Bigger Gals(or anyone!) - What Road Bike Seat Do You Love?

[tzvia]

Yep, saddles are a great mystery to me. The ones that look comfortable at first glance (soft, gel, cushy...) just aren't. The one I ride (see sig) looks like a torture device- it's hard and thin, just a tad of give in the shell, (actually not a 'woman's' comfort saddle but a mens/unisex racing), is the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden. I even ride it on my MTB and with all the jarring, I sit with a happy arse . And when I take into account that I have no rear- all my extra poundage goes right to the middle, not the buns, it's not like I have internal padding already. Go figure.

I had a Terry Butterfly. Yea, ouch. My rear sank into the gush till it hit bottom and there was pressure everywhere. Finding your comfortable saddle is like finding the Holy Grail. Some search for years. I've been riding, on and off since the 80s and have tried saddle after saddle and my current one is the first I can say I can sit on all day.

I would suggest getting a sizing. Yep, sit on the but-o-meter thingy at the LBS or sit on a piece of paper on the edge of the bed or exercise mat to get an impression of your sit-bone width. Then start by looking at saddles that are at least sized correctly for you. Don't be afraid to look 'outside the box', I never would have found the saddle I love if I did not gather the courage to sit on it.

As kermit said already, check out the gear section, but remember, one person's crappy saddle is another's greatest joy.

[loopybunny]

Ditto on getting measured.

I've ridden nearly two years on my Trek 6000 mountain bike and for over a year on my Trek 1.5 road bike with the stock saddles. When I got the mountain bike, I was measured, but my friend read the measurement so I'm not sure how accurate he read it. I ended up on the standard saddle that came with the bike.

Yeah, it hurt, but I got over it.

When I got my road bike I started riding longer distances. Usually 25 mi plus. I didn't notice the pain so much if there were any hills (especially small rollers) because I shift a lot in the saddle. However, I commuted to work one day last August (17 mi one way) and ended up with terrible saddle sores. Then I started getting sores on just about any ride.

I started using DZNuts bliss, which helped with the sores, but not the pain. I finally went into the LBS after a 30 mi ride and asked about saddles. They measured me and it turned out I needed a size 155, but the one on my road bike was a 146.

They put me on a Specialzed Ruby SL. I test rode it in the parking lot and when I got back I told my friend that if I could legally marry a bike saddle, this would be the one. Even after riding 30 miles that day, it was so incredibly comfortable that I felt like I could ride another 30 miles.

I only have 80 miles on it right now, but so far so good.

Definitely get a proper measurement and make sure the shop will allow you to return the saddle after trying it out for a few weeks.

You should also consider the suggestion that when riding, stand every 10 to 15 minutes to make sure you keep blood flow to the area. I've never really noticed people doing this until I had a chance to ride with Chris Horner. I was right behind him most of the ride and aside from noticing how narrow his butt and hips are, I noted that he stood on the pedals every 10 minutes or so despite the route being mostly flat (possibly more frequently since I noticed this within the first 20 minutes of the ride). This is a guy that definitely knows what he's doing so I've been more aware of doing this myself. It does help on those longer stretches with no stop signs.

[Catrin]

I ride the Selle Italia Lady (Ldy) Gel Flow and it is saddle nirvana for me My longest ride on it so far has been about 6.5 hours and no discomfort at all. I must also note that I do NOT stand in the saddle (ever) as I am a relatively new cyclist and have yet to learn how to do that yet.

Our butts like what they like and they are quite particular. Measurements help, but there is also some subjective elements here as well. I tried several saddles that, from the measurements, should have worked and were agony. Good luck on your search!

[emily_in_nc]

Another one very happy with the Selle Italia Lady (Ldy) Gel Flow, but it's very similar in shape/size/padding to a Terry Butterfly (which I have on my mtb), so if the OP doesn't like a B-fly, she won't like the Gel Flow. It's a very individual thing, and your overall body size has nothing to do with it. I'm a little thing with narrow hips, but I still like my wider saddles!

[Gowest]

I am not a larger girl, and I measure on the small to normal size via sit bone measurement - but I like a wider saddle. I ride the specialized jett 155 and it has been great for me for 3 years now - yeah - it is a wider saddle - but I could care less what it looks like - comfort is queen!!

[DarcyInOregon]

I used to be bigger. When you bike and work out at the gym, you lose the weight. Anyway, I went through saddle discomfort when I was bigger and found the Selle An-Atomica, which is leather with a slot, a version for people over 180 lbs, and the saddle has an adjustment to firm up the leather if necessary. I put a lot of miles on the saddle, lost the weight, wore out the saddle, and bought a new saddle. I've put over 6,000 miles on the bike this year, so you can see I ride a lot. Oh yeah, I ride a Trek Pilot 5.2, and this saddle really works well on the Pilot.

http://www.selleanatomica.com/dollar%20buyer.htm#Titanico_LD_Saddle_Second_Skin_Watershed_Leather_-_$179.98_

You have to scroll around to make sure you view the saddle. There are color choices and the version for heavier cyclists.

The saddle is sort of like a leather Brooks, except for the slot. I can't even say there is a break-in period. Your butt lands on the saddle, and it is a great sigh of "oh yeah isn't this wonderful" and that is how the saddle is.

[Becky]

If the shape of the Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow works, but you need less padding, give the Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow SLR a try. It's firmer, but not rock hard. The Specialized Ruby or Jett would be similar as well...

I keep toying with the idea of a Brooks though