Maybe the Roman, BUTT no quite!!

I think I may have possibly solved the upper thigh chafing problem, but and I do mean butt, I've seemed to move by problems back a bit!

My Jett 143 has been chafing the last couple of years so I went with my bike to LBS about 3 weeks ago and tried several saddles. Roman seemed to be the only one that didn't chafe my upper thighs right where my panty line would be. Tried the Toupe and Lithia is 155, they both rubbed upper leg. I like the raised rear of the Romin. I seem to know where to sit and move around less. I can't tell a difference while climbing. (I'm still really slow!)

After four rides, 15 to 26 miles, I'm really SORE, SORE, SORE in the sit bones due to the minimal padding. I keep thinking that will get better, but starting to wonder. Butt, (sorry!) instead of thigh chafing, I'm chafing in the crease at the bottom of my cheeks. Again, right along the would-be panty line, just farther back! I hope that is not too confusing of a description.

So it seems I've just moved my friction area to a new location!!!

Switched to Blue Steel to lube me up and I think I like it. Really using a ton of it too!

I'm ready to switch to my soft, soft, soft Lithia that came with the bike! Maybe at least I wouldn't have bruised sit bones to go with my chafing. My 30 day return on Romin is running out in a week and I'm not thinking I'll keep it.

Also, new manager at the LBS, he has been to Specialized Fit Training, but I don't think he has the years of experience that the previous guys had. Sat me in the Butt-o-meter with my bike shorts on. Measured at 144, sent me home with a Romin in 168 and while it indeed doesn't feel too big, I still wonder about that! Maybe I just don't want wide bones in my size 2 - 4 pants. When I sat on the baggy full of flour, I got something in the upper 130s.

So ladies, any ideas what I should do next?

I don't think I've tried the Specialized butt-o-meter, but with Bontrager's you are not supposed to wear bike shorts, you're supposed to wear street clothes, preferably something with thin fabric. So I'm wondering if they measured you wrong. (Also if your sit bones are that wide, you would have had different problems with the Jett 143.)

Have you tried the Lithia before? How wide is it?

The Lithia and my Jett are both 143. I remember the Lithia being uncomfortable but can't remember why. I agree, should not have had bike shorts on.

SI Turbomatic? More T-shaped than the Spec' saddles, generous cut-out, nice narrow nose, effective width around 150mm?

i was getting tortured by a bontrager saddle on my new trek. more comfortable on my specialized riva 155 so decided specialized saddles could be the answer. so went to a shop and got the bouttee measured. i am closest to a 143 size saddle so purchased the oura. (btw, specialized gives you 30 days) what a huge difference!! it is even more comfy than the riva that would start getting to me a bit at around 30 miles. i do feel my sit bones more, but i think that is going to go with time. it's the same feeling of getting adjusted after being off a bike for awhile. just wondering if the 168 might be a little large??

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

Which model Romin? I have the Romin Expert, which is very unpadded. The Evo has more padding, and they have some models with even more. Usually, the less expensive, the more padding. The shop guys thought I wouldn't like the Expert because of this, but I spent nearly 4 years on a very minimal Toupe, so was used to it.

To my eyes, the Jett is extremely padded (it's not, really, but I'm used to a hard seat). If you like the shape of the Romin, there should be one that works for you.

Edit: just realized you are getting pear-shaped related chafing.

Try a Selle SMP?

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The Romin is 168, vs 143 with the old Jett. I think there's a good chance that the Romin is just too wide.

I would get a better sit bone measurement, and if it's really in the upper 130s, try a more padded version of a Romin 143. If the measurement is 144, then try a Romin 155.

Measures sit bones in the play dough and got APPROX.: center to center - 120 to 125. Outside to outside - 185 and inside to inside - 65 to 70.
After several 15 to 30 mile rides I'm finding the Romin fairly comfortable while riding. Drops are great, but not my fav. Style of riding. Chafing moved farther back to my cheek crease, with none in front. Sit bones could really use some more padding. So, off it came. 30 day trial is running out.
Desperate move: put my old Lithia on today. 22miles and my bones we so much happier! Not as nice in drops, but ok. Chafing better, but expect not solved. So for now it will stay on while I contemplate my next move. I think at least my sit bones will have a bit of early season relief! More comfortable than Jett. Both are 143.
What I noticed today with the Lithia was a loss of power and speed, especially climbing hills, as compared to the Romin!!! Am I imagining this or does the firmness and/or raised back really help that much? I felt like I could spin along (slowly, but so much stronger) all day with the Romin. Felt so weak legged today (similar to previous hill climbing with Jett).
May order a Romin 155 and give it a try next. Thought about the Spec. Oura but not available on the Specialized site in 155 and my Lbs doesn't carry that model. Per the Specialized site it is a 3 in the cush dept. while the Romin is a 2 (firmer). Any thoughts??
The SI Turbomatic has my interest also.
Oh, and the down poor was great fun too!

Funny, I've been re-reading the Steve Hogg/SMP blog and posts. I'll research the saddles you mentioned. Also hearing positive things about the SI Turbomatic and Diva Flow Gel.

I've been thinking the same thing about the Romin/Oura. The Romin did make me feel like I was suddenly an awesome hill climber though. But I don't want to spend all my time in the hoods.

Thanks for your insight and help.

If you have panty-line chafing even with the Jett, I'm not sure the Diva Gel Flow would help. It's pretty pear-shaped. I'd look more at the Turbomatic or perhaps the SMPs. (One of the SMP models is a good candidate for the saddle on my hypothetical next road bike.)

I think if your C2C is 125 mm then the Turbomatic is plenty wide, even though the flat area of your ischial tuberosities appears to be very long. I am thinking that if you try to support the entire O2O width, then you'll never find a saddle with a nose or a transition area narrow enough to accommodate a 65 mm I2I. And since the problems you're having now are related to the transition area being too wide, I'd give it a try if you can find one that you don't have to commit to. You might just find yourself hanging off hard turns as though you were on a motorcycle. Except off the "wrong" side. ;)


I still recommend making a tracing of your sitbone indentations, that you can then lay over any saddle without even putting it on a bike. You can't get a definite "yes" from a saddle that way, but you sure can identify a lot of "no"s, not only by width but by shape.

Thanks Ladies. Will consider all of this. Screaming with frustration!