proper fit for saddles

Can someone tell me the proper fit for the saddle on the sitbones.... is it best for the saddle to be a bit wider than the sitbones for comfort? I bought a new bike and trying to get a decent saddle right now. I presently have the bontrager inform which is a tad wider than the sit bones but not entirely sure if this is the correct saddle for me. I formerly had the selle italia lady gel and this saddle was directly under the sitbones , I found myself kinda sliding forward at times but for the most part was a comfortable saddle. The bontrager inform has a flex form under the widest part of the saddle which feels 'different' I suppose it's for flexibility under the pelvis while riding????

imagine if you would a bench with two "legs" one on each end |____| (that's an upside down one)
you want to support those two legs. Your sit bones are those two legs. You want support OUT THERE or you will not be using your sit bones to support all that delicate tissue that they are there to protect.

the saddle should support BOTH sit bones, and if the sit bones are farther apart than the saddle can support you will be sitting on things you really don't want to compress that way. riding should NOT be painful

If you're sliding forward, it could be the tilt of the saddle. Try raising the nose just a hair - if you don't have a micro-adjustable seatpost, you can shim the tilt with a little bit of metal. I cut a rectangle from the top of a steel can and folded it over once; aluminum tends to compress too much to be useful as a shim.

Alternately, it could be that the saddle is too pear-shaped for you (gradual transition from the back to the nose of the saddle). Pear-shaped saddles will force me forward onto the nose. It doesn't matter whether the back is wide enough for my sitbones, because I can't sit on the back and pedal.

IIRC, Selle Italia makes several different women's gel saddles, but you can look up the specs on yours to see how wide it was. If you actually make a print of your sit-bones, you can see that there's a fairly large area that can take your weight; normally you'll measure center-to-center, but you may want a saddle wide enough to support all the way to the edges, which is usually at least 20 mm wider than your center-to-center measurement and may be more than that. Remember that saddles are measured at the widest point, but often slope toward the edges - so Biciclista is right, you want the brunt of your weight solidly supported.

our local bike barn here in Houston has a gel compression pad that they use for saddle fittings. Basically you put yourself into a riding posiion while sitting on the compressiom pad on a bench which gives and exact imprint of your sitz bones and the distance between them

They then measure that distance and start the saddle fitting from there. Another method that works if you are replacing a worn out saddle which fits is to turn the new saddle upside down on the old saddle and compare the widthe, the incline to the nose, the length of the nose, the poistion and length of the center cut out and anything you can think of.

Both of my LBS have a 30 day comfort ride return policy which allows you to exchange the saddle you purchase for a store credit should you need to return it or switch it out for another. They also make a policy of having you put your bike on an interiour trainer, gear up and ride in your new saddle for an hour while they refit and readjust as necessary. The fit is also under a 30 day adjustment policy.

I know how traumatic it is to switch saddles. The fit becomes very personal very fast and the quality of your ride is so dependent on it, but if you work with your bike shop they will help you- after all it is their best interest to have a comfortable committed rider who has them to thank for a good saddle and a qualityy ride.

marni