saddle, saddle who has a good saddle

[firelady]

Yes I have a new bike. My old saddle worked great before kids and 30 lbs ago. I will be riding DC to Pittsburg in Sept and am on my 3rd saddle. I need a touring saddle for 75 mile days. Fat old lady could use your advise. Thanks.

[Biciclista]

Pleasea check our favorite saddles thread:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/forumdisplay.php?f=36

unfortunately there is no one solution. A lot of us have Brooks saddles
and swear by them. A lot of others of us HATE them.
The same can be said of any other saddle out there.

One thing though, you will have to build your ability to ride on ANY saddle.
75 miles at a stretch is not easy at first.. work up to it.

[Reesha]

I'm with Mimi... You have to get your butt calluses! The soft tissues of your rear adjust to the hardness of any bike seat. When I start a season my rear end feels like it got kicked real good. I usually pop 400 mg of ibuprofen and get right back on the bike the next day. I break in my butt.

[ny biker]

Also do a search for threads on measuring your sit bones, so you know how wide your saddle should be.

[KnottedYet]

Measure your sit bones!
(they are made of rami and tuberosities. For now, don't worry, just measure!)

Weight has absolutely NOTHING to do with width of bones or saddle size. It's all about the skeleton!

Measure your bones, tell us your feelings about the stock saddle and what saddle it is, and I guarantee you there will be at LEAST five women with saddle suggestions!

[Trek-chick]

....only your butt knows the answer to that question.

[firelady]

Thanks, was just wondering what was out there these days. I have ridden for over 30 yrs the past 24 on a womans avocet saddle. I have recently purchased a new bike and am looking for a new saddle to go with it. I am 6' tall so have wider bone structure then most women and all men in the hip region. I have ridden TOSRV (dbl century) twice but that was 20 yrs ago and before children. I have found the saddle that worked for long distance rides before children doesn't work for me now (girl parts have changed). I currently have a resprio soft men's saddle but it gave me such saddle sores that I will be off the bike for a week. I also need to raise the saddle up some as my quads were cramping at the 48 mile mark. I have been researching some Brooks saddles but don't know which is the best for long distances (sprung or unsprung) I do have the micro adjust on this bike so I don't think the flyer will work.

[KnottedYet]

The saddle that will work best for long distances is the one that fits you best.

Don't be shy about posting your sit bone measurements. Heck, I've got the widest span of all, and I'm not shy.

SEVEN AND A QUARTER INCHES, EVERYONE!!! LOOK HERE, MINE ARE 185 MM OUTSIDE-TO-OUTSIDE!

As you can imagine, having sit bones wider than most saddles did cause me some difficulty.

Brooks B67 and B68 really and truly fit me. If your span is anything like mine, that's where I'd suggest you start. If you need a cut out, the B68 is available with cut out. Sprung or unsprung is a matter of personal preference. I like sprung best, but that's just me. I don't like short noses (short so skirts don't catch) so I stayed away from the B67-S and B68-S.

For rides of more than 50 miles, my favorite saddle by far is my Brooks B67.

www.wallbike.com gives 6 months free trial on saddles.

[Dannielle]

I'm new here but thought I'd chime in that I've had my Brooks B66-S since Saturday and it's a dream. An absolute dream. I got the pre-aged antique brown because it matches my bike best and I'm amazed that it's already breaking in nicely. It hasn't even been a week yet! I rode 16 miles on it this morning and barely noticed it under me.

[firelady]

Thanks, I have been seriously thinking about a Brooks saddle but can't figure out if I want a short nose woman's saddle or the longer nosed men's saddle. Then I can't figure out which Brooks I want! Ahhhhhh. I am 6' tall and my sit bones measure 178 mm so I am just over the B17 and the Flyer. I do mostly long distance rides of 20 to 75 miles and most of those are on an "improved" bike path of cinders and limestone grating. I am now riding a Cannondale T2 (touring bike) so am in a moderate forward lean (not upright but not low like a racer). Ever since having children my girl parts are, well shall we say more pronounced then they use to be, so that becomes an issue too (cut out might be nice). Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Biciclista]

Thanks, I have been seriously thinking about a Brooks saddle but can't figure out if I want a short nose woman's saddle or the longer nosed men's saddle. Then I can't figure out which Brooks I want! Ahhhhhh. I am 6' tall and my sit bones measure 178 mm so I am just over the B17 and the Flyer. I do mostly long distance rides of 20 to 75 miles and most of those are on an "improved" bike path of cinders and limestone grating. I am now riding a Cannondale T2 (touring bike) so am in a moderate forward lean (not upright but not low like a racer). Ever since having children my girl parts are, well shall we say more pronounced then they use to be, so that becomes an issue too (cut out might be nice). Any suggestions are appreciated.

I'd strongly advise AGAINST the short nosed saddle unless you're on the back of a tandem. I think it's a terrible misnomer that the short nosed saddles are billed as "women's" when the original reason they made them for women was so that their voluminous dresses did not get caught on the longer nose saddle. So if you're not riding in a full length skirt, you don't need the shorter saddle...

[ny biker]

Thanks, I have been seriously thinking about a Brooks saddle but can't figure out if I want a short nose woman's saddle or the longer nosed men's saddle. Then I can't figure out which Brooks I want! Ahhhhhh. I am 6' tall and my sit bones measure 178 mm so I am just over the B17 and the Flyer. I do mostly long distance rides of 20 to 75 miles and most of those are on an "improved" bike path of cinders and limestone grating. I am now riding a Cannondale T2 (touring bike) so am in a moderate forward lean (not upright but not low like a racer). Ever since having children my girl parts are, well shall we say more pronounced then they use to be, so that becomes an issue too (cut out might be nice). Any suggestions are appreciated.

Have you done the smoosh test?

[KnottedYet]

I am 6' tall and my sit bones measure 178 mm so I am just over the B17 and the Flyer.

You are well over the B17 and the Flyer.

The B17 is 170mm wide, HOWEVER the outer 10 mm on each side is metal cantle plate. You don't want to put your sit bones there. The actual sit bone space on any suspended leather saddle is ALWAYS less than the width.

In the Brooks saddles, the plate is 1 cm wide. Subtract the width of the plate (from both sides) and your sit bones need to fit within that measurement.

(Brooks saddle width) - (2x10mm) > or = (sit bone outside measurement)

So for a B17:
170mm - 20mm needs to be greater than or equal to 178mm

It's not just 8 mm off, it's 28 mm off.



- Now let's do the math with a B68 Imperial -

Saddle width: 210mm

210mm - 20mm = 190mm

190mm is > or = 178mm

Your sit bones will land on suspended leather on a B68 Imperial, clear of the cantle plate.
(also a B66, B67, B72, B18, etc etc etc)

[Dannielle]

I'd strongly advise AGAINST the short nosed saddle unless you're on the back of a tandem. I think it's a terrible misnomer that the short nosed saddles are billed as "women's" when the original reason they made them for women was so that their voluminous dresses did not get caught on the longer nose saddle. So if you're not riding in a full length skirt, you don't need the shorter saddle...

Why would you recommend against the short nosed saddles? What's the downside? Why would the exception be for the back of a tandem?

I have a short nosed saddle and don't notice anything missing. I don't have a road bike though...maybe that has something to do with it??

[KnottedYet]

Reasons why some folks don't like short noses:

*less control of bike if you like to steer with weight shift

*shorter rails (harder to adjust saddle placement)

*nose shackle under leather is closer to body, soft tissue can land on metal instead of suspended leather.