Saddles for Road Bikes
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Fit_French
Posts: 134 Member
I need some input on some saddles for women! The saddle I have is plain with no cutouts or recesses, and is NOT comfortable for me on any ride longer than 5 miles. I have padding biking capris, which in my opinion only help in the slightest bit. So I was wondering what you guys ride on? I know everyone is different in fit. I was thinking of trying to demo some, but the local bike shops don't carry much and I'd hate to buy without trying!
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This was posted last year specifically for women. It might be useful
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1112558-ladies-what-is-your-favorite-bike-seat0 -
VERY helpful!! Thanks!0
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I have gone through a few saddles for my wife, and her favorite is the Selle Italia Diva. Very comfortable without being overly padded. She has no problems riding 30 or 40 miles on it.
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I was in the LBS the other day and they said the best way to find a saddle that fits is to try it for a couple rides. They allow you to buy a saddle, ride it a couple times, and if you want to try another one, just bring it back. I hadn't heard a shop doing this before, but I never asked. Don't know much bout saddles, but thought I would pass this tip along.0
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I have a Serfas RX Women's saddle and I love it. I have ridden up to 60ish miles with it and it was still (relatively) comfortable.....as comfortable as a saddle can be after 62 miles, haha. Just search online for the name and you should see it. I bought mine at REI but I'm sure other places sell it.
~Chelle0 -
As human beings, we are all different shapes, sizes etc.
Go to a LBS and have your 'sit bones' measured - then buy a saddle which 'fits you', don't just rely on recommendation that 'this saddle is comfy' or 'this saddle is best!'
Good LBS's offer an exchange service, so if you buy a saddle which doesn't suit you, you can return it for a replacement...
Do it right first time and you 'bum' will thank you for it!0 -
Good info above, but just wanted to add that it can take a few rides for your butt/crotch to get used to riding, and unfortunately there's no good way around it. NO saddle will feel good the first ride of the season.0
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I bought a used road bike last year and it had a narrow selle itallia men's saddle on it...it was like a torture device. I didn't know better so I rode it all season. This spring I bought the Diva Sella Itallia saddle shown above and it was so much better!!!! However, my bike got stolen right after I bought a new saddle, saddle bag, pump etc. I was DEVASTATED I recently replaced my stolen Giant and bought a Specialized Tarmac and it had a Specialized S-works saddle on it. just by looking at it I cringed, it was this flat thing with no padding. I was thinking, "here we go again, another season with hamburger vag" anyway... I LOVE THIS SADDLE!!!! It is so comfortable. I rode 70 miles on it a couple weeks ago and wasn't sore at all, my girlfriends were sore after 10 miles. What I have learned is it isn't really the padding on it, it is the width. I know bike shops have a gel measurer you can sit on to measure your sit bones. I tried measuring mine at home.. Inked my a** up and sat on a paper...... Didn't work. Just go to the bike shop.....Anyway,,, the diva is great but I can't say enough how much love the S-works!!!
Good luck!!0 -
I have a WTB Deva I really like.
I've also heard good thing about Terry seats (the butterfly I think).0 -
Specialized saddle dealers (Note: not the same as a Specialized bicycle dealer) have an "*kitten*-o-meter" for measuring sit bones which will help you get a lot closer to finding the right saddle. Once you know an approximate width, you can narrow down possible saddles to a few models.0
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There's some solid advice here. I also definitely recommend having your sit bones measured. Even then, there's no way to know what will work for you without putting it to the test. I tossed the saddle that came on my bike immediately, but the first one I got after that before I got measured and knew what to look for seemed good until I did my first 50 miles in the hills. I dealt with numbness for a month and saw a neurologist to make sure it wasn't permanent, which it was not. I then transitioned to a Selle SMP TRK. This has a cut out, but most importantly to me, also has a dip in the middle. This seat was a big improvement shape wise and provided actual cushion, but was always kind of big. SInce I got that one, I lost a good bit of weight and put in a lot of time on the bike. I currently have a Selle SMP Glider. (I actually have the mens because I don't do pink, but it's the same). It has the same great dip but it's very streamlined. There are so many factors that will affect your saddle needs, including the tilt of your hips and how aggressively you ride. The best thing you can do is research a lot, try a bunch of different saddles out, and know that the best one still may not feel great until your broken in to it. And idk if anyone else mentioned it, but a good chamois cream is a definite must on longer rides. You may also want to check out shorts with a thicker chamois.0
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Wow - thanks for the OP and all the answers. I'm going to have to find one of those seat meter places and see what would work. I ride on a man's gel seat that is wider than the normal streamline racer's seat but I slide around on it some and there are times that I wonder if a new seat would help. I rode a 75 mile ride the other day and it wasn't hugely uncomfortable than any of the other shorter rides I've done. I agree though, riding is the best way to 'toughen' up. It's also important to know where the seat needs to be in relation to the rest of your bike - to far forward on its rockers or too far back can throw all kinds of issues into the mix. The seat is as important as part of the bike fiting as all the rest of the components.0
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I have gone through a few saddles for my wife, and her favorite is the Selle Italia Diva. Very comfortable without being overly padded. She has no problems riding 30 or 40 miles on it.
I highly recommend this saddle :happy: I can ride all day in it and not get sore! It has made all the difference to me x0 -
Thank you everyone for your feedback! Very helpful!0
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(I actually have the mens because I don't do pink, but it's the same).
My road saddle is a Cloud 9 Charity which has pink lacing and a big pink breast cancer ribbon on it. It may look goofy for a man's bike, but it fits me perfectly.0 -
My LBS has a display of loaner saddles from WTB. You take one you think might work and ride it for a week or so, then try another one. Pretty cool program, maybe somebody by you has something similar.0
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Selle Italia Gel Flow makes a "Lady" and a "Man" saddle, and they are quite nice. I have the Man saddle on two of my bikes.
Also with the padded shorts, don't wear undies. Chamois Butt'r or similar helps a bunch too!0 -
I have the Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow on my mountain bikes, and I've ridden 12 hours on that saddle, no problem. So I agree with anyone who posted above me saying that's a good saddle. It's spectacular. Good for hours and hours and hours. Two thumbs up, and well worth the price - you should be able to find it for under $80 on ebay.
The Lady Gel Flow is a bit soft for me for road biking, so I use a Specialized Ruby on my road bike. Also an awesome saddle, but after 6 hours, I'm ready to get off the bike.
Just got home from 53 miles and 5400' of climbing. Hungry...
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I find the Fizik saddles are a touch above the rest. I like their ideas on flexibility catered to fit. I use the Antares.
Previously I used a San Marco SKN saddle (discontinued). I put about 10k miles on it, but finally succombed to the fizik. My butt is "boney" and while I don't need a super cushy saddle, the thinner ones will give me issues while riding long miles. When I rode 170 miles back in January, my *kitten* was the single factor from preventing me hitting 200.0 -
Unfortunately you have to test many saddles to find the right one for your current level of fitness and ride duration. See http://www.cervelo.com/en/engineering/ask-the-engineers/the-four-and-a-half-rules-of-road-saddles-.html for helpful hints on selecting a saddle. Most likely you'll find that a saddle that is comfortable on a one hour ride not be that great on rides lasting four plus hours or one great on flats but a pain in the climbs. I went through at lease 5 saddles before settling on Selle San Marco Rolls. Also, make sure to dial-in your bike fit first if it hasn't been done so. Saddle height, positioning, and level can play a big factor on overall comfort.
Just got back on after a twenty year hiatus and it's taking me a whole season to get used to the saddle again.0
