What makes one saddle “better” than another?

[Louis]

I think most folks would agree that saddle choice is a personal thing. At least that’s what newbies are told, when they post a “What’s the most comfortable saddle?” question.

So what do you think are the characteristics that make one saddle comfortable for you and another a real killer?

1) Width / Length
2) Padding at sit bones
3) Hole / channel
4) Cover material
5) Overall shape (e.g. Brooks “hammock”)
6) All of the above
7) Other stuff I didn’t think of

I ask because I’m thinking of trying something different (because the Selle Italia’s I’ve been using seem to wear out too often for my liking). However, I’m not sure what approach to take – just randomly trying other stuff, or trying to figure out what makes my current favorite work and look for something similar - except that I’m not sure why they work, just that they do.

Louis

[cmg]

after spending a great deal of time trying saddles at random i discovered that 1) Width / Length
2) Padding at sit bones
5) Overall shape (e.g. Brooks “hammock”) I like flat as opposed to round top.

are the best starting points. i found this out when i tried a specialized saddle. Now i look at the width of the saddle first and if it's not close to the specialized i find comfortable i keep looking.

[rpm]

No doubt all of the above enters into it, but for me it's the overall shape, specifically whether the saddle has a curve (hammock) in it or not. Selle Italia once had a nice discussion of this on their website, suggesting that there are curved saddle people and flat saddle people. The former like to sit in one place and try to sit while climbing, while the latter like to move around a lot and climb out of the saddle much more.

I've found that I'm definitely a curved saddle person. For years, I used Turbomatics and now love Regals. They wouldn't be my top choice but I would also do OK with Brooks and Alliantes. In contrast, I've hated every flat saddle I've tried.

[Firenze]

I have fairly large thighs and have found a narrow nose without flaps works best. Brooks Swallow works for me.

[michael white]

what makes the aliante great is none of those. Those are important, but they are not what make it great. It's the structure. You have to get the good version, btw, the one with the kevlar weave in the shell. Mine has the carbon rails, the whole shebang. That structure flexs but supports, which addresses the problem of rislan shells, which are usually either supportive (and don't sag) OR comfy/absorbent, but not usually both. The aliante is both, and it's structural, it's not some goofy gel thing on top. It rides to me something like a well broken in Brooks Pro at less than half the weight.

[tch]

So here's another question: when do you know it's time to replace a saddle? Once I've found a saddle I liked, I've never replaced it on a bike. I simply ride it until I buy a new bike. For instance, once I found the Aliante, it has been on my bike for five years and 15,00 miles. I've always wondered why people buy a new saddle. Insights?

[Dave]

I've tried a lot of saddles over the years, some with success and several horrible ones. Never did find ones of those ultra light saddles that I could stand. I tried the Fizik Gobi several years ago, rather than the more popular Arione and found near perfection (for me). This saddle is more rounded from side to side rather than flat in the middle with small radius corners at the sit bones. Although pricey, the Gobi wears like iron. Several seasons on two different saddles and they both look nearly new.

[shanerpvt]

trial & error for me - just took me a while to find one that fit my arse. i am currently riding a regal on both of my bikes.

[Climb01742]

i found that width plays a big role for me. for a long time, the aliante really worked for me. but there would be periods when pains would creep up but i couldn't figure out why. then i tried an arione and yikes! being skinnier, it seemed to sneak up places it shouldn't. i had never thought much about width since i'm a fairly small guy. but i figured, why not try something wider. the moment i sat on a regal it was duh, wider is better for me. then i noticed that the slight hammock of the regal was better for me than the more pronounced hammock of the aliante. so for me, it's width, then flat-ish top. regals "feel" firmer to the touch than aliantes, but their support is actually more comfortable over the miles than the softer aliante.

[saab2000]

Look no further

[Ken Robb]

it's all about shape and size. If the contour of the saddle conforms to your shape and it has sufficient area to spread the load so there aren't areas of very high psi it will be comfy without padding. A brand new B-17 is great for me right out of the box. No break-in is required.

OTOH, a padded Terry with a big cutout gave me a lot of pain and chafing. Lots of folks love them though.

I think padding is an attempt to make up for a mis-fit between saddles and butts. A pure guess on my part: some riders can't make themselves buy a saddle that is really wide enough to spread their load over sufficient area so they need padding to lessen the pressure on the too small area of their skinny, racy-looking saddles.

I also found that some saddles that were almost as wide as a B17 were no good for me because the nose was so wide it chafed my inner thighs "up there".

I have an old Concors that works quite well for me too, but the real surprise is my other favorite: Arione--who'da thunk that? It's not so wide but obviously the curvature of the sides fits my shape. Of course they claim that the slots in it allow small fractures to form on your first ride so the saddlem becomes "custom fit".

[saab2000]

PS - I am sort of curious about trying a Brooks someday.

[CNY rider]

snipped..... then i tried an arione and yikes! being skinnier, it seemed to sneak up places it shouldn't.



Landshark!

[Zman]

One that fits your behind.

[regularguy412]

When you find a saddle you reallylike, get a saddle COVER for it. The thin, waterproof liner on the back of the lycra helps keep perspiration ( read: salty sweat) outta the foam padding. The salt builds up inside the foam and makes it rock hard after many miles. It also helps keep the cover, itself, from wearing. When the saddle cover finally wears out, get a new one -- your original saddle will still be good as new. I have a 100th Anniversary Selle Italia saddle on my CSI. The saddle has over 30,000 miles on it. I put a Selle Italia saddle cover on it , from day one. I recently replaced the cover , as it had finally given up the ghost. Selle Italia still makes saddle covers. I found mine at Bikeman.com for $9.95 ea. , not including shipping.

Mike in AR

[Elefantino]

So here's another question: when do you know it's time to replace a saddle? Once I've found a saddle I liked, I've never replaced it on a bike. I simply ride it until I buy a new bike. For instance, once I found the Aliante, it has been on my bike for five years and 15,00 miles. I've always wondered why people buy a new saddle. Insights?

A**es change. For years I rode a Avocet 02s on all my bikes, but then I started to feel uncomfortable on long rides when I hadn't before. Perhaps it was a change of bib shorts (moving almost exclusively to Voler and Santini), but the Avocets didn't work anymore.

A friend who works at a LBS said a lot of people were returning the OEM Specialized saddles because they were so uncomfortable. He said I could have one for free to try. I fell in love with it and now have five of them (three on bikes, two in the bullpen).

I have met NO ONE who thinks this particular saddle is comfortable and I get a lot of "ewwwwwwwwww"s. But while it's not as sexy as a Brooks or a Arione, it just plain works.

YBMV. (Your butt may vary.)

[cmg]

Look no further

turbomatic?