Kontact Anatomical (update of old E3): Has anyone tried it?

[KathiCville]

Hi.......Recently I started thinking about replacing my eight-year-old Terry Butterfly on my road bike, which I bought when I first started riding again. It has more than 6,000 miles on it.

So, I've been reading the great saddle-related threads here on TE, plus Sheldon Brown's essay, educating myself on sit bones measurements, cut-outs and all that good stuff. Along the way, I also came across a review on Road Bike Rider of a saddle that I haven't seen mentioned here on TE: the Kontact Anatomical saddle. http://www.roadbikerider.com/product...tomical-saddle.

I'm curious if anyone on TE has given the Kontact a whirl? If so, what do you think of it? Supposedly its design works equally well for men and women.

Thoughts? (Now, back to reading more TE saddle threads!) Thanks!

[Wahine]

Unfortunately, I don't have any insight for you as I've not had a chance to try this saddle but I am intrigued.

[KathiCville]

Thanks, Wahine, for the response! I'm intrigued too! I just wish the return policy was 90 days, not 30. Then I'd be more willing to give the Kontact a try, even without TE'er input. I'm not sure that my posterior will give me enough data in 30 days. :-)

[emily_in_nc]

Seems like the lack of cut-out would be an issue if it turns out you are one of those who needs one. Have you ridden non-cutout saddle before? I have never been able to tolerate riding more than a few miles on one.

[KathiCville]

Seems like the lack of cut-out would be an issue if it turns out you are one of those who needs one. Have you ridden non-cutout saddle before? I have never been able to tolerate riding more than a few miles on one.

Good question, Emily! I probably do need a cut-out. I've noticed that I'm squirming around on my old Terry Butterfly quite a bit, trying to get comfortable, and end my 10-20m rides with some "lady bits" soreness that I don't recall experiencing except on much longer rides. The discomfort is what got me thinking that it might be time for a new saddle.

[OakLeaf]

I've been wondering about that myself though.

I know our parts change a lot as the years go by. But back in the day, back before Georgena Terry invented the cut-out, I could ride all day on the tensioned leather saddle on my first diamond frame bike. When I went to plastic shell saddles, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven the first time I rode the one with the cut-out in the shell but not the cover ... but it still was gel, and it still wasn't as T-shaped as a tensioned leather saddle.

I wonder how badly I really do need a cut-out if the saddle fits me properly. That saddle is likely too narrow for me, but gawd that shape is appealing.

[Wahine]

Good question, Emily! I probably do need a cut-out. I've noticed that I'm squirming around on my old Terry Butterfly quite a bit, trying to get comfortable, and end my 10-20m rides with some "lady bits" soreness that I don't recall experiencing except on much longer rides. The discomfort is what got me thinking that it might be time for a new saddle.

It's really common for cut out saddles to break down over time and become uncomfortable even if they were great in the beginning.

I used to use a Terry Butterfly as well but I got tired of having to replace it every year, so I thought I'd try a no cut out saddle and when I found a saddle with the right amount of support that was very flat, I found I had way less lady bit soreness and chafing. So sometimes a cut out is not the answer to lady bit soreness.

[thekarens]

What kind of saddle are you using Wahine? I'm looking for that exact type of saddle, but I need it in like a 155.

[Wahine]

I use the WTB Deva. It is quite flat and has held up well although I am going to have to replace my commuter/cross saddle this year as it's gone soft. But it's been at least 4 years since I got it and I ride a lot! Keep in mind that it is more on the pear shaped side of the spectrum.

[thekarens]

Thanks Wahine!

[KathiCville]

Thanks so much for the input, ladies, even if no one has yet tried the Kontact. I've decided to give it a whirl. If nothing else, the 30-day return window will push me out on my bike for the next month to make the most of the trial period! I'll try to remember to post a follow-up with a few thoughts about the saddle, pro or con or both.

[Wahine]

I'll be interested to see your review.

[KathiCville]

Hi......I thought I'd check in with a brief review of the Kontact saddle, now that I've had it for a couple of weeks.

Thanks to Ma Nature, I haven't been able to log more than about 60 miles total on the new saddle, but that's been enough to give me at least a good feel (so to speak!) for its features.

First, FYI, this is the first new saddle I've bought since I got back into riding a few years ago. So my experience with saddles is very limited. Up till now I've had a nice-but-aging Terry Butterfly (Titanium) on my Fuji Silhouette. Swapping out the saddles was a great learning experience. A friend coached me via phone and text, but doing it myself gave me a much better appreciation of the "art" and "science" of positioning a saddle. Wow, aMAZing what a difference even a tiny shift in height, reach, nose angle makes! I "knew" that from reading loads of TE threads, but experiencing it first-hand while trying to get the saddle jus' right was a worthwhile education. :-)

The overall profile of the Kontact is T-shaped, narrower than the Butterfly, and has a lower profile when viewed from the side. In order to get it in the ballpark position-wise for my knees/pedal stroke, I had to raise my seat post a good 1/2"+ to make up for the lower profile. (But not so high that I'm rocking my hips.) The result surprised me! I now feel like I'm on a perch, rather than a seat. And that's a "good thing"! I didn't realize how much freedom a T-shape saddle would give my legs. On the Kontact, I feel like I'm getting a bit more out of my pedaling. (That could also mean that my seat post was a bit too low before?)

On the first "big" ride (about 20 miles), I felt like I was leaning too heavily on the handlebars so I stopped and tipped the nose up. Mistake! Ow! There's no cut-out on the Kontact and my lady bits were yelping for mercy by the time I reached the end. So I focused then on making small tweaks to other aspects of the set-up that would allow me to set the saddle at dead-level. The most important tweak (for me) was raising my handlebars by one thin spacer. I probably needed to do that anyway because I have rotator cuff issues that kick in big-time when I get tired during a ride and begin slouching. On the next ride (14 miles), I immediately felt MUCH better. In fact, at points in the ride I forgot about both the new saddle and my shoulder---a good sign!

In terms of comfort, I definitely feel my sit bones in a way that I haven't in ages. Not hurting, just aware of the contact points. I worried that the saddle surface might be too slim for my posterior (5'3", 115 pounds, pear-shaped) but the designer seems to be right on when he says that the flat surface of the Kontact is wide enough to accommodate many sit bones widths. (That being said, I confess I have no idea what my sit bones measurement is!) Because the saddle is still pretty new to the market, I hadn't been able to find any reviews by women--which was why I posted this in the first place on TE. It had me wondering if women didn't like it or simply hadn't tried it yet.

If Ma Nature lets up her campaign of cold, wet, windy weather on schedule, I'm planning to do a 30-mile ride tomorrow. If anything differs markedly from what I've written above, I'll check back in with an update. But overall, I'd say that if you're curious about the Kontact, it might be worth a whirl during the 30-day return period. YMMV from mine, of course, but so far, so good.