Road to Hybrid: saddle?

[RedCanny]

I'm assuming the best thing for me to do is to go out and try a new saddle or two, but I was wondering if anyone else had started saddle shopping for the same reasons... any feedback would be helpful.

I've ridden road bikes (ok, one road bike, my old Cannondale tourer) for most of my adult life, but got a hybrid last spring, for fun and commutes. I'd always been fine with the pretty basic saddle that came on the Canny, maybe replaced it once with something similar because I had a Yak-rak incident with a low overpass in 1993.

But with my twice-weekly commutes on the hybrid (just 7 miles each way), on the men's Bontrager saddle that came with it, I seem to get some soft tissue soreness "down there"; not so much a sit-bones issue as something more in front of the sit bones. The soreness lasts for over a day. I'm thinking that new soreness may be due to the fact that on my hybrid, I'm actually putting more weight on my saddle than I was used to on the road bike. Do I need to start looking for a women's saddle, perhaps with a cut-out? I may try tiltng it first, before investing in something new.

Is there much of a difference between a women's road saddle, and a women's MTB saddle?

[Trekhawk]

But with my twice-weekly commutes on the hybrid (just 7 miles each way), on the men's Bontrager saddle that came with it, I seem to get some soft tissue soreness "down there"; not so much a sit-bones issue as something more in front of the sit bones. The soreness lasts for over a day. I'm thinking that new soreness may be due to the fact that on my hybrid, I'm actually putting more weight on my saddle than I was used to on the road bike. Do I need to start looking for a women's saddle, perhaps with a cut-out? I may try tiltng it first, before investing in something new.
Is there much of a difference between a women's road saddle, and a women's MTB saddle?

Aaahhh the dreaded Bontrager saddle. My Trek "man" bike came with one of these and I found peeing murder. I know heaps of girls like mens saddles but Ive not really heard too many say they like this one. Ditch the torture device and get yourself a nice comfy one your soft tissue will be much happier. Im sure one of the mountain bike ladies out there will be able to answer your question about the difference between road and mountain bike saddles.

[CorsairMac]

Bontrager saddles=torture devices! I couldn't get them OFF my Treks fast enough! I ride the Specialized Mountain Sport womens on my MTB and my commuter bike and love it.

[DirtDiva]

Lol. My mtb came with a Bontrager Select. It's not absolutely awful, but it's going as soon as I can afford something else! What do you all like on your mtbs? I need ideas...

[emily_in_nc]

Bontrager saddles=torture devices! I couldn't get them OFF my Treks fast enough! I ride the Specialized Mountain Sport womens on my MTB and my commuter bike and love it.

Ah, now it all becomes clear! I test rode a Trek 5200 WSD a couple of summers ago, and within five minutes my girly bits were screaming! I didn't realize that Bontrager saddles were known to be so bad for many, but it certainly was bad for me!

Emily

P.S. Needless to say, I did not buy the bike. It's probably a good thing the saddle didn't work for me as if it had, I might have overlooked the fact that the top tube was a little too long and the handlebars a little too low. That saddle may just have kept me from making a costly mistake!

[emily_in_nc]

Lol. My mtb came with a Bontrager Select. It's not absolutely awful, but it's going as soon as I can afford something else! What do you all like on your mtbs? I need ideas...

I'm hardly a mountain bike chick, just a beginner here, but I traded out the Speed She saddle that came on my MTB (liked the shape and size, but needed a cutout) for a Performance Womens Contour, and LOVE it. Best of all, it's on sale right now for only $22.99! The best 23 bucks I ever spent....just bought one for my touring bike as well - to replace a $110 Terry Butterfly ti -- that's how much I love it!

Emily

[RedCanny]

Thanks for the tips! After another mere 25 minute ride on that Bontrager yesterday, I've decided to wait no longer. One LBS has Specialized saddles-I'll go today & see what they can do for me. They don't look too pricey, which is nice.

[DirtDiva]

Cheers Em.

[RedCanny]

I got the Specialized BG2 Sport MTB & after some serious wrangling with the bolt that kept that evil Bontrager on my bike, I got the new saddle swapped in. Went for a 1.5 hour ride today on it; I definitely prefer it, though can't yet say that I like it: thankfully there's none of the pressure on my soft tissue, but the sit-bones were a bit sore (but are not, now). We'll see how it goes after a few commutes. Thanks for the advice, everyone! Happy cycling!