Saddle delimma

[fixiegrrl]

I am searching for a new saddle to replace the selle italia flite I've been riding for almost a year. I have one each on my track and MTB rides. It's ok for short 20 milers but my sits bones start talking with any more milage. I think it's a bit too narrow for where my sits bones meet that saddle.

Anyway, I am considering the koobi xenon, selle san marco aspide, selle san marco era k/composite, fi'zik aliante or vitesse, and finally a women's specific saddle either the specialized bg jett or the bg pro. Does anyone have any experience with these saddles, good or bad, or has any advise on what to get? Typically, I prefer a med. hardness with semi-narrow nose and want durable quality product. If it helps, I am 5'4" and 110 lbs and ride 2 - 3 days, somewhere between 60-80 miles a week on a Fuji Track SE fixie bike so I am in and out of the saddle a lot, especially on climbs. Any suggestions?

[DeniseGoldberg]

I've been really happy with the Fizik Vitesse. I have it on my road bike and on one of my touring bikes - including the bike that I used when I road across the country.

That said, my experience has been that the only way to tell for sure is to try the saddle. Does you LBS have any saddles that you can take for a test ride?

--- Denise

[Nanci]

Another vote for Fizik Vitesse. I went through several others to get there, a WTB that was nice, a Selle Italia that I bought for the mango color to go with my gold ano Titus...What I like about the Vitesse: narrow long nose so my thighs don't rub on it and I can position my girly bits off to the side if I want to. I like the shape of the seat- it seems like I can put my sit bones in a number of different places including in the curves in front of the actual seat part, so they don't become tired of one position. It has held up for 2400 miles on the current bike, several hundred on the GT MTB turned road bike, and maybe a couple thousand on the Titus- thrown on the ground, leaned on trucks, leaned on trees, flown through the air and crashed countless times, poured many hundreds of hours of rain on- and has only in the last month shown the slightest sign of a bit of wear. I love it.

Nanci

[fixiegrrl]

I finally decided to start with the Selle Italia Prolink Light Genuine Gel saddle (144mm) in blue because it looks to have the flattest area at the back of the saddle so my sits bones should be making better contact, but still getting the narrower nose. Another selling point is that it's slightly wider than my current Selle Italia Flite Trans Am saddle (140mm).

However, the Vitesse Twin Tech will be my second choice if it doesn't work out. I may buy it anyway just to have something for my other ride. Thanks for the input, it always helps.

[Tiff]

I finally decided to start with the Selle Italia Prolink Light Genuine Gel saddle (144mm) in blue because it looks to have the flattest area at the back of the saddle so my sits bones should be making better contact, but still getting the narrower nose. Another selling point is that it's slightly wider than my current Selle Italia Flite Trans Am saddle (140mm).

However, the Vitesse Twin Tech will be my second choice if it doesn't work out. I may buy it anyway just to have something for my other ride. Thanks for the input, it always helps.

Could you please tell me your review on the Selle Italia Prolink. I have purchased it and am waiting. I am also looking into the Selle San Marco Aspide Arrowhead gel around. I ride the Terry Zero X but it seems to have either given in, in the cut out or something, it is no longer comfortable. I have developed my first saddle sore that WON'T go away. Sigh So any help would be appreciated. I like cut outs due to soft tissue problems. I have tried the Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow with cut out, loved it but it seemed to be a bit too narrow in back ( I think) and it caused that butt leg chafing. The Prolink seemed to come down on the sides but I have heard a lot of cons due to stitching and saddle wear etc..... Help please.


I do ride a road bike. FYI

Other saddles tested ; Fizik Arione (caused major central soft tissue problems), Selle Italia Lady Gel flow (too big in rear and too padded), Selle Italia Flite with cut out (too soft and cutout in wrong place, pressure points), Terry Damselfly (bruised beyond belief), Serfas Carma ( too wide), Terry Butterfly ( too wide in back), I have sat on the Body Geometry saddles and decided right there to not even take them out and I think finally some form of stock bontrager saddle that came on my Trek Road.

I am in the saddle a lot and have been working with a coach. I am preparing to do the TBP this summer and I have been saddle searching since I purchased my bike a year ago August.

[Bubbles]

Other saddles tested ; Fizik Arione (caused major central soft tissue problems), Selle Italia Lady Gel flow (too big in rear and too padded), Selle Italia Flite with cut out (too soft and cutout in wrong place, pressure points), Terry Damselfly (bruised beyond belief), Serfas Carma ( too wide), Terry Butterfly ( too wide in back), I have sat on the Body Geometry saddles and decided right there to not even take them out and I think finally some form of stock bontrager saddle that came on my Trek Road.

I'm in the process of replacing an old Selle Italia flite titanium which was a near-perfect saddle for me for about ten years. It looks like you have the same opinion of some of the saddles I've tried (and rejected) recently -- I had the same experience with the Fizik Vitesse that you had with Arione, and ditto on the Terry Damselfly (it's narrower than most men's racing saddles, and hard as rock...).

I was just wondering whether you've found a saddle you can recommend. I was going to try one of the new Selle Italia cut-outs or their wacky new split saddle, but after reading your post I'm having second thoughts....

[VeloVT]

Fixiegrrl (hope I spelled that right !),
just curious, any reason you're looking at the Aliante but not the Arione? It would seem to fit the general description of what you're looking for (medium hard, narrow nose, flat rear platform, etc).

I know, different strokes for different folks, but I have an Arione on my road bike and one on my cyclocross/commuter bike, and I'm loving it. Actually liking it more and more each time I ride it, doesn't give me pressure or chafing. The saddle on my road bike is new this year and it's a little early in the good-weather season here in the northeast so most of my rides haven't been super long yet, but I've taken it for up to 40 miles with no discomfort. Just my two cents...