Numbness and saddles?

[700 x 23c]

I am in search of the most comfortable saddle. I have always used some sort of cut out saddle and recently started using the Aliante. It feels great on the butt/crotch, but, I sometimes begin to get a little numb in areas I prefer to have feeling. The numbness is short lived (standing or just moving around resolves the issue) and not nearly as bad as I remember in the past when I used non-cut-out saddles.

Is it common to get a little numb every once in a while or is the saddle just not for me? I have tried the usual tilt-it-down, but then I lose the comfort because I am thrown forward. Also, I am not interested in trying a Brooks ;)

[davep]

I've tried various saddles, both cut-out and no cut-out, including Brooks, and while I have had problems and chafing with most of them, I have never had the numbness you describe.

[SoCalSteve]

until I tried one...

I now own one for every bike I have.

Lets put it this way: I used to not be able to ride more than 5-7 miles without having to get off my bike and adjust, it was just too uncomfortable.

Now I can go 3 to 5 times that distance before I feel like I need to have a bit of a rest.

Brooks saddles have changed my cycling life 100 fold for the better.

But, dont try one....and be uncomforable.

Steve

PS: I tried EVERY saddle out there. Ask all the people I sold off all my used saddles to.

PSS: The Brooks that worked the best for me is the B17 Champion Special with Ti rails. Dont know why, just is.

[Dekonick]

Yeah... what SoCal said. I now own 3 brooks and love them. I'm a heavy rider to begin with so I dont mind the weight.

Gotta say I used to have the 'numb' problems too... Brooks B-17 solved all of that for me. I am not a distance rider - 30 miles is probably my normal ride. I can't say about much more than 70 miles at a pop with a brooks but it was good for me.

No sore :butt:

Thanks Smiley!!! (he got me started with Brooks...)

Try one! Go wo wallingford bike - he has a try and use it policy. If you try it and dont like it he will buy it back.

www.wallbike.com

:)

until I tried one...

I now own one for every bike I have.

Lets put it this way: I used to not be able to ride more than 5-7 miles without having to get off my bike and adjust, it was just too uncomfortable.

Now I can go 3 to 5 times that distance before I feel like I need to have a bit of a rest.

Brooks saddles have changed my cycling life 100 fold for the better.

But, dont try one....and be uncomforable.

Steve

PS: I tried EVERY saddle out there. Ask all the people I sold off all my used saddles to.

PSS: The Brooks that worked the best for me is the B17 Champion Special with Ti rails. Dont know why, just is.

[dirtdigger88]

I have to admit that my Brooks Swallow is very comfy

Jason

[D-Squared]

It's unconventional but...

http://www.spongywonder.com

and you'll never have to worry about numbness again.

[Dekonick]

Have you ever tried that spongy wonder???

IT is the wierdest looking seat I have ever seen.

[Smiley]

The Captain carries two Brooks saddles for demo and use while doing professional bike fits on the size cycle . I have converted more then my fair share of Brooks saddle owners to the comforts of the Brooks . Billy Laine is Da Man when it comes to buying your next Brooks , 4 bikes , 4 Brooks saddles nuf said .

[BillyBear]

I didn't believe the hype until I borrowed a friends bike with a B17...Now all my bikes (3) are Brooks' equiped...Swift on the CSI and B17 Champion Specials on the Atlantis and hardtail Mtn Bike.. :)

Before the conversion I had an episode of numbness that lasted a week...Needless to say, somebody almost got an incredible deal on a CSI! As much as I enjoy cycling, I enjoy fully functioning male body parts more.... :banana:

[dirtdigger88]

this thread has me thinking- I have been riding my brooks for a few few weeks now- this whole time I have been concerning myself with how the saddle felt in my sit bone area- which for me seems to be the place that I am braking in the saddle the most- I have developed the two impressions like thumb print in the leather already

But what I hadnt noticed until folks mentioned it- was the lack of any kind of numbness- I wouldnt really say I had a problem before but I would get it from time to time- if I stood for a few minutes I was fine for hours again- But I havnt had a bit of numbness that I can recall- interesting guys!!!!

Jason

[H.Frank Beshear]

I've got a brooks pro that I have ridden and like and a swift that was miserable. Currently I have a regal on both bikes and I like them alot. Like a Brooks tilted slightly nose up . Someday I'll have a bike that I feel is right for a brooks, in the meantime for my modern looking bikes I stay with the regal. Fwiw when I rode with Kenn Robb in S.D. last year I rode/barrowed his Riv with a B-17 and had on street shorts and was 100% comfy. Try a regal if you are not sold on the look of the brooks. Frank

[700 x 23c]

Numbness with saddles....anyone ever get it (other than Jason who said in the past he did)? :)

[Needs Help]

Yes, and I do the same thing as dirtdigger to alleviate it. I shift up a couple of gears and get out of the saddle for a few minutes. Gel saddles bother me the most, firmer saddles less. So, I should probably try a Brooks.

[93legendti]

I am in search of the most comfortable saddle. I have always used some sort of cut out saddle and recently started using the Aliante. It feels great on the butt/crotch, but, I sometimes begin to get a little numb in areas I prefer to have feeling. The numbness is short lived (standing or just moving around resolves the issue) and not nearly as bad as I remember in the past when I used non-cut-out saddles.

Is it common to get a little numb every once in a while or is the saddle just not for me? I have tried the usual tilt-it-down, but then I lose the comfort because I am thrown forward. Also, I am not interested in trying a Brooks ;)

There are many issues involved:

Have you checked your saddle's tilt with a level?
How old are your shorts, has the padding broken down?
How often do you stand and do you unweight for uneven pavement? I like to stand at least every ten minutes, if only to ease pressure.
Have you had your bike fit checked to make sure your weight is properly distributed?
How old is your saddle? I replace my saddles every 1-2 years, depending upon how many miles each saddle has. The padding in saddles will break down.

I used to ride a San Marco years ago and developed numbness. I switched to the Trans Am Flite Gel and have had NO problems--except if I use PI bib shorts -- which are the only shorts I can not ride for longer than 30 minutes.

I've found that Giordana, Descente and Louis Garneau shorts have the best padding for me. Good luck!

[Needs Help]

I switched to the Trans Am Flite Gel
Is that the same thing as the Trans Am Max Flite with the cut out down the middle? Or, are there two different models: the trans am flite and the trans am max flite?

[Too Tall]

What 93Legendti said.

Get thee to a fitter. NO amt. of numbness is "OK" and no reason for it.

[93legendti]

Is that the same thing as the Trans Am Max Flite with the cut out down the middle? Or, are there two different models: the trans am flite and the trans am max flite?

They are 2 different models. The Max TA has some suspension, is shorter and I think wider than the standard TA. They are cousins.

[Ken Robb]

As Frank B. wrote I have "sold" a few Brooks over the years by letting folks try mine. As oft reported: the up/down adjustment is critical: I like nose-up which keeps me from any tendency to slide forward and thus reduces hand pressure. Too much nose-up feels good until I reach for the drops and that nose crushes "those" parts.
Lately I have found the Arione and an old Concors to work well for me too. I often ride all of these in regular old street clothes with no padding.

[Dekonick]

Nothing like a Brooks after about 500 miles...

[Ken Robb]

I think the only difference between Trans Am and Trans Am max is width. The Gel is a different model.

[Needs Help]

They are 2 different models.I think the only difference between Trans Am and Trans Am max is width. The Gel is a different model.
Thanks.

[H.Frank Beshear]

I got the worst saddle sore ever while riding a trans am max flite gel flow. By the end of the ride I was soft pedaling on the hurt side :crap: just trying to keep the pressure of. I sold it to Louis and he liked it. No more cutout saddles for me. Frank

[sevencyclist]

I have numbness which occurs if I sit on the saddle for a sustained climb for more than 5 minutes. Standing up makes the numbness sting for a while but then recedes.

I have switched from WTB Stealth Rocket to Brooks Swift, and things improved, but still not perfect. About a month ago, I decided to try Serfas gel saddle (yes, the fat one), and while it feel comfortable at first, the numbness still comes after sustained climbing on the saddle. I think I am going to try the Brooks B17 and hope it is better than the Brooks Swift.

I do not recall having numbeness problem on old Sella Italia Turbo in the past, but I do not have the seat anymore so I can't do an experiment.

[D-Squared]

It takes some fiddling with the pad separation and the tilt but once you get it dialed in there is no pain and no numbness. I've done several centuries on mine with no ill effects. The only down side is that the pad position is generally better for aero bar use or a more upright pack riding position but not for both at the same time. I do most of my riding solo on the aero bars so I have the Spongy Wonder tilted a little more forward. Perfect for aero bars but when I'm riding with a group it tends to rotate me and put too much weight on my hands. They give you time to ride it and like it or return it so if you don't like it you aren't out anything. Works for me.

[Michael Maddox]

D2-

Great, now I'm simply fascinated by the Spongy Wonder, and will probably end up buying one. Sheesh, people. How much money do you think I have?

Seriously, though, the Spongy Wonder has the one thing that I think most people need--adjustable saddle widths. You've got to figure out a whole bunch of other factors like fore/aft and tilt, so why not figure in the width between the ischial tuberosities? It seems apparent that anatomical differences here have a GREAT bearing on which saddle is right for a particular rider.

The Brooks saddles basically set their width during break-in, so they sorta have it. Specialized BG saddles come in various widths and Specialized seems to really be trying to expand this line. Why don't other saddle manufacturers figure this out and SELL THEM IN WIDTHS?

[RABikes2]

[QUOTE=Michael Maddox]D2-

Great, now I'm simply fascinated by the Spongy Wonder, and will probably end up buying one. Sheesh, people. How much money do you think I have?

I'm curious about the SW, too. (Thanks Ginger)
Surgery is scheduled for Sept. 1 at Shands Hospital to have damage corrected caused by the years of riding improperly fitted bicycles. I'm nervous, especially since my Doc's (Gyn Doc here in Tallahassee and the Gyn Doc at Shands) have stated that the second part of the repair has not been done before. :o I will be off the bike for 6-8 weeks (I'm hoping to try a recumbent out during recovery).

I'm trying to be positive, but down deep, I'm not a happy camper about this.

RA

[Richard]

FWIW, Specialized has a "thingie" for measuring the width between the ischial tuberosities. You sit on it and measure the space between the dimples you leave behind. I tried it at my LBS and found that the saddle I had been using for years (Flite) was the correct width (no surprise their, I am comfortable). It certainly offers a starting point for choosing a saddle for those of you who are hunting.