Ginger
10-15-2007, 07:12 PM
I've been in search of a saddle for a long time. Never had a saddle issue with my trail bikes (other than embroidery...I can't ride an embroidered saddle...), but then I started road riding around '91.
My stoker seat on the tandem had an Avocet 02 and my first real road bike had a white Concours. These two bikes were on the small side for me and on both bikes I was fairly comfortable, but not totally. I moved from those bikes around 93/94 -- the last time I was actually somewhat comfortable on a saddle.
Then begins my descent into saddle heck. People started fitting me on new stock bikes for my leg length, and, rather than being my stubborn self and insisting on being comfortable in my reach, I thought: Well...these people know what they're doing, they've been fitting people for years. And my earlier bikes handled poorly, even though I was comfortable on them. So maybe there was something to what they were saying.
Back to saddles:
My next touring bike, a Bianchi Eros started with a standard Bianchi torture device, which I switched for a Terry Sport. That wasn't perfect, I had pain in the soft tissue, but it was far better than the Bianchi saddle.
Then I went to a bike shop during their slow time and tried out just about every saddle in the place except the fat butt saddles. It was then I moved to Terry Butterflys.
When I came into my CSi and my Bianchi EV2 I used Butterflies on those bikes too. I liked them so much I moved them to my mountain bikes too. Problem is the back of the saddle is too wide and I'd hit the back of my legs on it. Bounce. Weird. Weird enough to get a set of nasty saddle sores on century rides. UGH.
So, I tried out a Brooks. That was the most comfortable my sit bones have ever been on a saddle, but the front of the saddle didn't like me at all no matter where I tilted it or how loose I made it.
Just NO.
Keep in mind, all of these bikes were adjusted to fit me, but didn't actually fit me (not the best balance or handling...but the CSi was a fantastic comfortable distance bike, and the EV2 climbed like a spanked monkey...sweet aluminum bike)
So I finally bought a bike that was built for me, my Kirk. It fits me, handles fantastic, everything is wonderful, except the saddle.
I started with the Terry Butterfly, then changed it back to the old White concours, then I went to a newer concours, then to a selle italia gel saddle, then a fiziks Ailante (just for a moment...ugh) then back to the concours, then in a fit of "I hate this saddle on this bike" I walked into a bike shop in the middle of a ride and picked up a fiziks Poggio.
And that was a decent saddle.
I've ridden it for a year or two and it's ok. But, I noticed Fiziks stopped making them. *sigh*
Fast forward to just the other day. I was test riding a specialized cross bike to figure out what size bike the shop needed to order for me. (I won a Specialized Tri Comp cross bike in the club raffle...) The saddle was remarkable...it was still a little wide in the back, and my legs weren't terribly happy...but boy, for a stock saddle, it was fairly comfortable.
Specialized Body Geometry Avatar Gel, 145 width.
I checked with the shop and all they had on the shelf was an Avatar Gel in a 130. PERFECT! And it was only in the 60-75 price range!
Off with the Poggio, on with the Avatar.
It took my sit bones about three rides to acclimate to the new saddle (as always) But now the saddle is just gone! This is the first time I can say that.
Of course, I haven't done any centuries on it yet but I'm pretty excited. This is the first saddle since '93 that I've been comfortable in both soft tissue and sit bones on any length ride. YAY!
The moral of the story is: If you have an issue, keep trying saddles, don't expect the most expensive saddle to be the "best" and try whole ranges of saddles. I had done that several times in my saddle search. If no saddle really works, review the fit of your bike.
If you're currently looking for a saddle, good luck!
Ginger
My stoker seat on the tandem had an Avocet 02 and my first real road bike had a white Concours. These two bikes were on the small side for me and on both bikes I was fairly comfortable, but not totally. I moved from those bikes around 93/94 -- the last time I was actually somewhat comfortable on a saddle.
Then begins my descent into saddle heck. People started fitting me on new stock bikes for my leg length, and, rather than being my stubborn self and insisting on being comfortable in my reach, I thought: Well...these people know what they're doing, they've been fitting people for years. And my earlier bikes handled poorly, even though I was comfortable on them. So maybe there was something to what they were saying.
Back to saddles:
My next touring bike, a Bianchi Eros started with a standard Bianchi torture device, which I switched for a Terry Sport. That wasn't perfect, I had pain in the soft tissue, but it was far better than the Bianchi saddle.
Then I went to a bike shop during their slow time and tried out just about every saddle in the place except the fat butt saddles. It was then I moved to Terry Butterflys.
When I came into my CSi and my Bianchi EV2 I used Butterflies on those bikes too. I liked them so much I moved them to my mountain bikes too. Problem is the back of the saddle is too wide and I'd hit the back of my legs on it. Bounce. Weird. Weird enough to get a set of nasty saddle sores on century rides. UGH.
So, I tried out a Brooks. That was the most comfortable my sit bones have ever been on a saddle, but the front of the saddle didn't like me at all no matter where I tilted it or how loose I made it.
Just NO.
Keep in mind, all of these bikes were adjusted to fit me, but didn't actually fit me (not the best balance or handling...but the CSi was a fantastic comfortable distance bike, and the EV2 climbed like a spanked monkey...sweet aluminum bike)
So I finally bought a bike that was built for me, my Kirk. It fits me, handles fantastic, everything is wonderful, except the saddle.
I started with the Terry Butterfly, then changed it back to the old White concours, then I went to a newer concours, then to a selle italia gel saddle, then a fiziks Ailante (just for a moment...ugh) then back to the concours, then in a fit of "I hate this saddle on this bike" I walked into a bike shop in the middle of a ride and picked up a fiziks Poggio.
And that was a decent saddle.
I've ridden it for a year or two and it's ok. But, I noticed Fiziks stopped making them. *sigh*
Fast forward to just the other day. I was test riding a specialized cross bike to figure out what size bike the shop needed to order for me. (I won a Specialized Tri Comp cross bike in the club raffle...) The saddle was remarkable...it was still a little wide in the back, and my legs weren't terribly happy...but boy, for a stock saddle, it was fairly comfortable.
Specialized Body Geometry Avatar Gel, 145 width.
I checked with the shop and all they had on the shelf was an Avatar Gel in a 130. PERFECT! And it was only in the 60-75 price range!
Off with the Poggio, on with the Avatar.
It took my sit bones about three rides to acclimate to the new saddle (as always) But now the saddle is just gone! This is the first time I can say that.
Of course, I haven't done any centuries on it yet but I'm pretty excited. This is the first saddle since '93 that I've been comfortable in both soft tissue and sit bones on any length ride. YAY!
The moral of the story is: If you have an issue, keep trying saddles, don't expect the most expensive saddle to be the "best" and try whole ranges of saddles. I had done that several times in my saddle search. If no saddle really works, review the fit of your bike.
If you're currently looking for a saddle, good luck!
Ginger