Your measurements?

Jaquisun - take a look at www.wallbike.com That site sells Brooks, and I freely admit to being a member of the Brooks cult. But at least they have the length and width measurements of all their saddles!

My center-to-center measurements are already very wide. For choosing a saddle I will use my outer-edge to outer-edge measurement, because I'm not comfortable unless my entire bone is on the seat and has a little margin of error. (center to center I'm around 170-180 mm, outer to outer I'm around 200 mm)

Since I learned that I don't have to have measurements to buy a Brooks b67 -- I'm going to test the waters of the Brooks cult!

Anything to forget about this measuring stuff!

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Originally Posted by Rebeccah

I've got a 30-year-old Avocet W-II that has been hurting my butt all these years. I just realized that the sore spot isn't my ischial tuberosities ("sit bones") all this time, it's forward and inside of that, my pubic rami (the bones that go from the sit bones, inside the legs toward the front "pubic bone").

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I retired my Avocet W-II about 5 years ago. Like you said, the forward part of the saddle caused some discomfort since it is rounded and put the most pressure in the center of the pubic area. The W-II was an amazing saddle in it's day, but I've switched to one with a cutout. BTW, tried an Avocet O2 Air five years ago and hated it.

ok so once you kinda get a feel of your measurements (how embarassing was that??? My hubby watching the whole time...... the perv)..... how do you determine what is the best size for a seat?? If its just trial and error why even measure at all??

You look for a seat that is at minimum the width of the outer sit bone measurement.

That at least lets you know your bones will fit on the seat.

I know I like about 10mm beyond each bone for comfort, but I have very wide sit bones.

You can also measure the length of a seat you like the length of.

Then you have a width and length, and can compare potential seats to those measurements.

If you know whether you like pear-shaped seats or "T" shaped seats, well, that gives you another parameter.

Soft or firm? Sprung or unsprung? Leather or plastic? Cut-out or solid?

Use all that to narrow down the seats you are considering, then start trying seats.

I like 180-200mm wide, 245-260mm long, "T" shaped, firm saddles with no cut-out. Sprung is ok, but not crucial. I like leather cuz i sweat a lot.

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

measure from center to center of the indents...

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A neat trick to puzzle out the "center" of your sit bone divets on your buttOmeter surface... roll a ball bearing (...or marble, etc.) into the hollow and they will find the center. I used my memory foam pillow (sans pillow "slip" so the ball wasn't sitting on a trampoline), and I got the same readings within 1mm 3 times! Now if only I could translate that to my Secret Saddle.

But being a true dirt fiend, I'm still uncertain how the plethora of road saddles are applicable to trail use. Or not. For all the trouble saddle makers go to for different features, they don't bother to let you know what they are for... ("we specialize in ALL makes and models...")

My old Serfas Arroyo was comfy on the longest rides until the last year when I got out of shape due to less training. I wonder how much one's sit bones can change over the years?

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Originally Posted by Psiouxan

A neat trick to puzzle out the "center" of your sit bone divets on your buttOmeter surface... roll a ball bearing (...or marble, etc.) into the hollow and they will find the center. I used my memory foam pillow (sans pillow "slip" so the ball wasn't sitting on a trampoline), and I got the same readings within 1mm 3 times! Now if only I could translate that to my Secret Saddle.

But being a true dirt fiend, I'm still uncertain how the plethora of road saddles are applicable to trail use. Or not. For all the trouble saddle makers go to for different features, they don't bother to let you know what they are for... ("we specialize in ALL makes and models...")

My old Serfas Arroyo was comfy on the longest rides until the last year when I got out of shape due to less training. I wonder how much one's sit bones can change over the years?

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Wow...what a great idea! I never thought of doing that. I have a memory foam pillow, but it's one of those "contour" pillows that supports the neck...I wonder if I flipped it over to the "flat" side of it, if I could get an accurate measurement. I think I'll give it a try just for kicks.