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  1. #31
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Tucson, AZ
    Posts
    1,973

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    I just got a new bike with a Specialized Lithia Saddle. My old bike had a Specialized Jett, which I used I used for over a year and a half without problems

    After two rides (55 miles total), I feel like I'm getting more pressure in soft tissue toward the front, and some irritation along the panty line- both a big change.

    I had a complete fit before taking the new bike out of the shop, but did not ask to have my old saddle put on the bike.


    Any opinions on whether it is more likely the new saddle or more due to position of the saddle and/or different bike geometry and my position on the bike?
    2016 Specialized Ruby Comp disc - Ruby Expert ti 155
    2010 Surly Long Haul Trucker - Jett 143

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Uncanny Valley
    Posts
    14,498
    My opinion - both.

    The Lithia is squishy and more likely to cause soft tissue chafing and pinching.

    When I switched from a Lithia to a Jett, it really changed the way I sit on the bike, and I had to tweak the stem, handlebar tilt, and lever placement, and IIRC the fore/aft placement of the saddle, too. So if you were fit on the Jett, you might have to re-do the fit to be happy with the Lithia.

    You wouldn't think it from how similar the saddles look, but that was my experience.
    Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    178
    The Lithia was the first Specialized saddle I tried. The squishiness made for considerable soft tissue pressure for me. I switched to the Avatar (a little less squishy than the Lithia) and those problems went away. I ended up with a Ruby on my road bike (not at all squishy) because it has a lower profile*, and I love it.

    * (Because of the way the seatpost and seat tube are shaped/work on my bike, I needed those extra millimeters to perfect the fit. It was cheaper to switch saddles than try to get my hands on a new seatpost.)
    2009 BMC Road Racer SL 01 / Specialized Ruby 155
    2007 LeMond Reno / Luna Chix Team Saddle
    1980-something Lotus Odyssey / Brooks Finesse
    1992 Bridgestone RB-2 / Brooks B-17 Imperial
    Nada Bike singlespeed / Brooks Team Pro in white

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    West MI
    Posts
    4,259
    Quote Originally Posted by KnottedYet View Post
    Well, we all know my opinion of Trek/Bontrager's latest "offering" in saddles from what I saw at a seminar in San Francisco earlier this year, and my further opinion after tracking down their research.... but I'm trying to be impartial.
    Knot, can you expand upon this, a bit? Reason I ask is that I am finding my beloved Jett is giving me fits on my new bike. I LOVED it on my relatively upright Synapse, but on my SuperSix I'm getting pinched, up front. At least I think it's my saddle. It could also be due to the tights I'm wearing over my shorts (I'm just dying for warmer weather so that I can switch to knee warmers...this is the neverending Winter here in MI). But I am suspicious that it's because I'm relatively more aero on the new bike (in addition to more aggressive geometry I now have a 2cm longer stem, which I should have had on the previous bike, too...yay, I can ride in the drops, now!).

    Last night I had DH tilt the nose of my Jett down a hair, but it didn't do much to alleviate the discomforts in my girly parts, since it made me start sliding forward too much--if anything it gave me more issues, since I was struggling to keep my sit bones on the rear of the saddle and was bearing more weight on my privates, instead..

    I've been eyeballing that Bontrager Inform RL saddle, since I think that dip would work better for me than a sharp cut-out. I'm also looking at the Fizik Arione Donna. The footprint looks similar to my Jett and that long channel looks like it might not pinch and jam my labial bits quite so much.


    But I can't find anyone who has tried this saddle...so I am leery. Our LBS carries Fizik and has test saddles...but I'm not sure if they can get test saddles in the women's models, or not. I have only seen them in the men's styles. I can't find any evidence that Fizik offers any sort of guarantee, unlike Specialized and Bontrager.
    Kirsten
    run/bike log
    zoomylicious


    '11 Cannondale SuperSix 4 Rival
    '12 Salsa Mukluk 3
    '14 Seven Mudhoney S Ti/disc/Di2

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    West MI
    Posts
    4,259
    Bumping for Knot's input...
    Kirsten
    run/bike log
    zoomylicious


    '11 Cannondale SuperSix 4 Rival
    '12 Salsa Mukluk 3
    '14 Seven Mudhoney S Ti/disc/Di2

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Beautiful NW or Left Coast
    Posts
    5,619
    bump! (that saddle does NOT look comfortable)
    I like Bikes - Mimi
    Watercolor Blog

    Davidson Custom Bike - Cavaletta
    Dahon 2009 Sport - Luna
    Old Raleigh Mixte - Mitzi

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    West MI
    Posts
    4,259
    Quote Originally Posted by Biciclista View Post
    bump! (that saddle does NOT look comfortable)
    In what way...I'm having a hard time finding any reviews of it (I think it's only been out for a couple of months). I'm thinking it looks like it might be really hard on the sit bones, if anything.
    Kirsten
    run/bike log
    zoomylicious


    '11 Cannondale SuperSix 4 Rival
    '12 Salsa Mukluk 3
    '14 Seven Mudhoney S Ti/disc/Di2

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Beautiful NW or Left Coast
    Posts
    5,619
    well, it seems to have your sit bones on the edge, and then the saddle itself is more pear shaped then T shaped.
    I like Bikes - Mimi
    Watercolor Blog

    Davidson Custom Bike - Cavaletta
    Dahon 2009 Sport - Luna
    Old Raleigh Mixte - Mitzi

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    West MI
    Posts
    4,259
    I thought it looked really pear-shaped, too, but I played around overlaying it in Photoshop with a photo of a Jett 143 and the shape doesn't seem as different as I had thought. It's a mere 4mm wider at 147mm, so it's pretty close in size (I don't think my sit-bones would end up on the edge--my sit bones are somewhere in the 125 neighborhood when I use a tape measure). And apparently those flex wings are designed to crack and break-in to fit an individual rider's leg movement requirements...so maybe it wouldn't feel as pear-shaped as it might at first appear.
    Kirsten
    run/bike log
    zoomylicious


    '11 Cannondale SuperSix 4 Rival
    '12 Salsa Mukluk 3
    '14 Seven Mudhoney S Ti/disc/Di2

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    West MI
    Posts
    4,259
    Quote Originally Posted by Muirenn View Post
    That picture is great!
    Thanks...sometimes I get my dork on in a big way.
    Kirsten
    run/bike log
    zoomylicious


    '11 Cannondale SuperSix 4 Rival
    '12 Salsa Mukluk 3
    '14 Seven Mudhoney S Ti/disc/Di2

  11. #41
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    I'm the only one allowed to whine
    Posts
    10,557
    Quote Originally Posted by zoom-zoom View Post
    Knot, can you expand upon this, a bit?
    That was written a bazillion years ago in Corporate Years.

    Since then Trek scrapped their sadly misguided women's saddle design and re-did the research. Now I'm quite pleased with their saddles. (I'd like to think someone found all my grousing and complaining and realized the error of their ways and any day now will head-hunt me from my current job and make me their new Saddle Goddess... but that may just be the hard cider talkin' )

    If one of theirs appeals to you, go for it!

    And then post a review for all of us, ok?

    ETA: by "pleased" I mean that looking at the things they make a whole lot more sense than the original design. They still don't make one anywhere near the width I need, so I haven't tried one myself.
    Last edited by KnottedYet; 04-04-2011 at 07:07 PM.
    "If Americans want to live the American Dream, they should go to Denmark." - Richard Wilkinson

  12. #42
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    West MI
    Posts
    4,259
    The only thing that gives me pause looking at the Bontrager saddles is that the RL Inform WSD looks a bit on the pear-shaped side. I'm concerned that I would make my girl parts happy, only to make my inner butt-cheek region angry. Trade-offs are the bane of a cyclists existence, so it would seem.
    Kirsten
    run/bike log
    zoomylicious


    '11 Cannondale SuperSix 4 Rival
    '12 Salsa Mukluk 3
    '14 Seven Mudhoney S Ti/disc/Di2

  13. #43
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    northern Virginia
    Posts
    5,897
    If it helps, last summer Bontrager started selling the Inform Affinity, which is more t-shaped than the original Inform. In fact earlier today I put a 155mm Affinity on top of a SSM Aspide Glamour and found they are almost identical in size and shape.

    The Affinity comes in different varieties regarding the amount of padding -- RXL, RL and R. And the 3 different widths.

    - Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
    - Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
    - Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle

    Gone but not forgotten:
    - Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
    - Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles

  14. #44
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    West MI
    Posts
    4,259
    Hmmm...that Affinity is something else to add to consideration. Though their description of the Affinity models sounds like they are geared for more upright riding. Not sure if that would change how I fit on it, or not. It's the less upright stance that has gotten me into trouble with my Jett.
    Kirsten
    run/bike log
    zoomylicious


    '11 Cannondale SuperSix 4 Rival
    '12 Salsa Mukluk 3
    '14 Seven Mudhoney S Ti/disc/Di2

  15. #45
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Posts
    575
    I had an opportunity to compare the Bontrager Affinity RXL to the Inform RL last weekend. The channel in the Inform is longer & deeper than the Affinity. The Inform provided great sit bone support & gave my girly bits a lot of room. The Affinity also provides great sit bone support but squishes my bits more than the Inform. I'll post more about my experience with the 2 saddles after I do an apples to apples ride comparison.
    LORI
    Pivot Mach 4 / WTB
    Updated Vintage Terry Symmetry / Bontrager InForm RL WSD

 

 

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