Summary of Selle SMP saddle info

[Marquise]

After my husband bought a Glider that didn't work for him I pointed him to Steve Hogg (not sure how I knew about him, maybe from someone here) and after careful study, he moved on to a Dynamic. His enthusiasm caused me to put aside concerns about cost and the narrowness of the saddle, which was a big sticking point after all I've read here. I got a Lite 209, also based on reading Hogg. I've tried a lot of saddles and like the Lite 209 best. It wasn't comfortable at first but somehow felt good for me. SMPs have a lot of adjustability, which is great, but it can be tricky to get them adjusted right and they can cause pain along the way; we both experienced knots in soft tissue that go away when the saddle's positioned right. Wearing shorts and chamois that fit very well seems to matter more than with other saddles. The dropped nose is great for eliminating soft tissue pressure and the raised back can really help you transfer more power to the pedals.

[OakLeaf]

It's got to depend a lot on individual anatomy, too. No way could I sit on my rami, there's just too much soft tissue there. The outer labia is where I have the most chafing anyway, and sitting right on them would NOT be good for me.

I wonder if this is much different between women and men ... men obviously have a whole lot more soft tissue *between* their pubic rami, but I don't know what the gender distribution might be as far as soft tissue *under* the rami?

[e3rdpower]

It's got to depend a lot on individual anatomy, too. No way could I sit on my rami, there's just too much soft tissue there. The outer labia is where I have the most chafing anyway, and sitting right on them would NOT be good for me.

I wonder if this is much different between women and men ... men obviously have a whole lot more soft tissue *between* their pubic rami, but I don't know what the gender distribution might be as far as soft tissue *under* the rami?

That's a really good point. According to the wooden chair cut out test, I don't necessarily need a cut out. I do find I tend to sit on my rami at least as much as the ischium. Maybe that's part of it? Not sure at all. My husband has tried the Selle SMP before (not sure which flavor) and calls it an instrument of torture. I ordered a Fizik Donna from Competitive Cyclist (unconditional returns) until I can demo the SMP. The Donna was actually one of my first choices to try but my LBS never ordered it for me despite me asking, so I kind of gave up.