Back and seeking 4th saddle help

[velo]

I'm not near Seattle, so I can't help with an LBS. But I wanted to mention a saddle that I have had a lot of luck with (and I am similarly proportioned to you). The Selle Italia Lady is 160mm. I took a break from riding, but rode this saddle both before and after baby (did not have a vaginal birth - stubborn breech baby).

Also, I would encourage you to use chamois butter. I rode for 15 years and didn't ever use it. Then this time around, I was experiencing some chafing and realized that with my weight gain, it made sense. So, I started using Udderly Smooth and it's wonderful! I am allergic to EVERYTHING. I have skin issues. This stuff is no problem for me. Again, try it at least a few times.

Finally, I would say that although you *can* ride farther now, when you are breaking in a new saddle, it's important to go slowly. Think time, not miles. Day one, 30 minutes; day two, break; day three, 30 minutes; day four, 45 minutes; day five, break; day six, 45 minutes; day seven 1 hour... etc. The saddle is breaking in as much as your tushie is breaking in.

Good luck!!

[malkin]

Sounds like your bike shop guy doesn't know much about saddles, anatomy, or customer service.

Road bike saddles do not have to be narrow.
Hybrid saddles do not have to be wide.

Re. Brooks and cutout: For me, I perch high up on my boney little bones, so there isn't much compression on any soft tissue against the saddle. YMMV

At least the dumbazz just said "That's a problem." I swear, one of these days I'm gonna slap some stranger who says that my pelvic anatomy is 'freakish.'

[Sky King]

Pay a visit to kathleen at Free Range Cycle and see what she has in stock. I know she carries Brooks but not sure what else. I have found that in addition to "pear shape" and "t shape" the angle/slope of the saddle as it transitions to the nose makes a difference. I can't ride a Gilles Berthoud but I love my Rivet Pearl - sitting side by side they look almost identical in shape but the slope on the rivet is perfect for me - no chafing, no saddle sores. Have photos of both on our website if you want to look at them. Good Luck!

[trickycoolj]

Thanks for all of the tips so far, I have a great running list of different saddles to check out! There's a Specialized dealer in my new neighborhood so I'll probably swing by there and take a look at the Ruby and Dolce. The Dolce sounded familiar and when I thought about it, I test rode a Dolce last year and liked the saddle but not the geometry of the bike so that might be a good place to start. I believe that LBS also stocks Selle Italia as well, so I'll be sure to bring the measuring tape and maybe my bike too if they allow folks to try them out mounted.

The various leather saddles look very intriguing, I didn't realize they also made some with cut outs! I'll definitely be looking around for some of those that may be wide enough as well. The lack of padding to have push back (or punch back!) and the fact that they literally form to your shape sounds really comfortable, like a nice worn in baseball glove.

Either way I'm so glad to have a list to go from. I also have future plans to get a full bike fitting but I'm waiting for when I finally dive into clipless pedals (a little spendy at the moment) so that I can get everything aligned in one trip, fittings around this area seem to be pretty a pretty standard $150. In the meantime, making my bum happy for long trips is my #1 priority!

[pll]

There is a dealer near Seattle that Specialized marks as "elite" in their dealer list:

http://www.gerksonline.com/bg-bike-fitting/

They do the body geometry Specialized fit and, if I remember correctly, they have some gadget to measure the sit bones. Since you are mentioning several Specialized saddles, this might be a good place to visit. It might be worth looking at a fit if you are considering a challenging ride like the STP (which I aspire to ride some day).

[trickycoolj]

So I'm really liking the idea of a leather saddle the more I read about them. It looks like with my outside sit bone measurements of 180, I'd be needing about a 200mm width saddle... that's squarely in the touring realm. Since I've had success with cutouts, I'm thinking B68 Imperial. I like the look of the Rivet Pearl as well, but at 170mm I'm not sure if that'd be wide enough even in a drop bar position. I would be centered, but my outside edges would be well off which is the problem I have now with my Specialized 155. Looks like Wallbike doesn't have the B68 Imperial right now, but maybe I can find it locally (with a reasonable return policy).

It really doesn't matter to throw a "touring" seat on a road bike? I suppose the Lexa doesn't really have aggressive geometry, and with a goal of riding the STP that's essentially touring right?

I just keep thinking of my mom's step through mountain bike with a big cushy neoprene Serfas that feels like you're sitting on the sofa... no wonder she doesn't like riding her bike!

[Sky King]

call free range and see if they have one. Even if they have a B68 your could try for an hour and not the imperial. We tend to only stock the b17 in imperial. We stock the b68 and the b68s and will order a B68 Imperial but hope you can find one in Seattle!

Hopefully Kathleen can give you a hand, they are a great little bike shop.