Anyone try the new specialized saddles?

[Acotts]

I am looking at a Specialized Toupe (for my butt, not my head.) to go onto my recently built Fierte. (I built it last weekend and just worked out the kinks a couple of days ago.) I'll post picks, per the local customs.

Anyone have any experiences with Specialized Saddles. I roll at about 190# and it seems that I am just going to crush those little things.

Bike shop buddy said the new saddles have been tested by a number of proctologists, kinesiologists, Dr Ruth, and Ron Jeremy and are sure to keep the juice flowin' to the berries.

[SWorks4me]

190?

I would go with the Alias...in the S-line, or dare I say, another brand?! The saddle can handle your weight, although you may think it too flexy.

I love the Toupe, I have it on all of my bikes, even cross. If you get the proper width, and it is adjusted correctly, it is a very comfortable saddle.

Saddles are very personal, for the oh so obvious reasons...i just think (my 2 cents) it will come up too flexy for you. Demo one if you can, then compare.

[Fixed]

i have one of their mt bike saddles it's okay ..
cheers :beer:

[Dekonick]

why not a Brooks?

[Frank]

Body Geometry saddles for several years. The model I like best is their least expensive model, the BG Sport:

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=26028

[vaxn8r]

Toupe +1

I have switched them to 3 of my 4 bikes. I'm 190 and use the gel model.

[DarrenCT]

toupe is pretty comfortable. i give it the thumbs up.

[Steelhead]

I have heard a lot of good PR on them and as soon as my new gel flow craps out(shouldn't be long - the thing looks like its ruined after about 2200 miles) I may get one.

[sspielman]

.... or dare I say, another brand?!

I'll go along with that recommendation!

[Ti Designs]

Post a picture of your a$$ so we can get a better feel for what we're dealing with here.

[cmg]

toupe is pretty good saddle. Try the San Marco Rever, it's similar to the 143 size and similar in shape, flat.

[benb]

So I've tried almost all of them this summer and decided it was a colossal waste of time for me...

I have the following I'm going to offer up in the classifieds, if you want any cheap let me know.

I think most of my issues were a faulty reading on the specialized "fit pad" thing... so I ended up with saddles that were too wide.

Here's what I've got that I'm going to be getting rid of:

Toupe 143 (Very close to perfect)
Alias 143 (Very close to perfect)
Alias 155 (A bit of wear in the coloring)

There is no magic with these saddles.. if they don't fit perfect you will still have problems doing your Ron Jeremy impression..

The cutout seems to be too far back on almost all of these "cutout" saddles.. I don't get it. If I'm going to have trouble with numbness it's from the nose of the saddle. All of these Specialized saddles have a pronouced nose forward of the cutout.. get down in an aero enough position without pointing the front of the saddle down and you will go numb eventually.. for the Alias you also have to deal with the issue that the padding is too thick so you sink in a bit.

I maybe should have tried the Toupe gel.. the Alias seems like way too much padding, the Toupe has absolutely none.. like 1mm?

[Frank Draper]

I recently tried two of the Toupe saddles and while the largest width fit, I did not like the independent suspension. The movement was distracting and wasted motion and energy. Other than that it was comfortable. I weigh 180-185 lbs.
FrankD.

[Acotts]

Here is an aproximation of my butt:

Except, i am about 120 pounds heavier. A man. And i prefere bike shorts to bikini bottoms.

Edit: its kind of a wierd picture not that I look at it.

[Kirk007]

I've got you by 20 (some months more) pounds and I like the Toupe; but then I like hard surfaced saddles with some flex which this has. The key for me is the shape of the side cut. The Toupe works in that respect. It's not perfect, but good enough. An Arione with the Toupe sidecut would be perfect (for me).

[KeithS]

Been riding some of Dr. Minkow's Specialized saddles for several years, I think he ought to get the Nobel prize for his contribution to the health of my boys. Used to have some issues with numbness but went away. I like to say I have a seven year old to prove it got better. The Toupe is a pleasant design, great styling and less is more in saddles.

I only gave the it a couple hundred miles, I have about 15 pounds on you too. Riding something else now. PM me if you're looking for a deal on a Toupe 143, with red accents.

[DarrenCT]

Been riding some of Dr. Minkow's Specialized saddles for several years, I think he ought to get the Nobel prize for his contribution to the health of my boys. Used to have some issues with numbness but went away. I like to say I have a seven year old to prove it got better. The Toupe is a pleasant design, great styling and less is more in saddles.

I only gave the it a couple hundred miles, I have about 15 pounds on you too. Riding something else now. PM me if you're looking for a deal on a Toupe 143, with red accents.

who the heck is dr. minkow?

[Kahuna]

The doc who came up with the idea of split saddles for relieving pressure against the perineum. But there's more to it than that. Good saddles also need to support the ischial tuberosities (sit bones) and Minkow's Body Geometry designs do both.

who the heck is dr. minkow?

[kerrycycle]

I have a Toupe 143 on my primary bike & love it. I tried multiple other lightweight saddles & didn't like them. The toupe cradels your rear, compared with others that perch you on top of the saddle. Good luck!

[mcteague]

I tried a Toupe 143 and hated it. It felt hard and sharp no matter how I set it up. Sometimes, during a ride I would fine a spot where it did not hurt but if I moved a tiny bit the pain came back. As you hear over and over, there is no one saddle that works for everyone. But I honestly cannot figure out why so many like the Toupe.

Tim McTeague

[RADaines]

The toupe cradels your rear, compared with others that perch you on top of the saddle.

Just curious, do you have the saddle level or have you found tilting it slighlty improves the feel? I used a 143 Toupe for about a month, and while I really liked the design I found it too painful on my sit bones. I would love to get a little better weight distribution on the saddle. My saddle was level across the nose and the rear edge. I switched to a 2007 Selle Italia Prolink gel flow (similar width to Toupe) but keep thinking about the Toupe which I think is a better design for relieving the pressure in the perneum region.