Tell me about SMP saddles

[rpm]

I've been hearing a lot of buzz lately about SMP saddles. Over the last couple of seasons, I've mostly switched over from Aliante to the Specialized Romin 155, and I've been satisfied with them. SMP saddles seem to take the Romin curved, split design way further. Are there some particular advantages to them?

[crownjewelwl]

i bot the intellectual argument...however in practice, i found them to be pretty painful...it has to agree with your bum

[tuscanyswe]

I like them. I hate how they look yet im going to get a 3rd one pretty soon. Best saddle out there for me.

[jr59]

Like all saddles, if they work for you they are great. If they don't, it's an ass hachet! :banana:

[cfox]

No way anyone's opinion can inform yours on a saddle's comfort. I will say this, the embroidery stitched on the side ripped up the seat of a pair of pricey bibs after one ride.

[ptourkin]

I spent time on a couple while riding some demo bikes. I was fine immediately coming off my Alliante VS onto both the Lite 209 (140ish) and the Evolution (130ish.) The curve does want you to ride in one place, so if you're a shifter, you may want to spend a long ride on one to see if it works. Here in SD, there are a number of shops that have the full demo range.

[tuscanyswe]

does the 130ish and 140ish refer to prices somewhere? if so please point me in that direction as i pay about double that..

Thanks

Edit: oh they are width right? darn :)

[rpm]

Sounds like finding a dealer with a demo program is the way to go if I decide to try one. I liked curved saddles and don't move around a lot in the saddle, but it would have to be really comfortable to compensate for the looks. Offhand, I think the Pro might be the best model for me. Nashbar has them, but at the same $250 as other retailers.

[hainy]

Steve Hogg here in Sydney let me trial one which was a good thing he did as it gave me terrible back pain. Flat saddles (arione) all the way for me.

Find somewhere that will let you pest drive before buying

Hainy

[gone]

does the 130ish and 140ish refer to prices somewhere? if so please point me in that direction as i pay about double that..

Thanks

Edit: oh they are width right? darn :)

It looks like at least one place (http://www.wekeepyoucycling.com/en/p-275-smp-special-offer.aspx) has them on sale. Limited styles and colors but if what they have works for you they're at a pretty good price.

For myself, I tried both the Pro and Evolution models and they didn't work for me. Couldn't stand them for more than about 25 miles.

[oldpotatoe]

I've been hearing a lot of buzz lately about SMP saddles. Over the last couple of seasons, I've mostly switched over from Aliante to the Specialized Romin 155, and I've been satisfied with them. SMP saddles seem to take the Romin curved, split design way further. Are there some particular advantages to them?

Well, the first 'advantage' is that SMP were the first to offer a test ride program to retailers that carried them.

I had a customer who broke his pelvis and when it healed, it didn't fuse at the front(sounds painful)..He said when riding a more normal saddle, it hurt, heard about these, wanted to try one. I know the guy who owns Albabici, Gianluca, so I got a test ride SMP Pro, gent tried it, bought one...and now I do quite well with them. Have 4 test ride models. Mostly they vary in width and padding, with some less 'curvey' than others. BUT try to find a test ride place..and try one.

Some complain about how they 'look' but nobody sees them when you are sitting on them. Some have said they look like 'old man saddles', but they sponsor a pro team...besides, if any 'gadget' works for you..who GAS?

[Walter]

I was having some "issues" with saddles and tried a number of them. The late Bill Peterson of Foot Fitness recommended that I try an SMP. I did and all of my troubles went away (I am still slow, but at least I did not hurt during and after a ride).

Saddles are very person-specific, but SMP's sure work well for me.

[LegendRider]

They do a remarkable job of relieving pressure on the perineum. However, I found my sit bones couldn't take it. If you're looking for a cut-out saddle, try the San Marco Mantra - they have a massive cut-out and a more traditional shape.

[canham]

I've been riding the composit for over 5 years now. Hands down the best saddle I've ever tried. The thing is, there's not a lot of middle ground in that saddle. You have to set it up just right, and that takes a lot of super-tiny adjustments to get there. But once you find that sweet spot you just forget the saddle is even there.

[EvanTA]

I've got a composit in the mail, I look forward to trying it out soon and can post a response after a few rides. What I will say is that three riding buddies, after trying out SMPs, went on to switch every one of their saddles to SMP. According to them, the numbness is gone, and hours on the saddle go by with very little discomfort. That is, after a period of breaking in your bum. Similar story when I switched to Bont A1s, it took a little to get used to and heat treat them properly, but after that period I'll never switch back. I don't look forward to the expense of replacing those.

[timto]

I had found 'the' saddle in the 143 wide Romin - no pressure. Can ride long miles without discomfort. My buddy was an SMP convert so borrwed a Dynamic from him. WOW really able to get low, and no pressure. Legs move freely and easily...
but to echo the looks thing - I'm vain and think they're ugly.

WIll probably buy one because they work so well...

[austex]

http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/blog/2011/09/all-about-smps/

[slinkywizard]

I have both the SMP stratos and the carbon version with inox rails. I love them! The carbon version used to be on my hardtail, but this was more than my sit-bones could handle. It's also very smooth and somehow lacked "grip" when descending whilst standing, this is not an issue on the road though. The regular stratos has a nice amount of padding. I've never had any perineal pressure issue since switching to them. It's quite tricky find the sweet spot as far as the angle goes, in particular with the carbon version you'll either end up sliding back- or forwards until you get it just right. I don't really mind the look of them really, though I thought the logos detracted from the carbon so I sanded them down and it looks pretty nice and stealthy now imho.

[Elefantino]

Two Gliders for me, but I have a SLR Gel Flow on my Atlanta and for me they're all about the same, in that I love them.

[metalheart]

I ride a Regal but I had the opportunity to test out a 209 Lite SMP for a couple of weeks last year. It is a fine saddle, did not give me any pain issues, but it also did not make my ass feel any better than the Regal. Iit did take a few rides to get the angle right, but after that it is fine.

I am riding longer distances now and I am considering trying the SMP again or maybe there is another saddle suited to those of us who are shifters?

[EvanTA]

Ok, had the saddle a few months now. That composit is no joke - effectively no padding whatsoever. But, it fits and feels right. You have to adjust a little bit to find the sweet spot, but then it relieves pressure where you want it relieved, and allows excellent range of motion to get into a good riding/pedaling position. I need to get a new cover put on it, and will have the dude put on a thin layer of padding, but it'll still be a minimal saddle.

[NJC]

Of course saddle function/comfort always a personal issue - I have found the quality, durability and fit of the SMP Pro to be great - the only downside is that if you fall in love with them as I did it becomes impossible to not shell out a bunch of money to by them for all your bikes . . .

[tuscanyswe]

Ok, had the saddle a few months now. That composit is no joke - effectively no padding whatsoever. But, it fits and feels right. You have to adjust a little bit to find the sweet spot, but then it relieves pressure where you want it relieved, and allows excellent range of motion to get into a good riding/pedaling position. I need to get a new cover put on it, and will have the dude put on a thin layer of padding, but it'll still be a minimal saddle.

Thats pretty much exactly how i feel about my smps. I think an evolution would suit you even better as it does me. The composite is just a tad to harsh for my preference.

[Scooper]

I've been riding the SMP Pro for three years, and love it. I'm 71, and although I had been riding Brooks B17 and Team Professionals for decades, as I've gotten older my perineum has become more sensitive to pressure on long rides. The SMP Pro is comfortable for me on week-long trips (San Francisco to Los Angeles) without any numbness or discomfort. SMP makes enough different models with different widths, rolloff rates, and ranging from no padding to very cushy, so the odds of finding one that fits your butt are pretty good.

The Selle SMP patent makes an interesting read, although some of the drawings are pretty explicit:

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7699391.pdf

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/Waterford%20B07014/SelleSMPPromed-1.jpg

[GeekBoy]

Loved it around the parking lot (friend's bike).
Loved it for 30 minutes into my test ride. A lot.

After that it was hell on my behind. Got to be extremely uncomfortable.