Saddle questions - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

03-09-2005, 02:28 AM

Does an one know of a economically priced saddle that will let me ride more
than a couple of miles without the need for padded cycling pants? Or is this
just a dream of mine? I was browsing nashbar and they have some in the $30
to $40 range that look as though they have a bit more padding than a "stock"
read "cheap" seat.

Ken

--
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And my homepage: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

03-09-2005, 04:07 AM

Someone once described the feeling of a Brooks B-17 as riding while
sitting in a hammock. Got it pretty right, in my experience. You can't
go wrong with Wallingford, which sells them with a 6-month
guarantee/return policy.

But, as you will no doubt hear, saddles are extremely personal things,
and no one "size" fits all. And padding is not necessarily a good thing
on long rides. --Roy Zipris

03-09-2005, 05:19 AM

"Ken Marcet" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> Does an one know of a economically priced saddle that will let me ride
> more
> than a couple of miles without the need for padded cycling pants? Or is
> this
> just a dream of mine? I was browsing nashbar and they have some in the $30
> to $40 range that look as though they have a bit more padding than a
> "stock"
> read "cheap" seat.
> Ken
> More of my mind dribblings: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
> And my homepage: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>

Well, I much prefer Brooks saddles. The big sprung Brooks saddles are good
for regular clothing.
As in the third world countries they usually don't have special bicycle
clothing.
But them Brooks saddles aren't for everyone.
This is the big heavy duty one [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Another possiblity is the sprung saddles/seats they use on the crusier
bikes. These seats are typically, very wide, padded, and have springs to
reduce road shock. They are intended to be used in regular clothing.
Like this one for example:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Heck even Walmart even sells these big seats too.

03-09-2005, 06:59 AM

"Ken Marcet" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
: Does an one know of a economically priced saddle that will let me ride
more
: than a couple of miles without the need for padded cycling pants? Or is
this
: just a dream of mine? I was browsing nashbar and they have some in the $30
: to $40 range that look as though they have a bit more padding than a
"stock"
: read "cheap" seat.
:
: Ken

Go to your local bike shop--a big store with lots of choices--and look at
their offerings. You might first take a piece of typing paper out to the
curb and sit down on it. When you get up, you will see indentations showing
where your "sit bones" touched the curb. Measure how far apart these bones
are and that will help you know how wide of a saddle to get. For example,
some saddles are 5" wide and if your sit bones are 6" wide, then that's not
a good fit. You don't want your "sit bones" to go over the outside of the
saddle's width, that's for sure because it means your weight is on soft
tissue instead of the bony protuberances. Some good beginner saddles are
made by Serfas and Specialized and they are in the $30-$40 price range.
Many people start off with the Serfas RX saddle and after they are more
experienced, move to a stiffer saddle.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Pat in TX

03-09-2005, 11:01 AM

Roy Zipris wrote:

> Someone once described the feeling of a Brooks B-17 as riding while
> sitting in a hammock. Got it pretty right, in my experience. You can't
> go wrong with Wallingford, which sells them with a 6-month
> guarantee/return policy.

A new Brooks is over a hundred bucks. In fact I've seen used ones sell for that
much.

Matt O.

03-09-2005, 11:26 AM

Pat wrote:

> Go to your local bike shop--a big store with lots of choices--and
> look at their offerings. You might first take a piece of typing
> paper out to the curb and sit down on it. When you get up, you will
> see indentations showing where your "sit bones" touched the curb.
> Measure how far apart these bones are and that will help you know how
> wide of a saddle to get. For example, some saddles are 5" wide and
> if your sit bones are 6" wide, then that's not a good fit. You don't
> want your "sit bones" to go over the outside of the saddle's width,
> that's for sure because it means your weight is on soft tissue
> instead of the bony protuberances. Some good beginner saddles are
> made by Serfas and Specialized and they are in the $30-$40 price
> range. Many people start off with the Serfas RX saddle and after they
> are more experienced, move to a stiffer saddle.
>
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I agree. A *really* good shop will let you swap out a saddle that doesn't work.
Sometimes they have a bin of them. You pay for one (they're all within a
certain price range), and if it doesn't work out you can try another. The one
you wind up with may technically be "used," but what matters is that it works.

Too much padding is as bad or worse than too little. If your sit bones aren't
supported firmly, all the padding just squishes your flesh and cuts off
circulation. I have this problem sometimes with brand new shorts on a soft
saddle.

You might try reading the reviews at [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] These reviews are completely
subjective, but so are saddles! A high score there is probably a good bet.

FWIW, it seems almost everone is comfortable on a Selle Italia Turbomatic, from
recreational riders to pros. Not cheap, but a really good bet. Unfortunately
these seem to have been displaced from bike shops by flashier, lightweight
models.

Matt O.

03-09-2005, 11:41 AM

Brooks B-17 standard. You will ride until you pass from exhaustion
rather than stopping from butt pain. Check nashbar.com and
wallbike.com The one I ordered from nashbar was thicker leather and a
bit more comfortable than the wallingford one which is thinner and came
on a cardboard hanger rather than the nashbar one's box. Honestly the
best seat you can buy. All the fancy ones are horrible compared to the
brooks. Check mtbr.com and roadbikereview.com

03-09-2005, 11:42 AM

>>A new Brooks is over a hundred bucks. In fact I've seen used ones
sell for that
much.

Matt O. <<

Try $50-60 for the b-17 standard. The expensive ones are a bit lighter
is all

03-09-2005, 12:04 PM

Ken Marcet wrote:
> Does an one know of a economically priced saddle that will let me
ride more
> than a couple of miles without the need for padded cycling pants? Or
is this
> just a dream of mine? I was browsing nashbar and they have some in
the $30
> to $40 range that look as though they have a bit more padding than a
"stock"
> read "cheap" seat.

It's really subjective. It depends on your anatomy and what kind of
riding you do (intensity, duration, position).

Cycling shorts are not really designed to give extra padding, but to
prevent chafing, particularly when sweating heavily. Again, intensity
and duration determine how much you benefit.

I don't think there's any correlation between price and suitability.
More expensive saddles are better made and usually more durable, that's
all.

Try to find a shop that will let you return saddles (most won't). Often
shops have a box full of OEM saddles that came on new bikes but were
swapped at purchase time. They are really cheap ($5-10), you can try
out a wide range of shapes & paddings with them.

Make sure you experiment with saddle tilt, it can have a big effect on
comfort.

03-09-2005, 01:33 PM

On 2005-03-09, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> Brooks B-17 standard. You will ride until you pass from exhaustion
> rather than stopping from butt pain. Check nashbar.com and
> wallbike.com The one I ordered from nashbar was thicker leather and a
> bit more comfortable than the wallingford one which is thinner and came
> on a cardboard hanger rather than the nashbar one's box. Honestly the
> best seat you can buy. All the fancy ones are horrible compared to the
> brooks. Check mtbr.com and roadbikereview.com

My favorites are the "Bernard HINAULT Turbo" and the Brooks Team
Professional. Unfortunately, the Turbo is no longer available, and the
Team Pro is god-awful expensive.

--

John ([Only registered and activated users can see links. ].org)