can't afford to replace them, but I use them for shorter rides <50 miles.

Good luck! Like saddles, shorts are a very personal decision.