Saddle

[Cronorider]

you missed out bike fit.....

Gotta agree that positioning the saddle is essential to comfort. I recently acquired another bike and thought that I would need to swap the saddle to what I use on my other three bikes - Fizik Arione, one of the flattest saddles you can get. The new bike has a WTB saddle with center groove that looks cheap, although I have no idea of what they cost. Very curvy saddle, the opposite of an Arione. First ride was rather uncomfortable but I noticed I was slipping forward a bit as I rode. Tipped it up a bit, moved it back a bit, and gotta say, it's extremely comfy now. Very surprised. Now I've tried other saddles that are just not ever going to be comfy, like the Selle Italia SLR. But it did demonstrate to me how much saddle postion matters.

 

[Fonze]

Not 4 hours solid, yes do stand and do stop.
Bit heavier set yes I'm a stocky person.
I've just bought some Sportful bibs for winter a friend of mine swears by them for comfort.
I'll go to Evans see how they can help.

 

[Levo-Lon]

I Just got one of These..101g And seems very nice.
It has no padding, I'll let you know


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162636340898

 

[ColinJ]

You don't need a super duper saddle price wise, just find the one that is right for you. My most expensive saddle, an £80 Specialized was awful, I get on much better with £40 Bontrager ones.

Another fan of "get what fits, and it may be cheap". After long putting up with discomfort on long rides, and then an extended period of experimentation, I've finally decided on a Selle Trk, which was about £30 I think.

I definitely agree with this advice. I used to get on well with Fizik Arione saddles (£60+) but had a couple break and have heard of other riders having the same problem. It was getting too expensive so I decided to switch to another saddle brand. I discovered that Planet X do a cheap saddle that is very similar in shape to the original Arione so I bought a used one to give it a try. It suited me so I have now got 4 of them for a total outlay of about £45, 3 in great condition and cheap from CycleChat members, and one on sale from Planet X themselves.

Do you get off the saddle for a few seconds while riding, every so often, to get blood circulating again? Do you ride 4 hours non-stop?

I agree - I find that standing every now and then does help.

it could as simple as needing more time in the saddle

I never found that. When I was regularly suffering from saddle sores, the more riding I did, the worse the problem got!

@Fonze are you heavier set, it may just be that you have more weight going through the parts connected to the saddle

That made a huge difference to me. When I was 17+ stone, I really struggled to get comfortable. It wasn't just the extra weight bearing down on the saddle, but also (pardon the undesirable mental image ...) my flabby bum cheeks were the anatomical equivalent of those squidgy gel saddles which people think will be comfortable, but aren't! Now 4-5 stone lighter (my weight varies), the problem is much reduced.

Gotta agree that positioning the saddle is essential to comfort. I recently acquired another bike and thought that I would need to swap the saddle to what I use on my other three bikes - Fizik Arione, one of the flattest saddles you can get. The new bike has a WTB saddle with center groove that looks cheap, although I have no idea of what they cost. Very curvy saddle, the opposite of an Arione. First ride was rather uncomfortable but I noticed I was slipping forward a bit as I rode. Tipped it up a bit, moved it back a bit, and gotta say, it's extremely comfy now. Very surprised. Now I've tried other saddles that are just not ever going to be comfy, like the Selle Italia SLR. But it did demonstrate to me how much saddle postion matters.

The new Arione design IS very flat and I really don't get on with it. The old curvy shape suited me much better.

I agree about saddle position and adjustment. I had my Planet X saddles too far back so I wasn't sitting on the widest part of the saddle; pressure was being put where I really did NOT want pressure! I moved them all forward a bit and that sorted me out.

The other thing that helped me was saddle angle. In my case, I tilted the saddles down slightly; just a few mm at the nose. It was enough to get the saddle out of my genitals without making me feel like I was sliding forwards. (I overdid it to start with and did have that problem.)

 

[roadrash]

I am not surprised , I wouldn't advise anyone to carry on riding if they have saddle sores, does the op have saddle sores, I just got the idea he was looking for more comfort for riding four hours,i know I could not ride for four hours in the saddle without building up to it

 

[Cronorider]

One thing to do about saddle sores is to switch to an entirely different saddle that puts the load on a different part of your butt, until the sores are gone, then switch back.

 

[Levo-Lon]

I Just got one of These..101g And seems very nice.
It has no padding, I'll let you know


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162636340898

Just had 20 mins ride ,tweak ride tweak... very nice and comfy.
I used to always like a solid seat when I was younger, It seems to be more supportive? Duno but I find gel tops make me hot and sweaty.
Charge spoon etc I find usually numbing..ok on mtb but no good on my road bike.
I stand up a lot more on mtb I guess

 

[ColinJ]

I am not surprised , I wouldn't advise anyone to carry on riding if they have saddle sores, does the op have saddle sores, I just got the idea he was looking for more comfort for riding four hours,i know I could not ride for four hours in the saddle without building up to it

I used to stop riding in November, then fly to Spain in March and immediately start doing daily 4-6 hour rides nearly every day for 2 weeks. I generally didn't have a problem with it.

PS I meant that I didn't have a problem with the saddle. The first week was always a real battle with a lack of fitness!

One thing to do about saddle sores is to switch to an entirely different saddle that puts the load on a different part of your butt, until the sores are gone, then switch back.

The solution that I came up with before the sores got worse than pimple-size was to stick a couple of thick plasters over the sore spot. The extra cushioning was helpful but the main thing was to stop the sore rubbing.

The problem came when taking the plasters off ... Think waxing!

 

[mjr]

One thing to do about saddle sores is to switch to an entirely different saddle that puts the load on a different part of your butt, until the sores are gone, then switch back.

That may work but it's a palliative. Get a saddle that doesn't make you sore, rather than switch between two that don't really fit.

I agree with many posters above that more expensive saddles don't necessarily fit better. The saddles currently on my bikes cost £20, £25, £10, £20, £7. There's a couple of saddles that cost more than the lot currently on my shelf because they don't fit as well!

 

[Aushiker]

For me it would be both saddle and tights.

This is my approach for my rides. My saddle of choice is a Brooks B17 but for my new ride, a Giant Defy Advanced 2 I am going to probably give an Selle Anatonimca X1 a go based on recommendations from a former Brooks user.

In terms of bibs I always go for decent pairs and for my longer audax rides I where my Assos bibs.

 

[velovoice]

I've finally decided on a Selle Trk, which was about £30 I think.

Presumably this means Selle SMP Trk. Remember, "Selle" is simply Italian for "saddle". The actual brand is SMP.
(Disclaimer: I have only Selle SMP saddles on all my bikes - the Dynamic model, which will give you some idea how widely bums vary. )

 

[velovoice]

Remember that saddles and tights work together. So changing just one may not be the answer.

Saddle
Once you've broadly settled on the right width, shape (roughly categorised as T versus pear) and profile (on a spectrum of rounded to flat, when viewed from the rear), then study the shape of the one-piece saddle top. Imagine it removed from the saddle frame/base. Then look at the chamois (plural??) in various padded shorts and make sure they are roughly the same; you don't want a chamois shape that nips in at some point leaving a seam between the saddle and your inner thigh (or points higher).

Padding
Everyone has a personal preference as to how thick is most comfortable, and this will vary a great deal according to both the type and distances of your rides, your bike's geometry and how the bike fits you. But generally speaking, once you figure out the total amount of padding that seems to work, divide that between your saddle and the pad in your shorts. In other words, don't rely on just one or the other for the padding.

My own personal example is that I prefer fairly minimal padding overall but must have at least some. The Selle SMP Dynamic is the right shape, width, profile etc with a uniquely designed central channel that eliminates my particular pressure point problems -- but the padding is indeed minimal. Then for shorts, I prefer medium-to-thin padding with, most importantly, minimal profiling/shaping in the chamois.

Key to all this - and as stressed by everybody else - is to remember that NO ONE has the answer for you, because none of them ARE you. You will have to find your own way on this, but opinions and experiences will be helpful - some more so than others!

 

[jags]

Fizik Alanti carbon saddle. assos bibs .best combo on the planet.
and thats the truth.

 

[velovoice]

Fizik Alanti carbon saddle. assos bibs .best combo on the planet.
and thats [my personal] truth.

FTFY