What is realistic?

[Catrin]

The only cutout I've had problems with so far is the SI Diva. It's large and shaped differently than others.

The Specialized cutout is a dream...at least for me.

The upright position certainly changes things though.

What saddle did you use before you started testing? Did it have a cutout? What issues did you have?

Since you are more upright, have you considered trying mountain bike saddles?

I had the Brooks B17s before my experiments began - and that pretty much crippled me at distances > 18 miles or so.

So far the SI saddles have been light-years better than the Brooks for me - and for the most part are satisfactory outside of the "small" numbing from the Diva Gel Flow - just trying a few different saddles to see if some apparently minor issues resolve with a different choice. I do not have the money to start purchasing saddles to try - so am hoping that one of the saddles my LBS demos will work.

The regular Diva was fine last week for 50 miles, there was a little discomfort in the last couple of miles but that may well have been tiredness/core issue and a need for more chamois cream or a different short. This weekend I have my first metric planned, so if it works for THAT then I will purchase it. Last night's ride didn't really count since the heat made me cut it off after 13 miles.

The reason I asked about the SI Lady Gel Flow is that my fitter offered it as a test when available - currently someone else is testing it. My girl bits really liked the Diva Gel Flow, but not the sides... I have since learned that the Lady Gel Flow has a smaller cutout over the Diva Gel Flow and may therefore have more support on the sides. I am crossing my fingers