New Saddle Break-In Time?

[bcipam]

I think it's a matter of assessing body shape and riding style. On a long trip my $120 Serfas saddle broke. I had to make a quick purchase in order to keep riding and bought the Terry Butterfly. From the moment it was on my bike, it was comfortable and has never caused me one problem. In fact, I no longer have to use Assos Creme. With the Serfas saddle, I had to slather up before a ride.

If you ride with a quick cadence (like me) you need a narrow, harder saddle - it will cause less friction, wear and tear on your nether region. If you ride aggressively, ie, stretch out over the top tube, the cut out is almost a necessity but if you tend to sit bolt upright, it might cause pressure sores.

Again I would recommend the Terry, but lots of my friends love and use the Fiz'ik saddles. I once did 90 miles using my guy friend's Solano with an Fiz' ik Avione saddle and was comfortable the whole way although this saddle is designed for men, not women.

I understand Specialize has a new saddle program. You might want to check with you LBS to see if they are the assessment tools and can recommend a saddle. Bottom line, the saddle, like good shoes, should feel good right away.


Edited to add: Not all bike shorts are created equal especially for women. Make sure there are no seams that will cut and irritate and make sure your shorts fit properly, not too big or too small.