Why is it so hard to find the right saddle?
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- In this video I talk about saddles, why they are important, and why it's so hard to find the right one for you.
Saddles mentioned:
Brooks B17 S - amzn.to/3ZmNvAe
Selle Italia Diva - amzn.to/40y2CrC
Brooks Cambium - amzn.to/3K9ybm7
Specialized Mimic - www.specialize...
Some saddle libraries:
Gladys Bikes - gladysbikes.com...
SideSaddle - www.sidesaddle...
MelloVello - www.mellovelob...
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I was having troubles with saddles, and found most bike shops in my city assume women will only ride the bike a couple of times, so don't stress about it, you'll only ride around a bit. I ended up finding out (which I didn't know before) that (a) don't buy a soft saddle as it will mold into you crutch region and you'll be getting pressure everywhere, numbness after a couple of hours in the saddle (b) get measures for sit bone width, (c) that it matters what position you are on the bike - road racer forward or a more upright position.... different saddles for the two positions. I bought a mimic that everyone was raving about, it didn't become my friend. So I went to talk to them, they measured my sit bones, asked my style of riding (quite upright) and I ended up with the bridge comp with mimic. That saddle is my true love. The lesson I learnt was to only buy off someone who knows you love riding, too, even if it's different from how they like to ride.
There is no other bike component that people get so insistent about than the saddle. I’ve always had B17s but the B17 cult is strong. Haha! The rivets on the Brooks end up biting me so I switched to a Gilles Berthoud Aspen which has the rivets on the sides. To each there own and I’m glad you found your perfect saddle!
I'm an older guy and have gone through a dozen saddles. Now I ride on a Selle women's saddle that has been great. If you can ride 60 miles and still feel great, it's a winner! Thanks!
Free Range Cycles in Seattle does a saddle library too. And they love the Specialized saddles too, they sold me one.
Everybody's hiney is different. I remember years ago, running into a number of the toadstools who were members of the Cult of Brooks, convinced that the only people who didn't like Brooks saddles, or specifically the B17, were the people who hadn't ridden them far enough. How the hell far are you supposed to ride it? To Mars? I like the Selle Anatomica; it's NOT a budget saddle, and most of the folks who like it are men my age and older (I'm almost 70), but it suits me. The leather one suits me; the shape of the rubber one is different, an the rubber is harder and not flixible - I lasted about 60 miles on that one.
You're absolutely correct: every rider is different. My old Brooks B17 fits my cis guy behind perfectly and anyone who sits on it can't stand it because it's molded to me. It took me years of trying other brands before I found it. Don't settle for the wrong saddle!
So glad you got beyond the BS mansplaining. So hugely individual because everyone's iscial tuberosities (sit bones) are different widths. Measure your sitbone width and make sure the FLAT back part has at least that width until the edges curve away. My partner woman at birth finally found relief when we went to an independent bike shop and the co owner (woman) had her try 3 different ones to start to narrow it down. That woman was willing to go up to 40!! Saddles to get it right. My partner was lucky and biked away pain free after 4 th one but the owner had people from miles around making tracks to her shop because she was PATIENT honest and really knew what she was doing!! The saddle library from a community bike shop is a great idea! Goddess save us from Mansplaining Old White Males! Great video again!!
The search for the perfect saddle never ends . 🤣 I had a thought, maybe you could ask for saddle donations for your bike packing collective and your organization could become a saddle library in your area. I ride a couple selle saddles my favorite is a SMP 209 Lite. My wife rides specialized saddles but is looking for a new saddle . She is looking at the mimic and one of the ergon saddles . Cheers
I had a Bike Fit Guy insist that I needed to buy some really narrow saddle when I kept telling him that I felt unstable and like it was wedging between my sit bones -- he kept brushing it off, like, nah, it can't be the wrong size! You're just thinking about how you're feeling the wrong way! (Ugh.) So I didn't buy it and instead got a Selle Royal Respiro saddle for (at the time) like $50. That saddle is wide and suits my wide hips, it's got a gel material (even though I've heard that's supposed to cause all sorts of problems), and I made it all the way across South America on it without issues and without a chamois. For me, it's perfect, and I'm really glad I've found it. If they ever discontinue it -- whew! Don't know what I'll do.
The Diverge came with a saddle that by absolute chance turned out to be my perfect match. It's like one in a million and I appreciate it so much.
I have a diverge and like the saddle as well. Looks like a kids saddle, it is so tiny but yea, not bad.
Was it the specialized power saddle? I've heard a lot of people talking that one up. Lots of doctors too so, say what you will about specialized, they know how to make a good product.
@@cjohnson3836 Mine is the "Body Geometry Power Sport" or so says the spec sheet.
@@daveg7878 This will sound strange, but do you know if the width at 10cm back from the nose is less than 50mm?
@@cjohnson3836 will measure it and let you know. For now, overall it is 5.5” by 9.5”.
Finding one has been a challenge for me and the free one I found is the one that works for me but good luck
Cis male here. I’ve been searching for the elusive ‘perfect saddle’ but haven’t found it but I’m reasonably happy and comfortable on the carved C17.
What chamois are you using? I find the difference between good and great is getting a short to match the saddle
It's worth asking at your local bike shop about saddle returns. Many allow you to bring it back no questions asked within a couple weeks which can be super helpful since it can be very difficult to find the right one.
I also had the same experience with the Selle Italia Diva - worst saddle I've ever used. It aggravated my urinary nerve so that I couldn't cycle without wanting to pee constantly. Changed it for a Specialized Riva and haven't looked back.
Lol. I also have the mimic and it was a male mechanic who suggested it but he brought a female mechanic who had been using it so she could attest to it hahaha it was a fun day at the bikeshop. I love it. First day I got it, I was already feeling more powerful.
Finally Ergon sr
The Selle Italia Superflow Max L3 Flite fit me like a glove a glove!!! The footprint is perfect but it was too firm, no give on the deck at all. I looked up what Lael Wilcox rides and I got it right away…so far I think this is it! Fingers crossed. The Flite shape still my favorite…but the Ergon is close and more comfy. I am glad you found yours! And smart to get 2! I was 6 saddles in. 😢
I’m so glad you finally found something that works for you!! It is literally and metaphorically a pain in the ass to find the right one 🤷🏻😅
@@queercyclist and how and a pain in my wallet!
Not a woman but I know some of my female friends like the terry butterfly saddles (side note god why do all the female oriented saddles have such awful names like selle Italia diva are you kidding me lol)
@@3wbasie thanks for the info. I see that in all of the stars the Terry Saddles get. I agree with the names. I think the saddle should just have an indicator like max or super…Flite saddles do that thought hey have the unfortunate “diva” moniker as well.
I have worked in and out the bike industry over the last 10-15 years and have never experienced or have seen what you described. The protocol at the shops I worked at was to guide but not force. It was usually. 1. What issues are you having? 2. At what point in your ride does this start to occur? 3. What is your riding position (aggressive, upright, or somewhere in-between) 4. What is your flexibility? ( This determines how much your hips roll in your riding position). All that information would point us in the direction of a saddle that might work for you. Emphasis on MIGHT. All the science in the world might not get you a saddle you like. All that being said, no can or should determine who saddle works for you. It is very personal.
3 brands to try. 2 of them have online tools to help you fine a saddle that will work in general terms: Ergon and WTB
The 3rd is a brand that is women created and I still think women owned: Terry
As someone who works in a bike shop i really hate when someone asks for saddle recommendations for exactly this reason 😅
I own a couple $150 specialized saddles but they're collecting dust. My fav saddle is a cheapo ec90 saddle i got off amazon, years ago. Loves it so much, i bought three more. At the time, the cost $20. I still use them to this day. They're a clear rip off of a specialized saddle.
Saddles are such a personal thing, just have to experiment to find the one that works for you. Glad you found yours. I've had good luck with the MEC brand saddles (Canada) with the pressure relief channel. About $34.95 Canadian. But that's me.
in most cases the saddle isn't the problem. changing saddles is like fighting symptomes instead of the root of the problem. within my friends group we resolved every single saddle problem by changing cleat position, saddle hight or reach except if the saddle was too wide which happens a lot considering that the sit bones measurement thing is just a way to trick ppl into buying more saddles the industry has come up with.
Everybody's butt is different! Glad you found something you like in the mimic. That said, if you're up to try one last thing with the cambium (maybe you already have, just throwing it out there) is tilting it up slightly. I am a cis male, so, large pitcher of salt, but I've had nothing but positive experiences with the cambium (cutout version tbf) especially since tilting it upwards.
hope you find comfort!
Interesting! I actually tilt my saddles downwards. I’ve tried upwards and it is a terribly uncomfortable experience. But tilting it a few degrees downwards helps take pressure off all the soft tissues.
I’m glad you found something that works for you though!
Saddle fit is a very personal thing. I feel you should be able to go into a bike shop and buy the saddle and the bike as separate items. You can of course with a custom build but that is not the most budget friendly option. With some trial and error I do have a saddle I like and it will need to come with me to my next bike. If that next bike is not a custom build I am going to see if I can get a price break for letting the store keep the saddle.
Good video! It's super frustrating to have the realization that none of the saddles I have actually fit, and that i just have to trial and error my way through the problem!
I just want to point out that at 6:20 when you use trans inclusive language (i.e. AFAB), and then immediately say "saddles that are designed for cis men", it completely negates the point of using inclusive language in the first place. When you recognize that a saddle advertised as being"for women" may potentially benefit a transgender man for similar anatomical reasons that it might benefit a cisgender woman, it becomes strange that this inclusive language does not carry over to talking about a saddle advertised as being "for men". This does unfortunately imply that if a "men's saddle" fits a trans woman, it is not because this saddle was designed for people with similar anatomy, but because it was designed "for men". Overall the video was great, and I really enjoy your channel! I just wanted to point out this instance where the use of inclusive language for one group of trans/GNC people actually ends up making the overall message less inclusive to a separate group of trans/GNC people (likely accidentally I'm sure!).
TLDR: Be very mindful of your usage of inclusive language! If you use terms like AFAB in one sentence, and then opt NOT to use a term like AMAB to contrast it, that decision comes off as intentional, and the sentence as a whole then potentially reads as trans-misogynistic
Bought a brooks team pro special because I wanted to be cool with my cool leather saddle and was super happy with how comfortable it was! Then I bought a new bike that came with a brooks cambium saddle, I think the C17? And I assumed I wouldn’t like it but it’s so comfortable I actually prefer it now 🤷🏻♂️
Some people love that saddle!! It’s also really nice looking. Glad it worked for you!!
Trust me, as a dude, "our" saddles aren't comfortable for us either. Two dangling ultra sensitive plums getting simultaneously smashed between everything and pulled in each direction by lycra isn't great. Everything for guys is made for 30lbs European road racers. I've gone through multiple saddles at this point. Selle Italia makes the absolute most uncomfortable ass pounders on the planet. Right now I'm trying a Specialized Romin on the gravel bike. I'm not 100% on it, but I'm about 90% and its growing on me. Yeah they're the evil empire. But they make good shit, including that Power you have. I might try that next on my bikepacking Surly. But that's a next year experiment because that mess is expensive. Right now the Surly is also my daily driver and that has a Charge Spoon. Its pretty good for anything less than 2hours without a chamois. It does put on pressure for long bikepacking rides though, even with cycling shorts. But, it was also like $30 new so 🤷♂
The thing I've learned is you're going to pay either way. So you might as well get over spending the money. A cheap saddle can be somewhat masked by expensive chamois. And cheap shorts can somewhat be masked by a thicker, even if cheaper saddle. But the moment you ride more than a couple hours, the thick padding is going to have you off the bike for a week waiting on the chaffing to heal. The Specialized body geometry stuff is winning me over. But its an ecosystem so you have to go all in on saddle + specialized bibs to get the most out of it. I'll take it though if it saves my ass
I have only tried a few saddles out but have fell in love with the ergon saddles. They are wide which helped me with pressure points that I was having. I bought a second one for my commuter and love it as well! They have a "saddle fitter" online which was helpful to determine what size I needed, but ultimately just went to bike shop and felt a few different ones before landing on one.
I wanted to love the brooks saddle as well because they look so cool but they don't fit me at all! And I found that the WTB saddles were too small for my sit bones.
Some videos recommend the corrugated cardboard test to see where your carry your weight. Seems silly but it is the only method that sounds better than going by someone's opinion. Wish I remembered the source. Will watch your viewer's comments as I am sure someone's got this figured out.
so, when it comes to saddles dude...i just raised my handlebars and that solved the pressure issue. Sometimes its not the saddle its the way your body is on the bike! Before doing this I'm sure I spent like 800$ on saddles.....
Agreed re mansplaining the best saddle. At the bike shop where I work, I tell anyone who will listen that leather saddles rule *for me* but that it’s a very personal choice. Lovely vid.
For sure. Can’t be mansplained by nobody 😅. Also, my understanding is the terms “afab/amab” exist to specify that someone’s body/presentation may *differ* from how they currently exist in the world; so perhaps you meant “people with vulvas” with regard to the saddle fit?
I fell in love with brooks but it took time to get it comfy mostly was the tilt. But also loved fizik arione saddle they were just it for me. I recently got a fabric scoop to try out but apart from brooks...every saddle I bought was used so never paid 100+ because like you said they are just wayyy up there in price!!!
I swapped the one saddle I liked around several bikes for a while. They are very expensive to just try one.
have you checked the wtb koda? ive tried brooks the leather and the cambium version for aesthetic purposes but i went back to the koda
I always seem to end up back on a Books B17.
As an amab with thicc hips i've found myself looking way too much for saddles. I resorted to buy a bunch of knockoffs at aliexpress and found a bootleg pro stealth that gives me all day comfort. Hopefully it'll be the same fit if i ever buy the original!
It seems like there's a market for an old-school Netflix-style saddle business.
its so hard finding the right one!! also I was mansplained of why I needed a carbon gravel bike yeah didnt get a carbon one
😂😂
The Selle Italia Ldy Gelflow would go close to being a universal fit for women.
It was recommended to me, and found it to be the worst saddle I've ever used. Specialised Riva and Myth for me now.
@@roof30 The Diva is 152mm wide and quite hard. The Ldy is 160mm and a bit softer. You don't need this information now since you've already found a good one.
@@lovenottheworld5723 Thanks for that, interesting info. I tried both and neither worked, but agree that a lot of women like them. Spesh for me all the way.
That sucks, that fitter was being a real unprofessional (and a pain in the ass) Any bike fitter who tries to sell you a saddle without first putting one on for you to test out during the fit (and having you ride long enough to get a good feel for it) is doing you a disservice. Especially in your case when they're so certain its the right choice. If they're 100% certain it's the right choice then they should have no qualms about taking one out of the box if they don't have a test saddle on hand. Spending money on a bike fit is supposed to get you out of abritraily buying lots of the wrong equipment in the hopes of stumbling across the right one.
Ergon Saddles.
A lot of the advice in this video applies to people who were assigned male and have had vaginoplasty. Many things (muscle, skin, bone, &c) change with hormone replacement therapy. With surgery and hormones, the gender assigned at birth is irrelevant when compared to lived gender.
I've found women's bibs to be most comfortable post-orchiectomy and post-vaginoplasty. Post-vaginoplasty I had to change the way I sit on my saddle to shift the weight rearwards. I want to try the Specialized Mimic, but share the concerns you raised. It's hard to find companies that aren't problematic. My local bike shop allows saddle returns for thirty days. Maybe a shop near you has a similar program?
FYI mimic is a technology on multiple specialized saddles, so if you can experiment, take the opportunity. A lot of stuff in this video applies to anyone, period. I don't believe in this male vs female tech in the bike industry. There's a lot of stuff out there marketed as "womens" that honestly is just much better even for males. My dudes, don't let ego get the best of you. Try the women's saddle if the geo is right. Your grapefruits will thank you.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I hope you’re able to find a saddle that works for you. If you have luck with the Mimic I’d love to hear about it!
That’s a good tip about the 30 day return policy. Seems like a good way to try out some saddles without spending hundreds of dollars 😓
I feel so lucky that I found my unicorn saddle that means I can say bye bye to padded shorts! Funnily enough, for me it is the selle Italia diva 😂 but I understand it can't be the same for everyone. It also matches my bike so looks 👌
Couldn't deal with any mansplaining tho
I’m so glad that saddle works for you! But god I hated it lol
Been using brooks saddles (b17 or b17n) on my bikes for at least 20 years now. I know they're not for everyone (no saddle is), but they work for me.
Curious about how the bike fitter you used came to the conclusion that the "perfect saddle" for you was the selle italia diva. Did they do any pressure mapping? (caveat: I'm not a bike fitter, nor have i played one on tv). I've seen yt videos where bike fitters have used pressure mapping as part of their process. Or was it just spoken like it was the "gospel truth" that because of your anatomy you would only ever be comfortable on that saddle.
Love your videos, thanks for uploading them! 😃
Brooks saddles are great! I’m glad that works for you.
No, the fitter didn’t do any mapping. Looking back he was pretty unprofessional about it and kind of pushy. If I’ve learned anything from getting deep into bikes is to never heed someone who insists there is only one correct way to do something on the bike 🤣
I’m happy you like the channel! ☺️
@@queercyclist Thanks for the reply. Getting a bike fit wasn't really as widespread a thing when I got into cycling (heck, downtube index shifting was just hitting the scene), and I haven't had a bike fit, but i may if I feel its needed due to age or injury in the future. Its helpful to see other peoples experiences and what to look for in bike fitters and their processes.
Saddles are completely different for guys for obvious reasons. A guy can't really pretend to know what will fit a woman best because without surgery he will never experience that configuration. As a guy I can tell that a Serfas RX saddle worked best for me. It's split down the middle so I'm not sitting on my package. They do have versions for women but I can't speak to how they will do. They also have seats for different kinds bikes. I got a big wide comfort bike saddle for my cruiser and a narrow one for my MTB. Both are super comfortabel for miles and miles.
Most guys saddles a shit for guys too. They're all designed for tiny ass European road racers wearing $300 Rapha bibs. Just doesn't work for most of us.
A nice discussion on various saddle design variables/factors to consider is here: ruclips.net/video/B94mvr3mQec/видео.html. Also shows how to measure 'sit bone' width and adjust width depending on usual riding position.
other parts for this 3-part series are here ruclips.net/video/QMy_2pR4Mzg/видео.html and here: ruclips.net/video/fF2QndtnMN8/видео.html
Get your saddle down maybe, if the cyclist on 0:53 is you. It is often not the saddle that is the problem.
Thanks for noticing! That’s footage from a while back, and I’ve since gotten a fit for that bike-it was all wonky 🙃