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After about 6 years of biking, I've been told that the saddle really isn't that comfy any more - it isn't the same saddle throughout that time! I suspect this will be more due to growing up and whatnot, but I now need to find a suitable saddle for a young female - slim-built, but what am I needing to consider and what should I be looking at?
I'm guessing that most of this new found discomfort is due to lack of biking as since just before lockdown, the bike hasn't been used much. So something that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg would also be good.
Ideally, as long as it is comfier than the Frog saddle she has just now (which does look rather narrow - even for me!), then that would be great.
Thanks.
Not female specific but my kids (boy and girl) have always been happy with Madison Trail Youth saddles, we have had a few of them over the years. Daughter managed a 50 mile ride at aged 10 and didn’t complain about the saddle. Pretty cheap so worth a try.
The Brand X women’s cut out saddle is cheap and according to my wife, comfy. May be worth trying for not much outlay.
My 10.5 Yr old has a "Women's" saddle now which she's getting on well with I thing it's a bikehut job that I bought for my missus old bike but she never wanted it.
it's got more padding that her childrens saddles had, a slightly wider tail end for hip support and a slightly different pressure relief cutout to a chaps saddle cos it's trying to take some pressure off of some slightly different errr, anatomy...
TBF though it might just be worth going down the fancier brand route (say specialized?) and doing the whole sit bone measurement and letting her try a couple from a shop on sale/retun basis just to be sure it's right, saddles are one of those things you can move on from bike to bike once you find the right fit...
But yeah tweenager's on I reckon they start growing into adult seating...
My 10 year old likes the Specialized one that came on her sirrus women’s hybrid.
You should pm Tracey
Madison trail youth for my very slim 11 year old here.
Thanks for those nuggets, all useful. And asking @Tracey is a great idea!
You could try asking Isla too.
Nose of saddle pointing slightly down rather than slightly up is generally preferred too as I understand it.
Interesting, my 13 year old has started riding more but saddle is an issue
You should pm Tracey
This!
Tracey was awesome when I asked the same question, Maria was 11 and was starting to show signs of not wanting to cycle, finally told us it was sore, poor soul. Tracey sent us a spesh saddle that's still on her bike, total legend that she is!.
I have struggled with saddle comfort for years and still not found something perfect. I will say, it is worth spending money on trying second hand saddles to get something that feels good, otherwise she may be tempted to stop riding. Also note, that as she enters adulthood, she may find a saddle more uncomfortable just before/during her period. Definitely think about good cycling shorts and chamois cream.
Does she sit quite upright on the bike, or does she lean forward like you might on a road bike? Having more padding sounds like a good idea, but can be counter-productive as it actually rubs more in the wrong places. But saddles with less padding do need regular use ime.
I tried a few saddles with cutout for women specific and really didn't get on with them, particularly the Sella Italia Lady Flow was horrific, felt like it was pulling my pelvis apart.
I use a Charge Spoon on road bike but need to have my hips rotated forward to get comfy for hours. My mtb has the seat that came with a Kona King Kikapu from many years ago (WTB Rocket), so again not gender-specific. Both have a similar profile and aren't too wide at the back - I find wider saddles rub the inside of my legs when peddling.
Good luck!
Also this is quite informative. In particular bike set up is important, particularly if she is short or has shorter arms proportionally (as many women do) she'll find she is leaning forward to control the front / brakes and this will be putting pressure in the wrong places.
https://www.cyclinguk.org/saddlepain
I put a Charge Ladle on my neice's (10 then, 12 now) bike when I built it for her, just thinking that what works for me should be a decent starting point for her and we could change it later if she wanted to but so far it's been ok.
Thanks Konagirl...yeah, changes are definitely coming and I'm aware that comfort is needed to not dissuade her (hence my post). I'm not expecting the first one to be a perfect match and she is aware she'll need to try it for a bit and we'll need to make adjustments. She leans forward slightly - apparently just the saddle itself is uncomfy, so hopefully it will be a quick fix (once the right saddle is found).
My 13 year old daughter loves these... https://www.sellesmp.com/en/well-junior.html
PMed you