THIS is a top-selling saddle?!

[Cataboo]

It is a top selling saddle if its being pushed by the bike shop. If a woman comes in and tells the bike shop guy that her saddle hurts and he then steers her towards this saddle - then it's the bike shop worker that's really not helping that woman... And maybe she'll eventually end up on Team estrogen and figure out what she really needs.

If the bike shop guy on the other hand, takes the time to measure the woman's sit bones, ask what parts are hurting, etc... and explain about pressure points, etc... I doubt this would be a top selling saddle.

Now, it may be that women don't want to discuss their sore bits and are going in to bike shops, seeing this saddle, and grabbing it thinking it will fix everything without talking to bike shop guys.

[zoom-zoom]

Now, it may be that women don't want to discuss their sore bits and are going in to bike shops, seeing this saddle, and grabbing it thinking it will fix everything without talking to bike shop guys.

I'd bet this is part of the problem. Plus our LBS is small and doesn't carry a lot of saddles. They carry mostly Terry saddles for women. I've never bought a saddle there, since all of their women's offerings are too wide/squishy/pear for my butt. I'm trying to convince the owner that he should try the Arione Donna, since he does carry Fizik and carries the men's versions and the women's Vesta. I would try the Donna from him if he carried it.

[Owlie]

I'd bet this is part of the problem. Plus our LBS is small and doesn't carry a lot of saddles. They carry mostly Terry saddles for women. I've never bought a saddle there, since all of their women's offerings are too wide/squishy/pear for my butt. I'm trying to convince the owner that he should try the Arione Donna, since he does carry Fizik and carries the men's versions and the women's Vesta. I would try the Donna from him if he carried it.

My LBS is pretty big, but doesn't carry a lot of saddles...or at least, not much in the way of women's saddles. You're stuck with the Specialized line or Serfas' cushy things. If those work for you, you're fine, but if not, you're out of luck. All the test saddles are men's.

[zoom-zoom]

All the test saddles are men's.

You know what...I'm not sure women's test saddles even exist. Our shop has a full line of funky-colored Fizik test models...it doesn't even sound like they can get women's versions. I know our LBS does let women test saddles they carry...but they just don't carry anything that would work for me.

[Catrin]

I guess that I am very fortunate in my LBS then - I wanted to test a saddle they didn't carry and they ordered one so I could do that. They do have women's versions of the SI and Fizik and other saddles they demo...

[zoom-zoom]

I asked our LBS buddy a while back to order that Arione Donna for me so that I could be a guinea pig, but I think he must have forgotten (he is seriously the busiest person I know. In addition to running the shop he is also a local and national JDRF Ride To Cure coach and an age-group winner in every bike-related discipline...road, CX, mtn. He pedals more miles than anyone I know, too). I need to bug him, again.

[Biciclista]

A lot of women are happy (very happy) sitting on Men's saddles. (Especially after something like that one!!)

[Marquise]

The only Fizik women's saddle I've seen in the green demo version is the Vesta. Last fall I was thinking about ordering a demo online but found one at a LBS, which was odd because they said they didn't participate in Fizik's demo program and didn't seem to know where it came from. They let me pay $20 with the option of a refund or applying it to the purchase of a non-demo. The green saddle looked silly on my bike but I liked it enough to buy the non-demo Vesta. I've since switched to the Donna, which improves the more I ride it.