Yet another saddle thread...SSM Glamour Arrowhead vs. Bontrager RXL/RL?

[nscrbug]

Gosh...we REALLY need to direct somebody from Selle Italia's R&D department to THIS thread!!! Maybe one of us could contact a company rep through email and send them the link to this thread.

[Becky]

Perhaps we could summarize our needs in an email to Selle Italia, or to several different saddle manufacturers?

[OakLeaf]

Okay ...

Without actually taking a set of calipers and 3D measurements, it looks like from highest point to highest point on my Turbomatic Gel Flow is right around 10 cm, possibly a hair narrower. Now, I'm about 120-125 c-c and plenty comfortable on this saddle, but I can tell I'm kind of on the inner slopes of my sitbones on the TGF.

I would NOT!!! want this saddle to be less domed. I think that's a key point in the comfort, because it makes the saddle effectively more T-shaped and makes the cut-out effectively larger, while preserving enough material to keep the saddle rigid.

I still suspect strongly that there's a limit to how T-shaped a wide monocoque saddle can be, because of the simple physics that something needs to support the "wings." When you've got a tensioned leather saddle with a cantle plate as wide as (or wider than) your sitbones in the rear, that's not an issue; with a monocoque saddle, the manufacturers likely use the sides of the nose to support the rear, and that means a more gradual transition.

Now, that's just a conclusion that seems to make sense to me from thinking about it, and if any of the engineers here want to correct me, I'd love to hear I'm wrong.

I think they might be able to accomplish the same thing with maybe some perimeter rails in the undercarriage, which would still add to the weight, but might not be as heavy as a tensioned leather saddle.

There's only one thing I'd change about the Turbomatic Gel Flow and that's to lose the "gel flow." I guess the non-gel version only comes without a cut-out, which I'm really not interested in. But after less than 1,000 miles [yeah, busted, it's been a slow year for riding for me] it's already compressing significantly and not as comfortable on the front parts as it was when it was brand new. Very disappointing, even though I got a great deal on it.

And with the continuing advances in accessibility of 3-D printing, I still maintain it won't be long before we can each have our very own custom saddle, within the limits of physics...

[zoom-zoom]

Sweet, nearest LBS (not "our" LBS, but one with at least one employee who I know and really like) is going to get me a demo Bontrager RL...if I like it they can order me one for keeps.

I squished the RL, RXL (I think these were the men's versions), and a Jett, for comparison. I used to have a Jett and liked it, but it was maybe a hair softer than I needed. RL felt a tad firmer than the Jett, so that seemed like a safe bet. I don't want to shell out RXL cash, at least not until I've logged thousands of miles on the saddle and know whether or not it's really true love.