Would a Turbomatic be less firm than the SSM Arrowhead?

[ny biker]

Depends on the model. The RXL is least padded and the R is most padded.

I found the Aspide Glamour excrutiating, but the Affinity R is quite comfortable for my sitbones. However there is a bit too much padding in the nose of the R for me. It's bearable but not great, especially for very long rides.

I found the Affinity RL (between the RXL and R in terms of padding) to be a bit too firm, though in retrospect I might have had residual soreness from trying the Aspide Glamour and Lithia immediately before it.

[kermit]

I just listed an RXL on ebay, I rode it twice, I really liked the dent area, but the seat is flat and does not flex at all to me. It really puts you into a position and supports very well in the seat, I just like to be able to move around a little more. It is very close to the SSM glamour when you compare the two. The RXL seemed a little more padded than the glamour. If it had a little more of that scooped seat that the glamour has I would have kept it forever.

[zoom-zoom]

I'd be tempted to try the RXL, except for those carbon rails. Those require a special seatpost clamp, right? DH is really leery of carbon rails, anyhow.

[kermit]

Nope my stock seatpost fit it just fine!

[OakLeaf]

Maybe the issue you're thinking of is that you probably have to pay better attention to the fore/aft limits on carbon rails? So that if you've been making do with a seatpost with the wrong setback, a saddle with carbon rails will mean a new seatpost?

[kermit]

The saddle I have has titanium rails.

[zoom-zoom]

The saddle I have has titanium rails.

Hmmm...maybe they just started doing carbon. I could have sworn that I saw that the RXL is currently something like $160 and has oversized carbon rails.

[kermit]

They do make a carbon rail edition for racers and weight weenies.

[zoom-zoom]

Here's my saddle history: SI Lady Gel Flow (not t shaped enough); Specialized Jett 143 (didn't support sit bones enough); Specialized Jett 155 (much better but had some chafing on inner thigh); SSM Glamour Aspide (too firm and squished girl parts); SSM Arrowhead (loved the shape, but cutout not enough to relieve pressure on girl parts and too firm). I feel the the princess and the pea. This is getting ridiculous and expensive.

I'm quoting you because I have had such similar experiences on many of the exact same saddles.

SI Lady Gel Flow -- too pear, too squishy
Jett 143 -- too narrow in the rear
Ruby 155 -- too pear (inner thigh rubbing, kept having to push myself back)
SSM Glamour Arrowhead -- cut-out is just not great for me. I think it's too narrow and too sharp-edged. Actual footprint and profile is otherwise perfect.

Turbomatic probably would have been the best. saddle. ever...except it was so domed that I ended up straddling it. It measures as a wider saddle than it really is.

I'm now thinking I need to give the Bontrager Affinity a try...as a last ditch effort to find a saddle that I can mostly forget about.

RL vs. RXL? I don't mind a firmer saddle. The Ruby was really about perfect. Would that be comparable to the RXL?

[zoom-zoom]

The 154 mm Affinity WSD is nearly identical in size and shape to the SSM Aspide Glamour.

Hmmm...I just got a loaner 154 Affinity and I don't think it's anywhere near as T-shaped as the Glamour. My hubby actually said the same, before I had even commented on it. It looks very similar to the Jett 155 to me (with a shorter nose, like the Ruby 155). So I'm sort of not holding my breath. Tomorrow I'm going to do a ride...hopefully it feels more t-shaped than it looks.

[ny biker]

Hmmm...I just got a loaner 154 Affinity and I don't think it's anywhere near as T-shaped as the Glamour. My hubby actually said the same, before I had even commented on it. It looks very similar to the Jett 155 to me (with a shorter nose, like the Ruby 155). So I'm sort of not holding my breath. Tomorrow I'm going to do a ride...hopefully it feels more t-shaped than it looks.

I put the Glamour upside-down on top of the Affinity and ran my hands around the edges to compare them. They were very close, except for the shorter nose on the Glamour.

Of course the topography is different.

[zoom-zoom]

I wonder if my Affinity is different, then, because when placing them so widest points are at the same spot, the Affinity definitely has the shorter nose of the 2.

[ny biker]

Right, that's what I meant to say. Affinity has shorter nose. Actually, the Glamour had the longest nose of any saddle I've tried.

[zoom-zoom]

Right, that's what I meant to say. Affinity has shorter nose. Actually, the Glamour had the longest nose of any saddle I've tried.

Heh, you didn't try the Turbomatic, I take it? I really liked the long nose on that.