Hi,

I'm new to the forum (as in, about 5 minutes ago). I have been lurking for a couple of weeks, though.

I was wondering if anyone has any new input on the Zero X? After hunting this forum and Slowtwitch.com for a couple of weeks, I ended up ordering one from TE a couple of evenings ago. I've been riding a butterfly for a couple of years, but it just isn't quite working for me. I recently raised my bars slightly, and leveled the Butterfly (it was only off about 1/8", max), which may have helped slightly, but not enough. It's the girly bit issue. I haven't ridden much the past couple of years (I was concentrating on marathon training - how silly of me), so maybe I never really got used to it, and it is a lot better than the old Avocet O2 I rode for maybe 8-10 years (I looked at it last night - kind of a piece of plastic with a slit, with vinyl over it - maybe they improved it over the years). I tried a Damselfly for a month about 3 years ago, which was wonderful on my first ride, but progressively less comfortable each ride. I really wanted to love it - I think, looking back, that my sit bones were straddling it. Anyway, at the time I exchanged it for the butterfly. All in all, the b'fly is okay, but I still get chafed and raw, and I noticed I keep having to scoot myself back, like I work my way gradually forward as I pedal. I'm wondering if the wide rear (the saddle's) with the t-shape, combined with my heftier-than-they-used-to-be thighs combine to cause this. That was why I went for the Zero X - the shape, along with TE's 90 day return policy (yee-haaa - I can really try this thing out!), and the light and firm nature of the saddle. I think my sit bones are kinda wide-ish (not much luck with the paper test yet). I saw almost exclusively positive remarks here about it, so I'm going to try it. Since I do the occasional tri (so far just short ones, usually a 15-25 mile bike segment), I need something I can use with my aero bars (whew - that can get pretty uncomfy). I don't really have the option of going to the LBS and trying out a ton - small community, and much smaller selection of saddles.

The really weird thing is that, when I got my Trek 5200, it came with a men's Selle San Marco Aspide Luxe, which was fine for the first 600 miles. I rode 1500 miles that summer (actually a lot for me, as I also run, swim, live in a climate where road biking is miserable until May, work full time, am lazy, ...). Anyway, I'd ridden about 750 miles that season before I got the bike, was amazed that the stock saddle was so comfortable, and then by the end of the season it was hurting gradually more with each ride. Also seemingly odd, my new Trek Fuel EX 9 that I got late last summer came with some Bontrager men's saddle - absolutely fine until one day last week, and then my girly bits were in pain for two days (odd, since I'm upright enough on that bike that I didn't think they were even in contact). I was wearing a really old, really worn out pair of Nashbar shorts as an inner short (also didn't grease up as much as usual).

Okay, I digress - any Zero X factoids for someone who is anxiously awaiting her new metallic pearl (hope it looks fab with the blue & silver USPS paint job!) one? I tend to research like mad, order, and want to continue researching (must be the engineer in me).

Thanks!