Saddle recommendations

cloggsy71

I have Bontrager Affinity RL saddles on both my bikes; this was after visiting my LBS and having my 'sit bones' measured properly...

Well worth a visit to your LBS and getting measured properly IMHO!

scott091501

The new Gen2 Cobb saddles are supposed to be great

Cyclink

The ISM Adamo did not work for me at all. I realize I'm rare and that most people seem to love it.

I need a new saddle on my TT bike and I keep putting off even experimenting with new ones after the pain the Adamo caused me.

It makes me cringe just talking about it.

I've heard a lot good about the Cobb ones and I've thought about trying one out.

TheBigYin

Saddles are just so subjective it's all but impossible to recommend a specific one... I mean - the most comfortable saddle I've ever used on a bike is the one I've got one now - the Fizik Arione - despite my build and physique being almost completely contrary to what the manufacturers recommend, if just works for me.

Personally, I have real problems with pretty much any saddle with holes in them - all these "stop your plumbing getting flattened" saddles may as well be made of razor blades for me... I tried one of the Specialized ones (think it might have been the Toupe iirc) - did the whole *kitten*-o-meter bit, bought the recommended width (I'm not wholely sure that the shopmonkey at Evans Cycles got that bit right, as the damned thing was so wide I ended up with chafe-spots on my backside where the saddle wings were wider than the Chamois at the back (and YES, this WAS with a pair of top-end Specialized BG RBX Shorts!!) after a 50 mile ride.

As to the state of my biffins bridge, well - I think I'd have been as well straddling a cheese-grater! Before I'd healed up sufficiently to ride again, the saddle had already sold on fleabay!

trijoe

I moved over to an ISM Adamo Road. One of the best upgrades I've made.

That looks funky... What benefits have you noticed since swapping over?

Adamo saddles drop the nose in favor of split rails. The split rails make the seat a bit wider to relieve pressure on the Perineal nerve and support improved circulation. I do not have enough experience to truly judge the difference (I have only been riding 8 months), but I can attest that I had a very narrow (and uncomfortable) saddle on my "stock" road bike. I moved to an Adamo on the recommendation of a friend and glad I did.

I switched to Adamo saddles on both my TT bike and CX bike, and I love them. Numbness is now a thing of the past. Such a relief. They take a while to break in, as they change the way my hips work. But after a week or two, I'm good to go. If you're into soft saddles, these are pretty hard. But I like a rock-hard saddle, so I'm fine with that. I don't ever want to ride another saddle. If you get the chance, demo one for a good week or two - it could take that long to get used to it.

narak_lol

Saddles are just so subjective it's all but impossible to recommend a specific one... I mean - the most comfortable saddle I've ever used on a bike is the one I've got one now - the Fizik Arione - despite my build and physique being almost completely contrary to what the manufacturers recommend, if just works for me.

Personally, I have real problems with pretty much any saddle with holes in them - all these "stop your plumbing getting flattened" saddles may as well be made of razor blades for me... I tried one of the Specialized ones (think it might have been the Toupe iirc) - did the whole *kitten*-o-meter bit, bought the recommended width (I'm not wholely sure that the shopmonkey at Evans Cycles got that bit right, as the damned thing was so wide I ended up with chafe-spots on my backside where the saddle wings were wider than the Chamois at the back (and YES, this WAS with a pair of top-end Specialized BG RBX Shorts!!) after a 50 mile ride.

Looks like I am exactly opposite to you TBY!

Fizik Arione was a nighmare for me - no onetime I can last longer than 30 minutes :grumble:

I am a big fan of Selle Italia (Flite, Diva, Max Flite etc). And all are cut-out type

Saddle is truly a very personal thing as you said.

And for me, saddle is just part of the equation, also need "my" shorts. Currently Selle Italia Max Flite + Giordana bibshorts. I can ride 4+hrs and get going again the next day no problem.

aagaag

I am a medical doctor (though I am currently active in research and hardly see any patients), and I did a lot of research on the implications of "uncomfortable" saddles for male reproductive life. A colleague urologist told me: "male cyclist come in two categories: those who are impotent and those who will become impotent".

Eventually, I bought an "Adamo" saddle, and I am very happy with it. As the name implies, it is supposed to protect the function of male attributes by preventing compression injury to the bulbourethral artery. It has a very short nose - which is crucial for the above issue - yet it is long enough to provide stability when riding.