My better half has been trying for ages to convince me to try one of his SMP Glider saddles. For a long time I looked at them and thought "There is NO WAY that is going to work for me."

Well, I finally got desperate enough to try one (the Aspide Glamour was a torture device) and now think it just might be a possibility. (Yes, dear. You were right.) In a 40 minute ride I had no chafing or soft tissue pressure, but did have pressure in areas I don't normally get it in. Such as the area just on the inside of the leg where underwear elastic normally sits. (No, I wasn't wearing any under my cycling shorts, that's just to describe the location.)

Is it normal for the hip aductors (inner thigh muscles that join the pelvis) to be a bit achy after a first ride on this saddle? It feels a bit like the muscle soreness I get after the first cross-country ski trip of the year, if that helps describe it. Also, my lower back was a little tired and stiff as well, something I don't normally have a problem with in cycling. I suppose that could be because I'm used to flatter saddles that let me move around more - this saddle definitely locks me in place more. He did tell me it would be very different from any other saddle I'd used and might take a few rides to get used to.

I have to say, their website is a bit strange. Choosing a saddle width by your waist size??? What's up with that? And does anyone know if there is any real difference between the mens and women's models? In most, the dimensions are exactly the same, the only apparent difference is pink stitching and fewer colour choices for the women's models. If I get a Glider, it'll be a mens' because I can get it in red to match my bike and the women's Glider doesn't come in that colour. (How shallow is that? )