need advice?

[vness]

so i finally got my sit bones measured (we used dampened flour in a plastic bag - worked great) and center to center I'm approx. 117.5. If I add 20mm, that puts me at 137.5 so a 143 should work????

I'm currently riding a Specialized 143mm Avatar and though I definitely feel my sitbones, I get terrible chafing and swelling in the tissue in front of them. On the positive side, though 'mashed', my 'girly bits' aren't too bothered, which is wonderful

has anyone tried the Selle Italia Max Flite? (150mm)
what about Selles' ProLink Gel Flow? (144mm)
should I consider a Specialized Jett or Lithia at 143?

and am I even right thinking I should be riding a 143mm saddle?

I do notice that if I slide forward, I can get some relief from the chafing so I figure I definitely need a T shape with a narrow nose. I'm only 5'1"

like many, I've been going nuts. Coming back from a 7 year lay off (YIKES!)
but I've ALWAYS had a terrible time with saddles

as money is tight (SIGH) I can't keep buying and trying different ones. Times have changed for me, for sure

ANY and ALL suggestions would be helpful. I'm not sure whether to stay with Specialized or try the Selle's. I do like some sort of cutout but nothing too big or the cutout itself digs into me

there are a couple of saddles on ebay I'm looking at

thanks for reading... I realize the issue is highly personalized but I know I need some advice as to whether I'm even looking in the right direction. I'm particularly concerned with riding the right width

namaste,
vness

[lph]

I don't think the width of the saddle in back (which is where your sitbones are, and where the saddle width is measured) will make much of a difference to chafing in front - that's more a function of cut-out or not, width of cut-out (I like a huge one, a narrow one just pinches me), saddle tilt (very important, just a tad down in front can remove all "front pressure" but can put too much pressure on your wrists), shape of the saddle (horisontally flat or curved) and width of the nose. Try looking at what you're actually sitting on when you slide forward and feel some relief from the chafing.

[OakLeaf]

I do notice that if I slide forward, I can get some relief from the chafing so I figure I definitely need a T shape with a narrow nose.

It sounds to me like you're on the right track (I'm the same way).

Specialized saddles are pretty T-shaped, and if you order from the website they have a 30-day return policy.

I'm not sure exactly what the differences are between Specialized's men's and women's saddles, but I'm going to guess that the women's saddles should be more T-shaped because of women's greater Q-angle. The Avatar is a men's saddle.

I'm on a Jett right now, but I am getting a little bit of the problem you describe when I get up over 80-90 miles. I'm wondering if I should've gone straight to a Ruby, if maybe the extra padding isn't causing some of the problem.

[kermit]

I've tried a prolink, it's VERY padded and the cutout was not as useful as I thought it would be. Comfy until the numbness starts from all the padding mushing everything. Have you looked into a ruby? I had gone through all the Specialized saddles and the ruby is great. Another option is Selle Italia SLR womens model. It should fit right into your dimensions and it's made for women. It's padded but the cutout is perfect. I found it a little too padded for me but everybodys different. Good luck, you are definitely on the right track.

[vness]

thanks to all who replied!
I needed to hear I was at least on the right track :))

I think the width of the saddle is what was causing the chafing. It's on the tissue directly forward of the sit bones, not the more forward pubic area. Possible I was sitting too far back? a more t-shaped saddle should help? I do know that when I was riding wider saddles, I had a lot more trouble with my "girly bits" being squished, in addition to the chafing. Total misery. Should I even be considering a narrower saddle (130mm??)? Are my 117.5mm sitbones too wide? I understand that saddles slope down, so the actual width doesn't necessarily accommodate your sit bones. Has anyone measured the flat surfaces on the Jett and Ruby?

I decided not to go with the used saddle on ebay. I noticed even last year's Jett had more stitching on it than this year (I've been reading a LOT of posts here :) and I like that Specialized has a 30 day return policy. I'm going to check a LBS I think (hope) stocks Specialized to see if they carry the saddles and if they too, have a 'try-out' period to keep shipping $ down.

I think the Selle Italia SLR women's model is too wide at 155mm.... doesn't look like it'll taper away enough to keep the chafing at bay... but it would be nice to try. Actually I wish the Selle's came in different widths like the Specialized do. IMHO, they're really onto something here.

Now I HAVE to ask this: what's with the plastic pieces added on the front and back of the Ruby?

How much firmer is the Ruby? I've read that some even find the Jett too firm so I'm hesitant to go straight to the Ruby.

questions... questions... all I really want to do is try them out!! LOL

hope I'm not being too much of a pain.
Thanks again for helping out - this site is such a Blessing!

namaste,
v

[OakLeaf]

I do know that when I was riding wider saddles, I had a lot more trouble with my "girly bits" being squished, in addition to the chafing. Total misery. Should I even be considering a narrower saddle (130mm??)? Are my 117.5mm sitbones too wide?

What wider saddles did you try? I need a very T-shaped saddle, so what happens to me on a pear-shaped one is that I can't pedal while sitting on the butt part of the saddle. No matter how wide the butt part is, effectively I'm sitting on a very narrow saddle, because the pedaling motion of my legs forces me forward onto the nose, and that's why my Kaiser roll gets chafed on saddles like the Terry Liberator I had before the Lithia.

If the parts between the sitbones are getting chafed, it's usually one of three things: the saddle is too narrow (absolutely or effectively); the nose is tilted up too much; or the cutout is wrong for you.

I'd think you would definitely want to try a 130 as well as a 143; either one could possibly fit you. But I have to ask how you got a sitbone width to a half a millimeter... I don't know that that's possible without an X-ray!



ETA: as far as measurements, not sure how helpful this is, but on my 155 mm Jett, measuring from one silver stripe to the other on the widest part of the saddle - which is pretty much the seating area - gives me 133 mm.

[vness]

What wider saddles did you try? I need a very T-shaped saddle, so what happens to me on a pear-shaped one is that I can't pedal while sitting on the butt part of the saddle. No matter how wide the butt part is, effectively I'm sitting on a very narrow saddle, because the pedaling motion of my legs forces me forward onto the nose, and that's why my Kaiser roll gets chafed on saddles like the Terry Liberator I had before the Lithia.

That's exactly what would happen to me! I was also using a Terry and I can't even remember how many before that, since it was over 7 years ago. But I'd never measured my sitbones and just followed the policy that "women need wider saddles" back then. How do you like the Lithia???????

If the parts between the sitbones are getting chafed, it's usually one of three things: the saddle is too narrow (absolutely or effectively); the nose is tilted up too much; or the cutout is wrong for you.

I wondered whether the saddle was too narrow (it's a 143) BUT I definitely feel my sitbones on them and as I'm schooching forward to clear the tissue in front, I'm not even getting the full width. I've been trying to figure out how to describe the area... inside and to the front of the sitbones (as I'm not sitting upright). Since the "sits bones" are the base of the ischial tuberosity, is it spine of the ischium and the fatty tissue around it? (I'm actually attempting to look this up) not that I'm guessing this helps any. I could try tilting it ever so slightly... and it could be the cutout...??????

But it's part of what makes me wary about what width to actually purchase

I'd think you would definitely want to try a 130 as well as a 143; either one could possibly fit you. But I have to ask how you got a sitbone width to a half a millimeter... I don't know that that's possible without an X-ray!

It said to take the measurement twice and go with the median... I ended up with 1/2 a mm LOL but I guess I could just go with 117 or 118 :)

Thanks for the info on your Jett. Do you like it? It does sound like we had similar issues.

Thanks again