New Rider with Saddle Troubles

I often think that SMP should give Steve Hogg a commission. Whenever someone asks about them on an internet thread, a link to his site is posted. Unfortunately, he doesn't cover all the models, as he himself admits. SMP's own site is baffling at best. Choosing a saddle by your waist size? What's up with that?

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Originally Posted by nuliajuk

I often think that SMP should give Steve Hogg a commission. Whenever someone asks about them on an internet thread, a link to his site is posted. Unfortunately, he doesn't cover all the models, as he himself admits. SMP's own site is baffling at best. Choosing a saddle by your waist size? What's up with that?

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Yeah. I spent a lot of time on his site and looking at his photos before I had an idea what it was that might work for me. Even trying to find one more suitable for CX racing (ie not as flared up at the back as my Drakon and Lite 209 to make for easier mounts/dismounts) had me doing reading on his site.

The whole waist size chart is scary, I do think that it makes sense though. I had measured 150 with the Specialized butt meter but the lite 209 maxes at 139. My hips and hip muscles are sore and I think it's because the narrower more angled seat gives me a better rotation and I have become faster and more efficient. I don't think any wider for me would work.

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Originally Posted by Owlie

Oi, Selle SMP (or parent company)--you should give these ladies a commission. It's not in the cards right now, but I'm contemplating getting one for the road bike, probably the Lite 209. Things get a little unpleasant in the drops, and if I acquire a new roadie in the future, I can move it to that--the Jett doesn't seem like it'll agree with the more aggressive geometry I want. Too many models to make a choice. :/ I'm confused.

Zoom, you've used a Jett, but what version was it? It seems like the Jett I have on the road bike (picked up on clearance--it's got the gray sit spots) seems firmer than the current version. It's got some squish at the sit spots and a bit at the nose, but it's not as cushy as more recent ones. Something between the Ruby and the Jett in firmness would be good, but if it's about equivalent to the old Jett, we're good.

I *think* the Jett is okay on my CX bike. Still playing around with the position, but I haven't gotten enough miles in yet to say for sure.

(I should have picked one up when I still had my job...)

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I hated the Jett saddle that came with my Specialized Amira. Not enough of a cutout. In fact, I placed it on my mountain bike (because the saddle that comes with the Santa Cruz Juliana was even worse)....thinking that I could live with it since I am more upright on my mountain bike than my road bike. Unfortunately, I just got an abrasion from that saddle. I'll probably be donating my Jett to Teamestrogen AFTER I get a new saddle for my birthday. I REALLY want to try a Selle SMP saddle, such as the SMP Chrono. But no LBS in my area with these demos in stock. So, I will stick with my Selle Italia Max SLR Gel flow which has worked great for me so far. I sure got lucky finding the right saddle on my second try.

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Originally Posted by TigerMom

I hated the Jett saddle that came with my Specialized Amira. Not enough of a cutout. In fact, I placed it on my mountain bike (because the saddle that comes with the Santa Cruz Juliana was even worse)....thinking that I could live with it since I am more upright on my mountain bike than my road bike. Unfortunately, I just got an abrasion from that saddle. I'll probably be donating my Jett to Teamestrogen AFTER I get a new saddle for my birthday. I REALLY want to try a Selle SMP saddle, such as the SMP Chrono. But no LBS in my area with these demos in stock. So, I will stick with my Selle Italia Max SLR Gel flow which has worked great for me so far. I sure got lucky finding the right saddle on my second try.

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I think they tweaked the Jett saddle a ton. The one on my roadie was on massive clearance and has to be from 2008 or something. I bought a Jett Expert a few months ago to have a backup saddle, and the newer Jetts seem to have a smaller, shallower depression/cutout that doesn't extend as far back, and more padding. (Even more so with the Jett on my CX bike, which was a take-off from someone on here.) I don't like with one on my cross bike anywhere near as much as I like the one on the road bike.

If you've got a Performance near you, they'll take a saddle back if it doesn't work out, but that still means plonking down the cash. (They don't carry them in the smaller stores, at least, though.) ;/

These demos came from sportfit Lab in Virginia. A two week trial for $25 and he has all the smp models.