10 Different bike saddles, and still a sore ass

[Stefan Mikes]

Sheldon Brown was one of the most trusted authorities in cycling prior to his death. His advice still lives on through his original blog. There are now other contributors to the blog, but this one on saddles is nearly the same as it was when I was searching for the perfect saddle in 2014. I found mine in a Brooks B17 Imperial that now has tens of thousands of miles on it. Sheldon didn't promote that saddle, or any other over another. It was his advice that led me to my forever saddle.

With so many different styles of bikes, with so many different riding styles; along with sizes, shapes and weight of riders I don't know how to ask for a recommendation on brand and expect it to work out. I did have one friend that rode the kind of miles I did, a similar style of bike and was about the same age and fitness I was and he told me that my saddle was too large and soft to be comfortable. I also think anyone who infrequently rides will have some discomfort. Butts and saddles break in with time and miles.

A Comfortable Bicycle Saddle

Choosing and adjusting a saddle for your bicycle.

sheldonbrown.com

Best of luck!

Thank you! I had trouble to explain my female friend who acquired a modern XC bike that she could not stabilize the bike with both feet while stationary and still remain in the saddle (unless she had a dropper seat-post). She's riding with her knees bent, her riding is extremely slow and tiresome for her, she is incapable to ride for more than 30 km, and her butt is sore on her rides. She is getting no workout whatsoever! I posted the translated part on the saddle height and the video how to dismount the bike to her. Hope that helps her!

 

[Dazmanturbo]

I have found a set up for me that works extremely well, but the saddle is only half the issue. The standard seatpost gives very little movement and by using a Ergon CF3, you effectively get a carbon leaf spring under your seat and thus adding to comfort. I have this seat post on my Creo and my Roubaix, they are that good. It make the seat move is a very similar to the stem, give much increased comfort.

Next is the seat and the one which worked best with me we SQ Labs and I have the 60X. The ozzy bike fitter Neil Standbury put me on these, as he found it was a brand universally liked with his bike fits. The 60X has 3 levels to sit on depending on the riding position and the nose is nice and narrow so leg rub is never a problem.

https://www.sq-lab.com/out/pictures/generated/product/4/658_329_75/sqlab.sattel.6ox.infinergy.ergowave.active.2.1.pt02(2).jpg

 

[Avg_Joe]

Thanks for you insight.
However, the purpose of my initial modification(s) to change the handlebars to a more swept back position was that I suffered tremendously with wrist pain and shoulder pain (with OEM handlebars + stem). I additionally raised the stem with the Kinekt Suspension Stem 100mm 30° rise and a Kinekt XR Seatpost. All of those mods made my riding much more comfortable, never giving thought to a saddle problem lurking because of those changes. Hopefully moving forward I'll be able to mix/match the chamois padded shorts, saddles, ButtaButt creams, and endure. Thinking out loud; I'm 5'11", always for the last few years (5-6) bought a LARGE bike frame. However, the Vado 5.0 I now have is a MEDIUM. I feel that the Medium size is a more agile, controllable feeling and more maneuverable. The Specialized chart shows that the 1" difference in my height puts me into a large. I'm sure that a discussion can go on for pages about the ways to make the choices of sizing dependent on body type, leg length, torso length, etc., but 1" between a medium and large should not make all that much difference? Or am I on to something?
The Specialized site tools tell me Large with a seat post height of 30.2". Maybe as I age, I'll shrink an inch

I too am 5' 11" and the large is perfect (only 30" inseam). Now I understand why you made so many changes to your bike: You bought the wrong one/size. Yes, that 1" makes a huge difference (I went through this on an analog bike the past few weeks).

So now you have an ill-fitting bike you've dropped coin into to make it an upright cruiser. Get a cruiser seat, give up the athletic saddles, they are not designed for long upright rides.

Until you understand and accept these 2 issues (size and position), you will continue experiencing pain.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Until you understand and accept these 2 issues (size and position), you will continue experiencing pain.

And this applies to a lot more than a bike saddle

 

[Rexlion]

And this applies to a lot more than a bike saddle

Mostly position. Researchers say the size thing is a myth.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Mostly position. Researchers say the size thing is a myth.

Oh sure... and now they're called researchers?

 

[mschwett]

Mostly position. Researchers say the size thing is a myth.

whatever gets you through the night, my friend!

 

[Mike_V]

Giant LIV saddle like this, an older design ~2013. Spring steel ( not tool steel or titanium )

 

[linklemming]

Thank you! I had trouble to explain my female friend who acquired a modern XC bike that she could not stabilize the bike with both feet while stationary and still remain in the saddle (unless she had a dropper seat-post). She's riding with her knees bent, her riding is extremely slow and tiresome for her, she is incapable to ride for more than 30 km, and her butt is sore on her rides. She is getting no workout whatsoever! I posted the translated part on the saddle height and the video how to dismount the bike to her. Hope that helps her!

So you are a fan of sheldon brown now, what changed since the attached post

 

[Stefan Mikes]

So you are a fan of sheldon brown now, what changed since the attached post
View attachment 154291

Please take your daily dose of pills.

The saddles haven't really changed since 1900, the date of publication the "Three Men on the Bummel" by Jerome K. Jerome.

Jerome on Cycling Gadgets (Including Bicycle Saddles): greatly before Sheldon Brown.

 

[6zfshdb]

I'm tempted to try this one but it could be an $80 mistake:

Bicycle Seats | New Light, LLC.

Turn to New Light, LLC. for superior bicycle seats designed for comfort and performance. To learn more, visit our page.

moonsaddle.com

 

[indianajo]

The picture post 32 shows an exagurated neck position and may injure some people. Most of the population are fine with road bike posture. Particularly the sales people at bike stores. If you are not, if you rupture a neck disk you may be in pain every second of the rest of your life. My Mother was, after one shift typing at a worktable the wrong height with the neck flexed. She was 63" tall, pretty short for the USA population, and age 39.
Upright "cruiser" bike position allows the neck to sit at a normal low angle. It does not allow maximum road speed for the same level of effort. You will never see a racer sitting like this.
SItting upright can put pressure on a nerve in the groin, particularly for males. There are thousands of modern saddle designs that provide clearance for that nerve with a central groove. Buy one. Sitting upright on the ischia can cause pain in the gluteal muscles after some time. This does not IMHO run much risk of injuring you. Sitting forwards with the neck flexed back does not cause pain, until after you have damaged the neck permanently.

 

[Rexlion]

I'm tempted to try this one but it could be an $80 mistake:

Bicycle Seats | New Light, LLC.

Turn to New Light, LLC. for superior bicycle seats designed for comfort and performance. To learn more, visit our page.

moonsaddle.com

View attachment 154301

I might have a slightly higher opinion of the moonsaddle if they could spell words correctly; their web page desperately needs a proofreader. But even then, the thing just doesn't look right to me. And it apparently was first produced around 2008 (the trademark expired in 2016) but obviously it never caught on (I never heard of it before), so how good could it be?

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I might have a slightly higher opinion of the moonsaddle if they could spell words correctly; their web page desperately needs a proofreader. But even then, the thing just doesn't look right to me. And it apparently was first produced around 2008 (the trademark expired in 2016) but obviously it never caught on (I never heard of it before), so how good could it be?

The second I read the name "moonsaddle", I got Cat Stevens' Moonshadow stuck in my head. (Yes, I'm that old.)

No getting rid of it, so I added a verse:

And if I ever lose my butt,
I won't sit, but hey, so what?
Oh, if I ever lose my butt
I won't have to walk funny after riding anymore.

 

[DaveMatthews]

The second I read the name "moonsaddle", I got Cat Stevens' Moonshadow stuck in my head. (Yes, I'm that old.)

No getting rid of it, so I added a verse:

And if I ever lose my butt,
I won't sit, but hey, so what?
Oh, if I ever lose my butt
I won't have to walk funny after riding anymore.

And if I ever lose my bike
I might walk, or I might hike
Oh if I ever lose my bike
I won't have to clean that %^&$ing chain no more...

 

[indianajo]

I have found that flat saddles - not curved downwards off the side - have provided best comfort and enable repositioning throughout a ride. I have 2 SQLabs saddles, . . . and I can and have ridden them for up to 4 hrs with no discomfort whatsoever.

So I found and bought a SQLlabs 621 Active Cro-Mo rail 240 saddle, $111. It has all the comfort of a saddle shaped brick. I had actual bruises on my hips & thighs after 4 hours on this piece of trash. The vaunted rocking feature has at least 2 mm of give from side to side. Must be designed by another 40 year old bike enthusiast that never sits down. Get this designers, some of us who are not shaped like Tadej Podecar ride bikes because cars are an environmental disaster.
I'm thinking of taking a welder to the workman saddle with actual springs to put rails on it instead of a post clamp. BTW my weight is down to 158 this week. Lowest since 1982 when I discovered the donut shop two blocks from work was open at 3 AM, 5 hours into my shift of electronic testing of a system that never had worked before.

 

[SC00CHB00CH]

Brooks saddles worked for me. But there is a small break in period. The leather will conform to the sit bones in your butt. The two boney plates at the bottom of you tush. Actual science behind why these seats continue to sell well for years and years. They have 'softened' versions of the leather for shorter break in periods. But what happens is the leather will mold to the two sit bones in your butt so they are deceptively very comfortable.

 

[Gionnirocket]

All this effort spent in search of the miracle saddles.
Money would be better spent following the Kardashians

 

[kahn]

All this effort spent in search of the miracle saddles.
Money would be better spent following the Kardashians View attachment 155307

That almost looks as uncomfortable as an ill-fitting saddle!

 

[Rexlion]

If I had that much padding, any old bike seat might do.