Pinchy Bits

[GLC1968]

I have always had a bit of a soreness problem in the soft-tissue area on all but my MTB due to the agresssive position and my own anatomy. I was convinced that a TT bike would be pure torture. It was on the stock saddle and just about every saddle I tried - until I got to the Bontrager Inform RL WSD. It was instantly comfy on the TT bike during my fitting but what really surprized me was how comfy it also was when sitting up. I immediately tried it on my road bike and WOW, it works there too!

When I'm sitting up, it's T-shapped enough, narrow and firm enough to work perfectly for my sit bones. When I rotate my pelvis into aero position on my TT bike, the indent and the narrow nose work together to support me comfortably on my perenium without crushing the soft tissue or pinching like my Terry Ti Fly did (cutout). I am frankly stunned that the same saddle works for both positions and on all three of my road riding bikes!

Since we are so similiar in so many other dimensions, you need to try this saddle! It may not work for you, but it's worth a shot, right? In fact, if you order directly from Bontrager, last year's model is on sale for $69.99.

http://store.trekbikes.com/jump.jsp?...&bShopOnline=1

[zoom-zoom]

Hmmm...my only query is what size. I think I recall that when I did a quick-and-dirty sit-bone measurement that I came up with 125-130mm. My Jett is a 143 and feels about perfect.

So what size would that equate to for the Bontrager? 140...150...? What is the firmness of the Inform RL like compared to the Jett? I definitely don't want to go softer.

[ny biker]

Hmmm...my only query is what size. I think I recall that when I did a quick-and-dirty sit-bone measurement that I came up with 125-130mm. My Jett is a 143 and feels about perfect.

So what size would that equate to for the Bontrager? 140...150...? What is the firmness of the Inform RL like compared to the Jett? I definitely don't want to go softer.

FWIW, Bontrager has a 30-day comfort guarantee, so there's little downside to giving one a try. If there's an LBS near you that carries Trek/Bontrager, they could measure you on the gel thingy.

[GLC1968]

I test rode a Specialized saddle in a 143 and it worked great, so I would guess you'd need the 140 in the Bontrager as well. I don't know how much padding a Jett has, but the InForm RL doesn't have much. The photo is deceiving as it looks all puffy in the back, but it's not at all. It's more padding than a Brooks, but less than a Terry Butterfly. Does that help?

[zoom-zoom]

I test rode a Specialized saddle in a 143 and it worked great, so I would guess you'd need the 140 in the Bontrager as well. I don't know how much padding a Jett has, but the InForm RL doesn't have much. The photo is deceiving as it looks all puffy in the back, but it's not at all. It's more padding than a Brooks, but less than a Terry Butterfly. Does that help?

Very much! That's about how I would describe my Jett, too.

Tomorrow DH and I are going to go ride for 2 hours, or so...gonna see if tilting the nose of my Jett down a hair helps. If not, I'll be ordering an InForm RL to see how it compares. In theory it looks like it would be a better solution for riding in the drops.

My only concern is that it looks a hair more "pear-shaped" than the t-shape footprint of my Jett. I had a SI Lady Gel Flow (same as the Butterfly) at one point and that caused all sorts of chafing where my butt meets my inner thigh. Part of that could have been that it was just too wide, too.

[GLC1968]

Very much! That's about how I would describe my Jett, too.

Tomorrow DH and I are going to go ride for 2 hours, or so...gonna see if tilting the nose of my Jett down a hair helps. If not, I'll be ordering an InForm RL to see how it compares. In theory it looks like it would be a better solution for riding in the drops.

My only concern is that it looks a hair more "pear-shaped" than the t-shape footprint of my Jett. I had a SI Lady Gel Flow (same as the Butterfly) at one point and that caused all sorts of chafing where my butt meets my inner thigh. Part of that could have been that it was just too wide, too.

I had the same problem with the Butterfly. That's why I switched to the Fly (narrower). It still gave me some issues up front, but I learned to deal with it with enough lube. Over time, the padding got to be too much for me which is why I was so happy to find the inForm.

I really hope it works as well for you! It's SO perfect for me that I've actually ridden my coached cycling class (I take my saddle to my class!) without a chamois at all. Even though class is only an hour, there is no way in a trillion-billion years I could have done that on the Fly.

[zoom-zoom]

Interesting...it's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks pretty narrow in the rear. I wonder if that cut-out would be better or worse than the Jett. It looks like it goes further forward, but it also looks narrower...which makes me sorta cringe, just thinking about it.

[HillSlugger]

Hmmm...my only query is what size. I think I recall that when I did a quick-and-dirty sit-bone measurement that I came up with 125-130mm. My Jett is a 143 and feels about perfect.

So what size would that equate to for the Bontrager? 140...150...? What is the firmness of the Inform RL like compared to the Jett? I definitely don't want to go softer.

Their size would be the 144

[zoom-zoom]

Their size would be the 144

Not in that saddle...it comes in 140, 150, 160.