selle san marco aero

[Squirrel 2]

I've ridden both the gel & non-gel versions of the Aero. The gel feels squishy if you push down with your fingers, but it really isn't out on a ride, whatever is underneath is quite firm. The nose is definitely softer, which can be a big plus if you ride down in the drops. I ended up using this saddle most of last winter on my trainer rides indoors when I was stuck in one position for 60-90 min at a time, it was the only saddle that didn't brutalize me on a trainer. The regular, or non-gel, should definitely be firm enough if you liked the Damselfly. The Damselfly is firm initially, but the foam seems to squish down after a few hard, sweaty rides & the saddle softens up. The Aero will stay firm. I prefer the non-gel version for outside rides, one disadvantage of gel for this time of year is that it gets hot.

As for cut-outs, the Damselfly did not work for me. It is very narrow & pinched horribly. Other Terry cut-outs failed me as well. The Aero has what I feel is the best cut-out for women available in today's market. It is a diamond-shape, wider in the middle where most of the private parts need some extra room, then tapers where you don't need so much. It is firm around the cut-out, no squishing-down, & no hard edges or seams around it to cut you. There is also a slight anatomical dip around the cut-out, so there seems to be a natural place you end up sitting. Very well thought-out design.

The Aero is wider than the Damselfly. Regarding the width at the back, that is not as important as how it tapers towards the nose. Some saddles bulge out before they narrow at the nose. The Aero curves in towards the nose, so there's nothing sticking out to catch & chafe you.

If it works for you, you have the option of getting 2 -- the standard foam for summer outdoor riding, and the gel-around for winter!

[abarensfeld7]

Squirrel,
So the firmness of the area directly around the cutout didn't seem to bother you? I guess you either "fit" the cutout or you don't...and it you don't, that's when the area around the cutout really comes into play...
From what you say, I think the non-gel version really sounds like a good option for me.

[Squirrel 2]

It's not a question of fit with the cut-out. You'll simply notice that you have plenty of room with no pressure on the folds.

The firmness around the cut-out has not been an issue for me either. It's firm, not hard, there is a difference. You'll notice it is flat around the cut-out, which allows you to roll from the hips to lean forward safely.

Some of the more painful cut-outs for me have seemed extra-hard around the opening, harder than the rest of the saddle. I tried Selle Italia gel-flow models that were hard as a rock. It felt like there was a thin, hard rail around the edge of the opening. "There's gel? What gel?" And the shape of the opening was wrong, too skinny, so I always seemed to get pressure on one side of the folds or the other, which hurt like hell. The diamond-shape cut-out has none of these problems. Different strokes for different folks...

Let us know if you go for it & post your experiences!

[abarensfeld7]

Well the LBS didn't have any SSMarcos and he runs, believe it or not, a no-markup business, so I decided to try some of his saddles out. Can't beat his prices, nowhere, nohow. Especially with all his used and swapped equipment lying around in piles just begging to be used. I grabbed a Fuji Ultralight racing saddle which was lying around (someone's swap), for $15 bucks (woo!) and a Fizik Pave for $55. Will return the loser! I loaded up the Fuji as soon as I got home and it should be interesting when I give it a ride tomorrow at the weekly TT.

Both are non-cutout saddles, and pretty racy and narrow (Fuji moreso than the Fizik). I decided to go a new route and see if maybe I'm just not a cutout type. First impression of the Fuji is wow this is FIRM but I'll suspend judgement till tomorrow! I think the Fizik might be more up my alley -- a little bit of padding. The Fuji is really just a racing perch...skinny mini . Looks pretty hot though!

[woodcycl]

What is the width of the San Marco Aero? My GF has very narrow sit bones ... about 3.5" ... and I am wanting to try both a San Marco Aero as well as a Specialized Avatar 130mm for her. No cutout causes lots of pain in the soft tissue girly parts area and a normal width saddle causes chafing in the upper thigh area in the creace of the crotch/leg.

Many thanks for any info. : )

Brian

[Squirrel 2]

width of the SSM Aero is 145 mm.

[woodcycl]

width of the SSM Aero is 145 mm.

Thanks for the info - much appreciated.