HELP!! Struggles with saddles...

[arim]

Ok, so I bought my first new road bike in 15 years and I love it (carbon, woo-hoo), but the saddle wasn't all that (too cushy and pinched up front after 10 miles or so), so I decided to look for a new one. Little did I know how hard it would be!!!

I've tried the Terry Butterfly (hurt the girly bits up front), Specialized Lithia in 155 (major sit bone pain), Lithia in 143 (hurt the girly bits again), and now a borrowed Specialized Jett 143 (too firm on the sit bones again!!, girly bits ok--the whole saddle was great for the first 7-10 miles ).

Where the heck do I go from here?? I got a reco from a bike shop guy who swears by the Specialized Ruby Gel for gals (he hasn't had as much luck with the Terry and thinks the Lithia is a torture device), and I just ordered a Falcon X and a Liberator Race Gel from Terry (thank goodness they have a 30 day return policy). Lots of folks seem to like the SSM Aspide Glamour on this site but I've never seen it in a local shop.

Thoughts? Ideas? I'm at a bit of a loss at this point...feeling a whole lot like Goldilocks!! Any help is MUCH appreciated!

--AM

P.S. I had each saddle "fit" by a pro at local bike shop, so no, it's not the saddle position...

[mimitabby]

welcome to TE, did you find all the other saddle threads?

I hear that gel is evil. you probably won't like it.

[arim]

welcome to TE, did you find all the other saddle threads?

I hear that gel is evil. you probably won't like it.

I found the other saddle threads--thanks. I don't know if I'm more confused or better off!! At least I have more information to work with...

Which gel is the evil one? The Ruby Gel or the Liberator Race Gel?

[OakLeaf]

Since the Serfas saddle worked for you, measure it in as many dimensions as you can, using both a ruler and calipers, and compare it against other seats at the LBS and/or ask members here to post the measurements of their saddles. That should give you a good idea anyhow. Someplace on here I posted the measurements of my 155 Lithia, but you've already tried that one.

Here it is, for reference of what I measured.

ETA: maybe a firmer Bontrager seat might work for you, too? According to their website they have an Unconditional Comfort Guarantee.

[mimitabby]

more than one person has gotten boil-like problems with gel seats as well as the standard discomfort. but i stand corrected, not all seats called gel are bad.
I ride a leather brooks saddle and i don't waste any time with crotch soreness issues !

[Chicken Little]

I went through the saddle thing, too. Nobody here has mentioned this saddle, but I am loving this Terry saddle:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/sea...criptions=True

Scoff if you must, but it is working great for me.

[rij73]

I love my Ruby gel. After using the Terry Butterfly for a year, it must have softened up because I started having major "girly bits" pain. So, I got a Ruby gel.

It is a very firm saddle (don't let the 'gel' word fool you). I had MAJOR sit bone pain the first couple of rides, but it went away, and now I'm very happy. When transitioning to a firmer saddle, it does take a few rides to break in the saddle and your sit bones. So, don't give up right away if the only problem is sit bone pain.

That said, saddles are a very individual thing... Be patient, and you will find the right one.

[KnottedYet]

What is your sitbone measurement?

If you tell us, I bet you'll find a few folks with the same measurement and the same preferences (not too cushy, doesn't pinch, etc) and they can recommend the saddles they ride.

[pardes]

I had terrible saddle problems until I found this saddle. Instant success. Now I don't even think about the saddle. It's about an inch longer than many saddle and that inch has made all the difference.

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...slisearch=true

[OakLeaf]

I don't know, it sounds to me like your sitbones just haven't toughened up enough yet. If the only pain you were having on the 155 Lithia was in the sitbones - where all the other narrower saddles chafed your girly parts - then it really sounds like it's probably a good saddle for you. Some sitbone pain is to be expected for a new or returning rider.

How many miles did you put on the Lithia before it got painful? Did it just feel like bruising? How long before the pain went away?

When you say it's your first new road bike in 15 years, have you been riding another type of bike all along? If so, what kind of saddle is on your other bike(s)? Or have you not been riding at all up until now? Was that 7-10 miles a very short ride for you, or a long one, or average?


ETA: you may still need to tweak saddle tilt even after a very good professional fitting. For one thing, a tilt difference of just one degree can make a huge difference in comfort. (And if you don't have a micro-adjustable seatpost, you can shim it with a little piece of metal cut from a beer can.) For another thing... well, they don't measure you THERE.

[mayanorange]

If the lithia is bothering your sitbones I would not go to the Ruby or SSM Aspide- they're both very firm. I can't contribute another recommendation tho- the Lithia was fine for my tush, but the cutout was a nightmare. I have a Selle SMP TRK on order to try- I'm still searching too.

[arim]

I don't know, it sounds to me like your sitbones just haven't toughened up enough yet. If the only pain you were having on the 155 Lithia was in the sitbones - where all the other narrower saddles chafed your girly parts - then it really sounds like it's probably a good saddle for you. Some sitbone pain is to be expected for a new or returning rider.

How many miles did you put on the Lithia before it got painful? Did it just feel like bruising? How long before the pain went away?

When you say it's your first new road bike in 15 years, have you been riding another type of bike all along? If so, what kind of saddle is on your other bike(s)? Or have you not been riding at all up until now? Was that 7-10 miles a very short ride for you, or a long one, or average?


ETA: you may still need to tweak saddle tilt even after a very good professional fitting. For one thing, a tilt difference of just one degree can make a huge difference in comfort. (And if you don't have a micro-adjustable seatpost, you can shim it with a little piece of metal cut from a beer can.) For another thing... well, they don't measure you THERE.

I've been riding for a while now. The BIKE is new, but I'm not . Been riding for 6 years (to get back into shape after my 3 children), and spinning in the winter. My 15-year old entry level Trek road bike never fit me right, which is why I bought the new one. The old bike had a stock Serfas seat (don't ask me which--I have no idea), which worked fine--never an issue, but it was getting old. The new bike came with a stock Bontrager seat (a Trek also), which was cushy on the sit bones, but pinched in the front after a while. I NEVER had sit bone pain on any of my bike seats, which is why I was so surprised when I tried the new ones.

The Lithia 155 gave me sit bone pain after about 7-10 miles, which is a short ride for me. I tried riding it 3 times, for total milage of about 60 miles before I gave up on it. Pain went away as soon as I stopped riding.

Thanks for the tip on the tilt! The seat fitting put a level on the seat to make sure it was straight, but maybe just a little tilt down would have helped?

I'm so bummed about the Jett--I really wanted it to work. Just rode it in a triathlon this weekend, hammering the whole way (the bike is by far my best event), and hated the darn thing as soon as I hit around 7 miles. I move around on the bike, in the drops, out of the saddle, so it wasn't about me being lazy and just SITTING there!

[arim]

What is your sitbone measurement?

If you tell us, I bet you'll find a few folks with the same measurement and the same preferences (not too cushy, doesn't pinch, etc) and they can recommend the saddles they ride.

When measured for the Specialized saddles, I'm between a 143 and 155. They initially recommended the 155 Lithia in case I spend a lot of time in the hoods.

[Flur]

When measured for the Specialized saddles, I'm between a 143 and 155. They initially recommended the 155 Lithia in case I spend a lot of time in the hoods.

My understanding of saddle-fitting is that you can't really be between sizes - if your sitbone measurement is wider than what will fit on a 143 saddle, then you really need to be on a 155 saddle. So the girly-bits pain that you're having may be b/c the narrower saddles don't support your sit bones properly, leaving all your weight on the soft tissue. This is also why you're not having sit bones pain on the narrower saddles - your sit bones are not really ON the saddle! You should try a saddle in the 155 measurement with a bit more padding and see how that pans out. I ride a Specialized Ariel (it's a mountain saddle but looks great on my road bike). It's definitely got more padding than the Lithia and comes in 155. That might be a good option for you to try.

[arim]

My understanding of saddle-fitting is that you can't really be between sizes - if your sitbone measurement is wider than what will fit on a 143 saddle, then you really need to be on a 155 saddle. So the girly-bits pain that you're having may be b/c the narrower saddles don't support your sit bones properly, leaving all your weight on the soft tissue. This is also why you're not having sit bones pain on the narrower saddles - your sit bones are not really ON the saddle! You should try a saddle in the 155 measurement with a bit more padding and see how that pans out. I ride a Specialized Ariel (it's a mountain saddle but looks great on my road bike). It's definitely got more padding than the Lithia and comes in 155. That might be a good option for you to try.

I need to clarify--my apologies. I measure about 135. According to Specialized system, that puts me between a 145 and a 155, depending on my riding position (more time in the hoods and upright, I should be on a 155, more time at a 45 degree angle or less, the 143 is better). I got sit bone pain on the Jett 143, but I was told by my bike shop that they stopped carrying it because too many complained it was too firm, so that may be the reason there...

I tried a Fizik Vitesse in the bike shop yesterday and WHOH--I finally found a seat that was comfy on my tush! Problem was that the Vitesse does not have a cutout, and apparently from the pain I experienced up front on the trainer (RIGHT AWAY), I need a cutout. Its a Tri seat, and was a little long for my purposes anyway, but it made me very interested in Fizik seats.

Anyway, I'm presently trying the Terry Falcon X (Terry has a great 30 day love it or return it guarantee). It measures about a 152, and when I switched from the Vitesse to the Falcon, my girly bits thanked me. It feels a little stiff near the hind end--it might be too wide, but we'll see how I do on the road. I just don't like the way it looks on my bike.

Thanks so much to you all--all your advice is fantastic! I'll keep you posted on my trials. Keep your ideas coming! I could use all the help I can get!

And, thanks for the tip on the Ariel!