Fitting a Saddle

[andrearae13]

Do you mean the Bontrager measuring thing indicated you should get a saddle that is about 140 mm wide, or your actual measurements are 140 mm?

My sit bones are about 125 mm center to center and 140 from outer edge to outer edge. The Bontrager and Specialized measuring things both indicate that I should use a mid-width WSD saddle, which generally 143-145 mm wide. Currently I'm using the Bontrager Affinity WSD at that width and it fits my sit bones well.

Yes, the Bontrager measurement system said I should get the 140mm saddle (I tried the Inform R and something else, Race maybe?) Both made me feel like I was sitting right on the groove of the cut-out (well on these saddles it is more like an indention)....

Yes my LBS is great but they have a very limited selection of saddles and this concerns me. I'm not sure it is okay to bring in just any old saddle I find to have it fit. I guess I'll have to ask them.

And yes, the Fizik does feel like I'm supporting myself in front too much...

Sorry, I'm not good at the quote application here.

I guess the biggest thing is I need to be patient and maybe try a couple other bike shops. I live in Salem, Oregon and there are three bike shops right on the same street, so maybe I just need to branch out.

Thanks, keep the advice coming. I've been scouring this site (and others) the information is overwhelming. But hopefully I'll get this figured out.

[ny biker]

We can help with some good suggestions if you know the actual measurement of your center to center sitbone distance.

Question: did you buy the bike from the bikeshop that helped you with the saddle? If so, a fitting came with the bike. Adjusting a long succession of saddles is included in the cost of the fitting.

If you paid for a bike fitting, but got the bike elsewhere, the saddle selecting, fit, and adjustment/readjustment should be included. Even if you bring in an outside saddle. You tried theirs, after all.

If you did not buy the bike there, didn't pay for a bike fitting, and they helped you, then, that sounds like a wonderful shop since they spent so much time helping, but yes, you are correct about not bringing X amount of saddles there to be adjusted.

The shop where I bought my bike helps me with saddle adjustments for free when I buy the saddle from them. If I bring in a saddle that I bought elsewhere, they would charge me for adjustments.

[andrearae13]

Yeah this is the same LBS where I bought the bike. They are beyond helpful, I guess I'm sort of starting to feel guilty.

[nscrbug]

Here is what I do, when I want to try a different saddle. I've had a pro fit too (3 of them, actually). I'm pretty happy with where the position of my saddle (height, fore/aft) is at the moment, so what I do is I just take a quick measurement from the nose of the saddle to the center of the handlebar right where the stem intersects it. I jot that measurement down on paper, and try and position the new saddle as closely to that measurement as possible. Most of the time, it's pretty close. I understand that this method isn't the most "scientific", but it's a quick and dirty way of testing out a new saddle without having to shlep my bike back to the LBS to have them do it.

Linda

[OakLeaf]

As much as measuring the fore/aft, you want to measure to get the seat height right. Different saddles are taller or shorter, so stand your bike upright, put a flat piece of something (ruler, shoebox, whatever) across it, so that it extends beyond the sides at the same height you'll be sitting. Then measure from that to the ground with a plumb line.