New Rider with Saddle Troubles

[OakLeaf]

Specialized also offers a 30-day return policy on saddles purchased from their website. You might look at a Ruby or an Oura, or I know Muirenn has had good luck with a Toupé. There's no reason to limit yourself to "women's" saddles. Back in the day, "men's" saddles didn't come in the widths that women often, but not always, need ... and I'm pretty sure the cut-out was invented by Georgena Terry ... but nowadays, the differences are often more stylistic than substantive.


ETA - modern Terry saddles are very wedge (pear) shaped, which sounds like it could be your issue. It's possible to need a very T-shaped saddle without having the characteristic thigh chafing ... what happens to me, if a saddle is too wedge-shaped, the pedaling motion forces me forward so all my weight is on the nose of the saddle, on my soft parts. Not good. The wider your sitbones are, the harder it is to find a truly T-shaped saddle outside of a tensioned leather saddle, but if you're narrower, you have a lot of options.