Bought a comfort saddle, best thing ever.

[Coopz]

My old Specialized HT still gets ridden a lot on gravels and trails. It's stock seat was crap, I bought a better 'Fabric' seat but after 30m on a rough road it would also start getting uncomfortable.

Ended up buying a soft touring seat. Went out last night with a mate for a 20k ride and the bike was transformed. It felt 200% better.

Probably going to get one for my duelie as well. I turned 40 the other year so I don't care about bike fasion any more. I sorta wish I bought one 10 years ago but I wanted to look cool.

Still find it strange similar aged riders still use a rock hard seat. Unless you're standing most of the time they make long stints on the saddle really unpleasant.

 

[Ackland]

100% disagree.
Saddle comfort is about saddle fit and bike fit.
Cushioning does SFA other than allow you to make up for a crap bike fit temporarily.
A long ride on an over cushioned saddle will lead to the same soreness.

42yo.
Sits more than stands.

 

[Tubbsy]

You're such a fashion victim @Ackland

 

[shiny]

You're such a fashion victim @Ackland

Is it bad I agree with @Ackland - a saddle that is the right width for your sit bones and set up correctly will be comfy. Mid 40s - slow and old so sit a lot.

 

[Tubbsy]

Those padded seat things are a recipe for horrible saddle sore and chafing.

 

[Mr Crudley]

Yebbut, I have to admit after trying quite a few saddles, I'm still sitting on the fence.
The riding position on how upright or leaned over is another factor. A saddle with love channel / cut out to stop your junk and nerves getting squished is a must have for me.

I have this fairly cushy Superflow S5 in S3 size saddle on Justin and am happy with it so far. It hasn't given my any ouchy bits and seems to be good firmness balance but it still pretty plush. https://www.selleitalia.com/s-5-superflow/

While I have gone all in with the hard as nails park bench old school Selle Italia on BigBlue. It is also very comfortable once you get used to it. My butt bones align well with the sweet spot on the saddle and I don't get a sore on it either. It feels great.

All of my saddles are in 140 - 145mm in width which seems to suit me.

In short, no idea. Saddle choice is firmly in the fuzzy magical category like wheel building.

 

[Stredda]

I have found the WTB Rocket in the medium sizing pretty comfortable for me.
Interestingly they use your wrist size.

I ride sitting on one hand now

 

[shiny]

I have found the WTB Rocket in the medium sizing pretty comfortable for me.
Interestingly they use your wrist size.
View attachment 408354
I ride sitting on one hand now

Theres a fisting joke here.. I had to look it up (WTB not fisting) and they call it the fit right system….

 

[Stredda]

Theres a fisting joke here.. I had to look it up (WTB not fisting) and they call it the fit right system….

Well, you would think by the time you got up to your wrist, you would be past the largest size.

 

[Jpez]

I have found the WTB Rocket in the medium sizing pretty comfortable for me.
Interestingly they use your wrist size.
View attachment 408354
I ride sitting on one hand now

Funny isn’t. The WTB rocket has to be my most disliked saddle. I like the WTB Pure but the rocket and my ass didn’t get along. Goes to show that you can recommend a range of decent saddles that a lot can get along with but all asses are different.
I’ve found my forever saddle in the SQ labs. My search is over. Spoke to someone that tried one and they hated it. SQ LAB recommended based on my sit bones a 150. Didn’t love it. Tried a 140 and perfect.
Totally agree the overpadded saddles do nothing for comfort.

 

[Cardy George]

I'm with @Ackland on this one. Padding is irrelevant, it's 100% matching the shape of the saddle base to the shape of your arse. Sitting 80-odd kilos on 5mm of padding is going to crush it solid. And once know, you know. I know I need a saddle that's flat from side to side.

And to back @Mr Crudley , I had a Selle Italia SLR Flow on all of my road bikes, cannot even contemplate doing that on MTB.

Like @Jpez SQ Labs is my forever saddle

 

[Stredda]

Funny isn’t. The WTB rocket has to be my most disliked saddle. I like the WTB Pure but the rocket and my ass didn’t get along. Goes to show that you can recommend a range of decent saddles that a lot can get along with but all asses are different.
I’ve found my forever saddle in the SQ labs. My search is over. Spoke to someone that tried one and they hated it. SQ LAB recommended based on my sit bones a 150. Didn’t love it. Tried a 140 and perfect.
Totally agree the overpadded saddles do nothing for comfort.

Interesting!
Even when you take in account for your sit bones, I still think it's a bit hit and miss with getting the right saddle, although you should be in the ballpark.
Like there is quite likely a better seat again than the Rocket for me, but I'm not buying dozens of saddles to find it. You can't just sit on it at the shop either, you need to do a decent ride to really know.

 

[rowdyflat]

i think it is mainly having bottom muscles that are used to cycling and the width of the ischial tuberosities v saddle ie sit bones .
I ride at least 5 days a week and find 95% of saddles comfortable.

 

[Jpez]

Interesting!
Even when you take in account for your sit bones, I still think it's a bit hit and miss with getting the right saddle, although you should be in the ballpark.
Like there is quite likely a better seat again than the Rocket for me, but I'm not buying dozens of saddles to find it. You can't just sit on it at the shop either, you need to do a decent ride to really know.

I think I’ve bought and tried and sold about about 10. For me it’s well worth it.

i think it is mainly having bottom muscles that are used to cycling and the width of the ischial tuberosities v saddle ie sit bones .
I ride at least 5 days a week and find 95% of saddles comfortable.

Maybe for you but I ride a shit load as well. Can definitely say that having a calloused ass doesn’t make the wrong saddle right.

 

[Art Vanderlay]

Yebbut, I have to admit after trying quite a few saddles, I'm still sitting on the fence.

Saddle sores, chafing? Nah, I'll stick with the splinters thanks

 

[pink poodle]

You dorks.




How inclusive is that wtb site! My wrist is wider between the bones (given as the spot to measure female wrist width) and my palm (given as the male spot to measure wrist width) than the bones are. Is this normal doctor?

 

[safreek]

i think it is mainly having bottom muscles that are used to cycling and the width of the ischial tuberosities v saddle ie sit bones .
I ride at least 5 days a week and find 95% of saddles comfortable.

I'm with this fella, I find most seats ok

 

[Mr Crudley]

And to back @Mr Crudley , I had a Selle Italia SLR Flow on all of my road bikes, cannot even contemplate doing that on MTB

I have a plush FS to make it total luxury. It shouldn't work well on that bike but seems pretty good. I hated the same saddle on the roadie and had it stored away for ages without a home. I have a Selle Italia Well on the roadie now.

 

[Mr Crudley]

Like there is quite likely a better seat again than the Rocket for me, but I'm not buying dozens of saddles to find it. You can't just sit on it at the shop either, you need to do a decent ride to really know.

I liked the WTB Rocket a lot and used one for ages. The SDG Bel Air V2 'looks' fairly similar IMHO but I haven't got a tape measure comparision done between them.

 

[Haakon]

Trek do a saddle fit service as well. I was trying all sorts of saddles to find one Kirsty would be happy with, and went through a few of these big squishy comfort saddles and she hated them all.

She did the Trek saddle fit thing and it recommended a pretty skinny racy looking Bontrager - we were mighty skeptical but they had a fit guarantee type deal where if it didnt work bring it back.

Total game changer for her and she kept it. So yeah, what the saddle looks like and how squishy it is not likely to have much bearing on what's right for your arse.