Saddle, shorts or lube?

[Trek420]

I just got the wildest image - the attack of the masked measuring-tape bandit

Yes! The return of the masked tape measuring bandit. Last seen riding off into the sunset wielding a tape measure and carrying a satchel of assorted saddles (none of them Bontrager).

[Catrin]

Yes! The return of the masked tape measuring bandit. Last seen riding off into the sunset wielding a tape measure and carrying a satchel of assorted saddles (none of them Bontrager).

LOL, yep!

On a side note, I seem to be the only one on this forum who has had no noticeable discomfort with her stock Trek saddle - which is of course a Bontrager. We will see what happens when I take my first really long ride on the Trek - assuming I ever do. The LHT just feels so much better overall....

[jenniferh]

Thank you, thank you everyone. I actually felt like I knew what I was doing at the lbs today. I measured my sit bones before I went. I used the damp flour in a zip lock bag method someone mentioned in another thread. I wasn't exactly sur where on the curve to measure so I used the widest part. It was 13cm so I added 1cm to each side. That makes 15cm or 150mm. That means I should be in a 155mm saddle, right?

I planned to buy both the San Marco Salle gel flow diva lady and the San Marco Aspide Glamour so I could test the different shapes and the cut-out, but they only had the diva in stock so I got that one first. Brought it home, put it on the bike...

and it was FABULOUS! I rode the exact same path I had been taking in the stock saddle but with no burning or chafing. A tiny bit of pressure on the nose which hits just about even with tissue over my clit, but it wasn't painful. I'm not sure how it would feel on a long ride, but for now it is a good start.

I did a ride with athletic shorts and then another ride in my cycling shorts. Of corse, the cycling shorts felt best, but I was okay in street clothes too.

And I think a properly fitting saddle solved other things too. There was absolutely no pain in my hand and no pain between my shoulder blades. I wonder if I was tensing up or or baring weight differently since the saddle was hurting? No matter what, now that I can at least ride in relative comfort I can break in the bike and try a few other saddles til I find the best fit.

[KnottedYet]

Hooray!!!

I sort of thought you might be shifting weight to your hands because of that saddle. Excellent job figuring out your size!

Now the world of saddles is your oyster!

Congratulations!