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I'm looking for something with padding similar to the Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow, but a bit narrower and more T-shaped. Cutout is a necessity. My horribly unscientific method of sit-bone measurement gives me 151 plus or minus 2.58 mm. Any suggestions?
The Lady Gel Flow didn't work for me, either...too wide and too pear-shaped. My sit-bones are around 130, IIRC...I think the Lady Gell Flow is about 160. I'm all about the Specialized BG Jett. I'm guessing the 155 would be the size you need.
151 mm sitbones are going to be too wide for a 155 mm Jett.
What about a Selle An-Atomica? Or, if you can tolerate a lot of padding, "recreational" or hybrid-type saddles tend to be wider (since the sitbones are spaced wider in an upright riding position).
Alternately - rather than even bothering to measure - try my method of circling your sitbone-print on a piece of paper that you can bring saddle-shopping with you. It's a lot easier to see where you might be sitting on any particular saddle and whether the slope will let it support you or not.
I was measured at 150 and was really at the end of all the popular women's saddles. I tried the glamour aspide with and without a cutout...meh not bad, tried the jett, no way, the ruby was good but too hard on my back. I got close with the SI lady SLR but it was a little too padded. Finally found a comfy saddle in the SI max flite. Very unisex, more for men but the cutout works better for the sensitive parts then all the others I tried. It's not your typical t-shape, and although I thought I needed t-shaped, the rounded back end is more comfy and gives me a better range of motion. Good luck, it's a long hard search. Trust me I know.
Make sure you do the measurement at the store with the ***-o-meter two or three times, I actually have uneven seat bones 70/80 from a broken hip and couldn't believe it the first two times.
I keep running into issues with this. I can't tell if it really is the saddle size and shape, the cut-out shape, shorts, or just a lack of lube and all I need to do is get out that tub of shea butter. :confused::mad:
Once I find "the spot", I'm good. It's getting me to stay there. I'm getting a bit of soft tissue discomfort, but I can't really tell if it's compression-related (it's not numb or anything) or friction (because it doesn't feel like...I don't know, mild rug burn). I've done the too-narrow saddle (stock saddle...), and this isn't what it feels like. It feels like it should correspond to the rear of the cut out, but I can't tell for sure. (I don't think, however, that the rest of my soft tissues would benefit from a cut-out-less saddle. Ouch.)
Oddly, this is a recent phenomenon, as I'd done similar distances prior to March with no real discomfort whatsoever apart from the expected sit-bone soreness from not riding. And then, BAM.
BF's mom suggested the possibility that it's a fit or adjustment issue. Possible, I guess. (I've noticed it more if I spend time in the drops and with the new pedals, although that might be because that's fresh in my memory.) Can anyone comment?
(I think I need a fitting anyway, so as soon as I can get the $$ and transport organized (LBS is 40 minutes away and I'm carless), I'm going to do that.)
Update: I've been experimenting with saddle position a bit, and I think I've got it. I moved it forward about 3 mm, and a preliminary test in the worst-offending shorts I possess (it was worse in some than in others), no mashed girly bits. Not on the hoods or drops either. Yay!
However, I think this just confirmed my original suspicion on the pear/T shape. I can feel a bit of chafing, and while it may be down to the fact that I think the shorts are now a bit on the big side (seriously?), I'm really thinking it's the saddle. There's a 1.5-2 cm chunk I want to take out of either side of it.
The other thing I'm concerned about is that I felt squished, reach-wise, before I moved the saddle. I kept ending up with pain in the upper back muscles from trying to compensate. Who knows, though? I'll see how that feels after my ride tomorrow. It may well be a moot point, as this allows me to sit back.
So: similar width to the Lady Gel Flow, with a cut-out, but more T-shaped. Go.
Specialized Jett, 155mm. The same saddle you are on was both too wide and too pear-shaped. I have the 143mm Jett and am lovin' it!
Duh...just now read up the page and see that I already said that. :p