Searching for a saddle - what to try next?

I'm searching for a saddle for my Ruby, and could use some advice to help me figure out what next.

The stock saddle was a Specialized Lithia, which was no good for me. The nose is too wide, and it doesn't support my sit bones, so there's a lot of pressure on soft tissue.

I borrowed a Fizik saddle from my LBS (not sure which one), and it supported my sit bones much better, but didn't have a cutout. I liked the firmness (no gel), but I missed the cutout that the Lithia has.

Now I have a Specialized Toupe (143 mm) on loan from my LBS. Last night I rode for about 30 mi. on it, and I liked it best of the three. Cutout was just right, sit bones felt supported. I noticed I was repositioning myself more often than on the Lithia (is that bad?), and my sit bones were a little sore. Not bad, but a little.

My LBS doesn't have any women's saddles to borrow, so the question is what to do with what I've learned. I'm not sure I've found "it" yet. I've looked at Terry's website, and Specialized's women's saddles, and wouldn't know which ones to try. Any advice?

You might want to adjust the tilt of the current saddle and see if that makes any difference.

Trying moving your current saddle forward/backward and tilting as Owlie mentioned above.

If not, you can buy saddles from REI and return them at anytime used for a full refund if you don't like it.

Since you are having some relative success with the Toupe, I would say to try either the Specialized Ruby or Jett saddles in the same size - 143. Most Specialized shops have a 30-day return policy (at least the 1 shop near me does) as long as the saddle is BLACK. They won't let you return a white one. That is where I would start. FWIW, I'm currently riding on a Ruby 155 for about a year now.

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Originally Posted by nscrbug

Most Specialized shops have a 30-day return policy (at least the 1 shop near me does) as long as the saddle is BLACK. They won't let you return a white one. That is where I would start.

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Interesting! Thanks.

Spec' dealers I've dealt with look at me crossways when I ask for a return policy, but I've pointed out to them that ordering from Spec's website gives you that option. I kept the Lithia I asked for the option on, though, so I don't know if they would've actually taken it back or not had push come to shove.

Ruby comes to mind for me too, or maybe a SI Turbomatic (expensive though, and the place I got mine at a deep discount is both out of stock and showing a higher price right at the moment).

I have a Specialized Ruby saddle and was immediately in love with it after I tried it in the parking lot so I bought it to try it out on a longer ride. It's worked out quite well so far!

What are your sit-bone measurements?

I used the Toupe for a while. It's definitely a hard saddle. Your sit bones will get used to it, but it takes a little time. If you like a plusher saddle, this one probably isn't it.

Is your bike shop fitting you to the saddle? When you say you're moving around a lot, this could be because the saddle needs its fore/aft position adjusted. In general, you don't want to be tipping the saddle up or down to achieve a comfortable fit. This is an indication that the saddle is a bad fit and could lead to other issues (like hand numbness) later on.

Where are you at in Upstate NY? I'm in the Hudson Valley and have a great Specialized dealer, depending on where you are.

I am also in the processes of changing out the stock Lithia on my Ruby. Yesterday I rode about 45 miles on a Jett Comp. Much better, but the Angels weren't quite singing. Around mile 25 the sits were a bit sore, then got way better. Some mild tenderness in the "bones" this am, but I feel like I could get right back on and go again today.

I was also a bit aware of my bits. If I remember right, we tilted the Jett on my FX down just a hair. I'm thinking I might try doing that today. The saddle is level. And I think the Lithia was too. My FX is a couple hrs away on loan, so can't check it.

The fitter at lbs thought I might also want to try the Ruby. I know it is highly recommended by many TEers. Wondering what to expect if I were to try the Ruby.

Thanks all.

Huh. The 143 Jett works reasonably well for me. If I were to replace it, I'd try a 155 to make sure, but now that I've put some miles on it, it works pretty well.

... so can I send the Jett on to the other person who was interested?

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Originally Posted by Susie Derkins

I'm searching for a saddle for my Ruby, and could use some advice to help me figure out what next.

The stock saddle was a Specialized Lithia, which was no good for me. The nose is too wide, and it doesn't support my sit bones, so there's a lot of pressure on soft tissue.

I borrowed a Fizik saddle from my LBS (not sure which one), and it supported my sit bones much better, but didn't have a cutout. I liked the firmness (no gel), but I missed the cutout that the Lithia has.

Now I have a Specialized Toupe (143 mm) on loan from my LBS. Last night I rode for about 30 mi. on it, and I liked it best of the three. Cutout was just right, sit bones felt supported. I noticed I was repositioning myself more often than on the Lithia (is that bad?), and my sit bones were a little sore. Not bad, but a little.

My LBS doesn't have any women's saddles to borrow, so the question is what to do with what I've learned. I'm not sure I've found "it" yet. I've looked at Terry's website, and Specialized's women's saddles, and wouldn't know which ones to try. Any advice?

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It's not clear to me that you need to try a different saddle. If it's not level, that could explain why you kept repositioning yourself. If the fore/aft position is not right, that could also explain it.

If your sit bones are sore, that just could be because it's the the first saddle that is allowing you to actually sit on them while you ride, and you just need to toughen them up a bit.

You know, this thread has me thinking I need to revisit the Ruby saddle. I LOVED my Jett on my previous bike and I still really like it on my newer bike, but the more aggressive positioning seems to have me angled forward just enough to put more pressure/weight (and occasional pinching when things aren't adjusted quite right) than I would like on my girly bits. I tried a Ruby last Summer (the one that making the TE rounds) and found it to be too hard, but I really didn't try it for more than a couple of rides. Perhaps I just didn't give it enough time for my sit bones to adapt. I'm suspicious that the firmer saddle could be the cure-all for my up-front issues (which are still quite minor, really).

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

... so can I send the Jett on to the other person who was interested?

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YES! I'm sorry--where did my brain go...?