Saddles

[flydhest]

Very personal. Am about to switch out my Regal for another Arione. I have four now. Also got a Velo Orange knockoff of the Swallow. It seems to fit me as well.

I am 6'2" and between 175 and 200. Narrow waist for my height/ weight.

Other fans of the Arione? I had an Aliante and was convinced that Satan was on the design committee.

That said, I used to love Regals and have two that will likely now be moving on.

Funny thing, saddles.

[dekindy]

The Aliante served me well and the Arione was a torture device so I had the opposite experience. I always tell folks to take advantage of the Fizik test program and try these two radically different saddles to get an idea if they prefer a curved or flat saddle.

[vav]

Rode Ariones for a couple of years but tried the Romins and haven't looked back. 155 cm

[vav]

155 mm

[AngryScientist]

my rear isnt that sensitive, but i can not ride an arione for very long. i do comfortably ride for hours:

-aliante
-antares
-spec toupe
-brooks swallow
-prologo scratch

[drhule33]

Rode the Arione for 3 or 4 years, then recently had a fit. Turns out the Antares fits me better.

[one60]

if you want to sell those used regals...I am fond of white or red

[SPOKE]

I like the Airone. But my first choice is a Stroika.

[Ken Robb]

I like and use Ariones and B-17 saddles--go figure.

[rice rocket]

Ariones worked for me when I stayed in the drops. Sitting up to climb was like balancing myself on two 1" steel rods.

Romin was the ticket for me. I switch between 130 and 143mm, can't really tell the difference.

flydhest, I'm surprised the Regal works for you but the Aliante is so odious. They're generally regarded as similarly shaped, or in the class of "wavy saddles".

[jtakeda]

Not very picky.

I ride flites and turbos mostly.

Haven't tried too many saddles but I DO know I don't like ariones.

[Crackerkorean]

Do you guys know what Fizik road saddle is shaped similarly to the Gobi?

[rice rocket]

No one's stopping you from using it on the road... ;)

[Crackerkorean]

No one's stopping you from using it on the road... ;)
That's why its currently mounted to the bike :)

Just wasn't sure if there was a road equivalent. And if I would be shunned for using a mountain saddle.

[flydhest]

Ariones worked for me when I stayed in the drops. Sitting up to climb was like balancing myself on two 1" steel rods.

Romin was the ticket for me. I switch between 130 and 143mm, can't really tell the difference.

flydhest, I'm surprised the Regal works for you but the Aliante is so odious. They're generally regarded as similarly shaped, or in the class of "wavy saddles".

Worked for me. No longer, it seems. They were stored for almost a decade and something has changed on me.

[Len J]

Saddles are very personal. For me the Arione is am ass hatchet. SLR fits like a glove........rolls is good, Regal, not so much.

Len


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[mcallen]

My first road saddle was a Turbo, which made me whimper on long rides. Switched to Toupe for awhile with mixed results. Tried a wider Romin and knew immediately it was worse. Went to a Regal with mixed results. Last year I tried an Arione on a whim and really liked it. I just got an Antares off the forum because it matches the bike better (green and black CAAD9). I've only done an hour on the trainer but so far it's ok. That's my story.

[DRZRM]

Try the Regale, nice saddle.

[rice rocket]

I had an Antares for a short while, the thin, very flexible nylon shell doesn't seem like it would last (I'm sure someone will give me anecdotal evidence that says otherwise though ;) ). I also had the issue that my seatpost adjustment bolt would hit the underside of the saddle on bumps, so make sure you don't have a single bolt seatpost that has a protruding bolt.

[beercan]

classic flites, flite tt, aliante, and sometimes concor lights.

[godfrey1112000]

FOR ABOUT 9 YEARS,

great for doing long rides, 300k and DC, 14plus hours:eek:

[christian]

Try the Regale, nice saddle.It's a lovely saddle, but if he's moving from Regals, I wouldn't recommend it - I have a bunch of Regals and a Regale FX Carbon on my road bike. They feel identical.

[jmoore]

Still trying to get used to the Prologo Scratch over my Flite. The Scratch is not bad but not perfect yet.

[MattTuck]

Since I've been reading more about core work outs, I've realized that I have something called lumbar swayback, also known as lumbar hyperlordosis, or anterior pelvic tilt.

I'm working to correct this issue, and I wonder what impact it will have on me. The big complaint I have had about most saddles is chaffing in the taint region. I realize now that pelvic tilt may be to blame for that, rather than the saddles. And that perhaps trying to find a saddle that didn't chafe was treating the symptom rather than the cause.

Anyway, not much to suggest other than taking a quick look at your posture to see if that could be contributing to how saddles feel.

[Ralph]

Worked for me. No longer, it seems. They were stored for almost a decade and something has changed on me.

When I was much younger, could ride about anything. As I got older, and then got just old, my butt got a lot more sensitive to saddles. Rides limited to 25-30 miles before lots of pain. Not sure why, aging muscles there, deteriorating bone structure, etc. Got some coccyx issues also. So needed a non rounded saddle. Cut out good, but not so much cut out there was nothing left to sit on. Tried most of the currently popular saddles from Fizik and Specialized. Specialized Avatar was close. But no matter the width I used, sharp edges bothered me. And I got good at measuring what I was doing with saddle fit. Height, fore and aft set back, angle, etc.

Then I accidentally used an old Terry Fly on a ride. Currently out of style I know. Lots of padding, still narrow but with rounded edges, flat F-B like I like. Cut out well padded, etc. Bought two of them....one Ti rail and one steel. Now back to being able to do 40-60 mile rides again. All that foam padding helps. Guess there's a reason you see lots of old folks on Terry's. At some point style, body geometry, and "latest greatest" don't matter if you can't sit on the darn things because of a sore butt.

Trying to make the point that as we age, and have degenerative changes, some of us anyway, won't be able to ride the kinds of saddles we rode 10-20-30 years ago. And....none of us will probably find the same solution.

[zap]

Aliante saddles on our tandem are iffy these days so I'm looking.....

......and my absolute disgust for Romins is documented here.

Single....the AX Lightness Apollo still works quite well.

I rather like the Toupe that is on my mtb and will probably try that next on one of our tandems.

[davidj]

I like the Prologo Scratch Nack on the go fast bike and a Brooks Swift the everyday bike.

[quattro]

I'm always looking for a more comfortable saddle, wondering if anyone uses/tried Selle SMP saddles, many to choose from, kind of expensive a about $270, wondering i they are worth a try.

quattro

[Likes2ridefar]

I had an Antares for a short while, the thin, very flexible nylon shell doesn't seem like it would last (I'm sure someone will give me anecdotal evidence that says otherwise though ;) ). I also had the issue that my seatpost adjustment bolt would hit the underside of the saddle on bumps, so make sure you don't have a single bolt seatpost that has a protruding bolt.

the 00 lasts while the regular model sags in the middle longterm.

the 00 is very fragile though scuffing easy.

my favorite saddle in the whole wide world, but i guess my butt is weird because pretty much every saddle is OK for JRA besides that evil, evil saddle favored by Mr Armstrong, the concor light.

[Rebel_Biker]

I have a similar experience with the Aliante not working at all. I was somewhat comfortable on the Regal and the Arione. I switched to the Romin 155 and it is the best so far.

[wooly]

I've got Arione's on all of my bikes but am seriously thinking of trying a Gilles Berthoud Aravis. My Arione is great but after 50 miles i start thinking about it too much. The Berthoud is crazy expensive tho but I may bite the bullet. I've tried Specialized saddles and didn't really like them. SLR the same. Old Flites worked but not the new ones. I have found that i don't like flat (side to side) saddles. Too much pressure on the sit bones.

[Hls2k6]

I'm always looking for a more comfortable saddle, wondering if anyone uses/tried Selle SMP saddles, many to choose from, kind of expensive a about $270, wondering i they are worth a try.

quattro

For me, 6'5" 172 lbs and a pretty big drop, the SMP Dynamic was a total revelation. Your drop/pelvic tilt is critical to the right saddle, in my experience, as the pelvis narrows when you rotate forward.

[William]

Concor = Ass hatchet.

Tired one once, got about five miles out, turned around and went back home to take it off my bike, throw it on the ground, stomp on it, douse it with lighter fluid, torch it, shoot it with a pellet gun, put the remnants in a paper bag, light it on fire again, spray it with WD-40, stomp out the fire, scape it up with a shovel, and bury it in an unmarked grave in the back yard.

I've been riding nothing but Flites ever since.






William

[CaptStash]

Concor:Tired one once, got about five miles out, turned around and went back home to take it off my bike, throw it on the ground, stomp on it, douse it with lighter fluid, torch it, shoot it with a pellet gun, put the remnants in a paper bag, light it on fire again, spray it with WD-40, stomp out the fire, scape it up with a shovel, and bury it in an unmarked grave in the back yard.
William

Other than that William, how'd you like the Concor? ;)

[Jaq]

Here's a nice video from We Keep You Cycling about the Selle SMP saddles.

http://youtu.be/9_tACzRvcBc

[druptight]

I found Koobi and haven't turned back since. They're perfect for me.

[bingomck]

Have used successfully:
Aliante (a lot)
Arione
Brooks B17
Brooks Swallow
Koobi Enduro
Selle SMP
Terry Fly w/ cutout
Velo Orange leather/ti swallow knockoff

[canham]

Several years ago I tried a SMP composit on a whim. Haven't looked back since. It takes a little while to get the saddle set up to your liking, and the tolerances in terms of angle and fore-aft position can be somewhat tight. But once you get it right it's . . . right. I can ride that saddle with or without chamois in any position--sitting up, in the drops, forearms on the bars, you name it. You just end up sitting on a slightly different part of the saddle depending upon your position on the bike. Brilliantly designed--I highly recommend it.

[William]

Other than that William, how'd you like the Concor? ;)

You mean other than the fact that I effin hated it? It was okay. http://th76.photobucket.com/albums/j20/theotherdave2005/th_shrug.gif




;):)
William

[pdmtong]

I've got Arione's on all of my bikes but am seriously thinking of trying a Gilles Berthoud Aravis. My Arione is great but after 50 miles i start thinking about it too much. The Berthoud is crazy expensive tho but I may bite the bullet. I've tried Specialized saddles and didn't really like them. SLR the same. Old Flites worked but not the new ones. I have found that i don't like flat (side to side) saddles. Too much pressure on the sit bones.

$305 and 425grams? Good thing you have lightweights to offset that comfort penalty. Ask Rex, he has one.

Lucky me...Arione all day long (like 10 hours/10,000' all day long)
No issues other than occasionally falling into KRHEA's mode of hoarding/collecting them. Happily I sent one to the OP so I am trying to get and keep a grip - stay focused only on the firmer CX version and avoid distraction from the other variants.

For those that hated Arione, I do have to say it is very tilt sensitive. There is a point for me where both the nose and tail disappear and I dont feel either...never liked the fixed alliante position and couldnt make the antares tail go away.

Anyone like Fizik Poggio? I have NOS one for cheap.

[krhea]

Lucky me...Arione all day long (like 10 hours/10,000' all day long)


+1
The only time the Arione bothers me is about 3hrs into a tandem ride. The cause is pretty simple, I'm seated 99.9% of the time on our tandem so my position stays pretty static. On my single I can ride Ariones for days with no problems. Once it's set, it really seems to disappear plus the added length is great for me , especially climbing.

[hainy]

what you have to do is try flat, curved, cut out etc etc before you determine the right saddle. After this trail and error I now only ride flat saddles (arione).

That doesn't mean it is perfect and I don't believe there is such a thing as the perfect saddle. We change over time when saddles remain the same. I have gone through periods when I hated the arione and now understand it has nothing to do with the saddle. I don't sit very straight and when the twist pelvis is worse then normal of course the saddle will feel uncomfortable.

I work harder on this problem then shopping for saddles. A good bike fit will help. I am lucky to have easy access to one of the best in the business in Steve Hogg.

Cheers

Hainy

[mtechnica]

I ride with the middle section of the saddle level or barely downward tilted, with a pelvis forward position and 8-10cm of drop. I think a lot of problems people have with saddles are from humps on the nose / middle from the saddle being tilted up too high and pressing on the perennial. I digress.


Flites are my old standby but they have relatively short rails and don't go back far enough for me on say, a thomson masterpiece post. They are great on mountain bikes IMO.

Prologo nago evo is very comfortable to me if a hair too wide. I have one on my cross bike with less drop (8cm) and it's perfect.

Toupe is comfortable if slightly hard feeling because of the cutout, if it's not tilted down far enough it's horrendously uncomfortable due to the rigid middle section of the saddle and the sharp wings on the back. Not a good saddle at all unless you're rocking decent drop. It has long rails which help with setback.

Nashbar gr-2 is a cheap and comfortable saddle with long rails. IMO it's slightly too soft and wide but not bad.

Arione was pretty good* (only hurt after about 3 hours) but saddles with more of a lipped rear section help my lower back with road impacts because there is a more solid perch when your hips are leaned forward and you're peddling hard in the drops, or tucking really low for a descent, versus a totally flat saddle to me.

Concor was pretty good but the middle section is too hard and rounded I think. It might be fine with less drop but I don't know.

Cinelli unicator all plastic model is surprisingly comfortable when angled correctly. Rails aren't very long which for me mean slammed all the way back on a 25mm post (see flite, concor, almost all older saddles especially brooks).

Rolls was surprisingly uncomfortable for how heavy it was. Not a good choice if you have a lot of drop. Too wide at the back and too rounded in the middle.

Avocet racing is the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden on, but this was on a touring bike with at most 8cm of drop and the oldness, obscurity, short rails, weight, make it not a good choice for a modern bike.


I really want to try an SLR

[welcomdmat]

I fought against having a Concor on all of my bikes for years. They just were not that cool . . . I'll call myself an a**.

Well, now I have a Concor (Bontrager version that I have held onto) on my track bike and am in love with the Fizik Curve Bull for everything else. The Curve saddles are very well constructed and have not had much mention on this thread.

[buddybikes]

I am on my 3rd Terry fly, now the carbon railed, wife rides a butterfly. Have no intention of moving to anything else.

[Ralph]

I am on my 3rd Terry fly, now the carbon railed, wife rides a butterfly. Have no intention of moving to anything else.

Old standby......I ride them also...one Ti rail and 1 steel rail.

[cogclog]

I've had various Brooks, Selle Italias, and Terrys and all have given me various pains. One Brooks even contributed to an ankle injury. I switched to an Arione on my cross bike a couple of years ago and all went away. Now I've got an Antares on my road bike and I love it too.