Wide profile saddle?

[d_douglas]

I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for a saddle that fits a bit on the wide side? I am currently using a Turbomatic and a Flite Gel and they are OK, but I want to invest in a saddle with a cutout. I also know that many of the new saddles out there are very narrow and not to my liking.

Someone suggested an Selle Italia SLK which looks incredibly minimalist (and stylish), but they look narrow at first glance. That person said they actually had fairly wide sitting profile.

My all time fave saddles are good old Turbos and first gen WTB ti saddles (thats on my commuter) with the big nose drops, but my intuition tells me that its time to upgrade to one that is more ergonomic (and will look cool on my bike of course)

Thanks for your suggestions!

[Big Dan]

Saddles with holes....... :eek:

It's the width that makes the difference.. IMHO......... :p

[GoJavs]

Brooks B17s are well-known to have a little extra for the rear...

Other than that, for my money: Turbos & Rolls are best.

[darylb]

If you want a wide saddle with a cutout, get a koobi. The one I have is a Silver but I dont think they sell that model anymore. I'm not sure what the current equivelent is but it is something like AU something or other. Very good quality saddles.

[ols]

Saddles are so individual, it is hard to know exactly what will work for anyone. Nevertheless, the specialized alias comes in 130mm, 143mm and 155mm widths. It has a cutout and for whatever reason, it has turned out to be the saddle that works best for me (the 143mm in my case.) If your lbs carries them, they will also have a pad that you sit on which will tell you how far apart your sit bones are, and therefore, which saddle to get. I think the Turbomatic is around 141mm, so if you want to go much wider, then maybe the 155mm will work for you? Usually your lbs should let you try out several, so I would start there. Best of luck in your search.

[spiderlake]

I went the same route as OLS and have a Specialized saddle in the 143mm size. My LBS had a box, for lack of a better term, that is similar to getting fitted for foot orthotics. Sit on the box and check the space between the sit bones.

Prior to going with Specialized, I tried saddles from Selle and Terry but they never sat well (pun intended) with me.

Saddles are so individual, it is hard to know exactly what will work for anyone. Nevertheless, the specialized alias comes in 130mm, 143mm and 155mm widths. It has a cutout and for whatever reason, it has turned out to be the saddle that works best for me (the 143mm in my case.) If your lbs carries them, they will also have a pad that you sit on which will tell you how far apart your sit bones are, and therefore, which saddle to get. I think the Turbomatic is around 141mm, so if you want to go much wider, then maybe the 155mm will work for you? Usually your lbs should let you try out several, so I would start there. Best of luck in your search.

[Ahneida Ride]

If you are tired of "wedgies" install a wide saddle. :rolleyes:
I say go B67, get springs too for a HC like ride. :)

I say insure that you sitius Boneius are on the saddle ! ;)

[djg]

Not crazy about cutouts, but if you'd consider a wide saddle with a central depression, you might take a look at Avocet O2.

[quattro]

The Avocet 02 40M is about 155mm wide and it works wonderful! I have the same need for a wide saddle. I have tried the Aliante and a bunch of Selle Italia saddles that are just to narrow for my sit bones. I just picked up the Specialized Alias 155mm but have not yet installed it on my bike. My vote is for the Avocet, it does not have cut outs but I have never had any problems with numbness. You can order the Avocet direct from them by calling their customer service. Two things, order the leather/Ti version in the older model, do not purchase the new version of this sadle it is terrible! Good luck.

[oldguy00]

San Marco Regal. 'nuff said.

[znfdl]

If you want a wide saddle with a cutout, get a koobi. The one I have is a Silver but I dont think they sell that model anymore. I'm not sure what the current equivelent is but it is something like AU something or other. Very good quality saddles.

I also would reccomend a Koobi. I ride the PRS saddle:

http://www.koobi.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2

The PRS saddle is 146mm wide. My wife rides the PRS Enduron which is 148mm wide.

[Rapid Tourist]

The Fizik Vitesse is a great saddle. This is the only saddle I have ever tried that is almost as comfy if not more comfy than my brooks. I believe the vitesse is 154 mm wide.

[KevinK]

The only time that I found a cutout to be indespensible is on my TT bike. I used to have it setup with the non-cutout saddle "pointed left" for comfort in the aero position (you TTers know what I'm talking about). I recently installed a saddle (Serfas DDvado) with a cutout that goes up into the nose of the saddle and now I can ride with a straight saddle, and everything is laying where it should. I can even ride on the nose without any discomfort or numbness. On my road bike, no cutout.

Kevin

[d_douglas]

I forgot to ask about Prolink saddles. They seem popular and look very comfortable to me. I have seen the Specialized saddles too. Although I am not a fan of Specialized as a brand, those saddles do look comfortable. I will look into them, as there's a dealer near my house. What about the new WTB Shadow saddles? I love old WTB stuff and these new ones look like they're marketed to a road crowd, but with the advantages of their other, bigger saddles.

As much as I think Brooks are beautiful and come highly recommended, I can't quite handle the retro look of them on a nice road bike. I know that many of you have them on your bikes and swear by them, but I think I need to stick with something more 'stealth'. The ti version is actually beautiful, but $200 for a saddle is out of my league.

[BarryG]

The Avocet 02 40M is about 155mm wide and it works wonderful!
I also would recommend the Avocet highly. You can get it directly from Avocet - not many dealers for it these days.

[scrooge]

I went the same route as OLS and have a Specialized saddle in the 143mm size. My LBS had a box, for lack of a better term, that is similar to getting fitted for foot orthotics. Sit on the box and check the space between the sit bones.

Prior to going with Specialized, I tried saddles from Selle and Terry but they never sat well (pun intended) with me.

So do you think this process was benificial? I'm having trouble with my Arione and was thinking about giving this a try.

[quattro]

d douglas, I should have added in my prior post that I own both a Vitesse and a Prolink as well. While both are not bad, I continue to feel that for the wide sit bones the Avocet 02 40M is the best fit, most comfortable saddle. I rode it on several century rides this past year with no problems or concerns about comfort whatsoever! Again, get the older model 40M not the 40R. Good luck.

[ols]

Quote /So do you think this process was benificial? I'm having trouble with my Arione and was thinking about giving this a try./


For me, I finally decided that I would never really know what worked under my behind unless I tried as many as possible myself. (An uncomfortable rear can really ruin a ride!) So... as foolish as it may sound, I compiled a list of what seemed to be favorite saddles, and then I tried them all out for at least 50 miles each (and in some cases much more.) Ones I tried include: Arione, Alliante, Brooks B17, Koobi Enduro, WTB Laser V, WTB Pure, WTB Rocket, Specialized Body Geometry (the original one), Alias, Turbomatic 4, Avocet O2, Regal, SLK, and Terry Fly. Anything that didnt work out I since sold on eBay as well.

I do think there is a benefit to figuring out your sit bone width and then trying out saddles that line up with your sit bones. For me, some of the above were too wide and some too narrow. In the end, my 2 preferred saddles out of the above turned out to be within a few millimeters of eachother. (Laser V on the mountain bike and Alias 143 on the road bike. My triathlon bike still has a Terry Fly which isnt great for me on the road bike, but works OK in the aerobar position where you are basically riding on the nose of the saddle anyway.)

Hope that helps.