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I've never found a truly comfortable saddle. After trying many, I'm currently using a Charge Spoon which is, at best, alright, and after a couple of hours it's starting to be pretty uncomfortable.
So, on a scale of one to ten, where:
one = having your knackers battered with a rusty spike
ten = having your bottom gently supported by the soft hands of angels
where do you, well, sit?
I reckon I'm a five.
8 or 9 I reckon - I can feel it if I ride long enough but otherwise, saddle soreness just isn't an issue.
That said, I think that some people are just more prone to it than others - some people could ride in hair pants on a saddle made of rusty nails and still be fine while other have tried every combination of shorts/position/saddle/creams and still struggle.
flite, a good solid 9 if not a ten.
tried a few others not as good, should try more but as you don't really know whether a saddle is good until about 4 or 5 hours in it's a bit of a faff.
SDG Bel Air,9
Prologo Scratch Carbon,3 (but it was £160 so it stays!)
You'd have thought there would be some sort of arse-ometer in bike shops that you could sit on, and it would measure the size/shape/pressure points whatever and then they could recommend a particular saddle.
Actually didn't Spesh do that once?
Bontrager Evoke and SDG Bel Air.
Both are a 9 for up to 2 hours. Slowly gets down to a 6 or 7 for 6 hrs plus. But I think that's more about sitting on a bicycle saddle for a long time rather than any critique of said saddle.
[i]as you don't really know whether a saddle is good until about 4 or 5 hours in it's a bit of a faff. [/i]
Not to say expensive...
charge spoon.. it pinches a bit for the first few miles if I haven't been out for a week or two.. and also if I've been hammering [i]too many[/i] miles..
other than that.. about a 9
think spesh still do a arse o meter
Charge spoon on both bikes recently & I reckon comfort level was about 5.
Now gone back to original saddle on the Stumpjumper & it's probably up to a 7/8, hell, a 7.5.
Might go back to WTB saddles as they seem to suit my butt....
One of the two Holy Grails of Cycling, the perfect saddle 🙂 - I rate mine at around 8. Have tried a vaste range and keep coming back to WTB - the current one, A Rocket V Team, is like a comfy settee (for the first hours or so anyway..)
If I'm totally honest, the SLR's which adorn most of my bikes aren't super comfy, probably a 5 I reckon.
Cheers, Rich
You'd have thought there would be some sort of arse-ometer in bike shops
There is ,bontrager do one.They also do a 30 moneyback comfort guaranty on their saddles.
There are many factors which decide whether a saddle is comfy or not-width,padding,flex,side to side shape,cut out,profile.
charge spoon, about a 8/9? ( for about 4 hours) Angle is critical!! just put on a new seatpost, and its not quite the same
You'd have thought there would be some sort of arse-ometer in bike shops that you could sit on, and it would measure the size/shape/pressure points whatever and then they could recommend a particular saddle.Actually didn't Spesh do that once?
Yes, resulted in the most uncomfortable saddles katie and I have ever had the misfortune to own. she still blames it for bringing on her sciatica.
SDG BelAir seem to fit a lot of people. I liked them but they don't wear that well.
I'm back on Selle Italia now. SLR on the road bike, SLR T1 on my Helius (Great saddle). WTB on a couple of other bikes.
MTFU basically.
Yep as above, Spesh and Bonty do different width saddles, doesn't really tell you a style though, just a width. I'm technically a 143mm in Spesh saddles, but did a 12 hour solo on a 130mm Phenom SL and had no issues whatsoever.
I'd say mine (Toupe and Bontrager carbon shelled thingummy) are both 9s - they're never going to be quite arm chair comfy, but they're good enough that I just never notice them.
SDG Belair starts off about a 5 moves to a 7-8 over a period of two hours then starts to drop off to a 4 over the following couple of hours, god i'd love a comfy saddle!
Tends to be worse if I havent riden for a week or so, go figure
Bike 1 has a Bel Air I-Beam, which scores an 8. The saddle itself is very comfortable, but there is very little "give" in the seat frame.
Bike 2 has a budget Intake saddle which I bought mainly because it's white and is supposed to have Ti rails, all for £35. The snob in me hates it, but it's actually very comfortable and again scores a well earned 8.
Missus's bike has a Charge Spoon, which I found to really live up to the hype. After an hour of riding on a brand new saddle, I forgot that it was even there. I'd give it a 9, but Mrs PJM reports a sore derriere on it though.
Charge spoon is excellent 9/10
Fizik think on my other bike is horrendous 1/10
Selle Italia SLR. Stripped down to the bare carbon base. It should be hideous but it's actually heaven. 9 out of 10. It could do with just a little flex on the broadest of egdes to be 10. I might try and slim one down and see how it goes.
I've sold a few to others who have tried it as well so it's not just me with a freakishly tough bottom.
I think a lot of comfort is down to hardening your backside and it getting used to being on a saddle. I also think angle can make a big difference as well
I've got a Charge Spoon on the MTB which is OK, maybe a 5 at the moment but the more I ride the less I feel it, so it is maybe an 7 with some miles on it.
On the road bike I've got a Selle Italia Flow X1 which I hated on the first ride but having had a play with the angle and put some miles in now feels much better. A good 7 at least.
I've also got a very old and beaten up Flite Ti which is wonderully comfy when I am riding lots and hellish when I have not ridden for a while. I would say it a 9 when I'm saddle hardened but a 2 or 3 when I'm not. Hence it may go on the road bike soon once I have got some miles in.
I have a SDG Formula FX I beam or something like that... 8/10
took some getting used to, and I didn't get on with padded shorts at all.
San Marco SKN, not a lot of it, but its never given been uncomfortable for me, even after 100+ road miles.
I reckon a lot of it is down to shorts. How many of you who can't find a comfy saddle wear baggy shorts?
Mountain Bikes have Charge Spoons on them and I'd give them a 9 out of 10 to be honest, fine for hours on end in the saddle.
Strangely they can feel a bit wide initially if I'm riding the MTB after time on the road bike, thats got a San Marco SKN on in and it's very comfortable, 100 miles is not a worry at all.
WTB rocket V
My saddle never becomes uncomfortable so 10 I reckon. But Im not too sure wether it is the saddle or just time.
When I first got into MTB(1998) I used to find all the saddle uncomfortable admittedly some were better than other and I did settle on the WTB designs around 2002 I think.
But I have a feeling the saddle's might have become more comfortable as my arms got stronger allowing me to put more weight on my hands.
I'd rate mine a 10, but then it cost best part of £100 so I'd expect nothing less 😯 italia ftw!
In my never-ending search for the perfect perch for long rides, I've come to realise that a decent pair of shorts makes more difference (IME) than the saddle. Having said that, I've accumulated, I think it's 18 saddles now, and lots of different shorts. If anyone's interested, the current winners for my arse are Sugoi RS shorts & Specialized Phenom SL (130mm) saddle. I'll probably change my mind next week though.
How many of you who can't find a comfy saddle wear baggy shorts?
I have no problems wearing baggies... I got a rash and really sweaty using padded shorts. so not comfortable at all and they were expensive ones that fitted really well.
Selle Italia SLR. Stripped down to the bare carbon base. It should be hideous but it's actually heaven. 9 out of 10. It could do with just a little flex on the broadest of egdes to be 10. I might try and slim one down and see how it goes.
I've sold a few to others who have tried it as well so it's not just me with a freakishly tough bottom.
Did this the other week, makes for a great winter saddle and don't really notice the lack of padding.
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I bought my bike S/H and it came with a Crivit Sport saddle. A great,big chunky thing. I think its from either Lidl or Aldis and I can't see it having cost more than a tenner.
Turns out to be the comfiest saddle I've used. It's ideal for commuting, and if i push my backend to the very back its like sitting on a comfy armchair.
The snob in me swapped it with a San Marco. Lasted one ride and I swapped back.
Wish I could get another one for my other bike!
10/10
Flite 9
WTB SST reissue 9
Titec Ithys 6
Snafu BMX 8
The Titec should be more comfy on the HT, but it's a bit wide at the nose.
The SST has a bent rail, anyone know how to bend it back?
Reminds me of this old advert...
Charge spoon is good for me on short rides
SDG Bel Air RL is better
sdg bel air. 10
I'd rate my Selle Italia Pro-link thingy as a 9.5.
Following a medical issue I did a fair bit of investigation into saddles & the start point really is to get your sit bones measured on a Spesh or Bonty arse-ometer (or cheat & use a thick piece of corrugated cardboard). Unfortunately, a lot of manufacturers don't publish their saddle widths so you may need to go shopping with a tape measure/ruler.
After that it's pretty much down to personal choice re padding & shape.
Cube trail fx 8
Charge spoon 4 i hated this saddle far to hard for
i use a selle san marco concor light id rate as a 9..
tried a charge spoon after reading all the rave reviews and id rate it as a 2 at best... hated the thing!
Syncros FL on my mtb, still comfy after 12 hours on it, but no use on the road bikes.
San Marco Aspide on the road bikes, only 160grams, but a 10 for comfort.
Charge Spoon here, most comfortable saddle I've used so far. Good for 24 hour soloing. I find having a comfortable pad in your lycra shorts is a big factor in overall comfort as well.
Saddles are very personal things. Not something one can recommend to another in my opinion. Got to be down to the individual.
Must have gone through about 10 saddles in search of my holy grail!
Think I've found it though - Spesh Phenom expert in 143 - 9/10 out of ten for me.
Made my riding far more enjoyable, never think about it anymore!,but its been try and try again for about ten years!!
Some shops/manufacturers doing trial saddles now, thats how I discovered this one. Would have saved a fortune if they did this years ago.
Bel air - comfy as a comfy thing, 8/10
Spesh Phenom - what saddle? 10/10
Selle Italia C2 - Alright, it's noticeable but not in an uncomfortable way 8/10
Had plenty of saddles over the years that just didnt fit so the ones I do have now tend to look a little worse for wear as they're not being replaced!
For me:
Back in the day - till about 2002 - Concor was the one for me - 10 for comfort.
SLRs for road + MTB - since 2002 - again a 10 for comfort. Unbelievably light at 135g + virtually no padding.
Such a personal thing though finding the right saddle. Shorts make a big difference to comfort - I always wear bib shorts under baggies for xc riding.
Avocet Air 40R Ti, got the skinnier race version and the slightly more padded mtb one, both the most comfy saddles I've ever sat on. 9.5
Selle Italia Trans alp I think it's called, 7.5.
San Marco Rolls, 6.
Cannondale OEM one on me commuter, 4 at best. Really should get something more comfy really.
Trouble is, once you've found the 'right' saddle, it's very difficult to replicate it, speshly if it's discontinued.
Oh, and I rarely wear padded pants. Get the right saddle, and you don't need them nearly as much.
+1 on that - I'd say that if you need specific shorts to make a saddle comfortable then you're really only masking the fact that the saddle doesn't really fit you right.
Of course, finding a saddle that fits you perfectly can be impossible which is where decent shorts then do come into the equation
Charge spoon on the mtb - 6/7 / 10. Not a fan when I put it on the road bike, but isn't so picky about saddle angle.
Fi'zi:k arione on road and TT - 8/9 / 10 if dead flat. Any angle change and it is horrendous. Huge fan of it though, had it on the road bike a year and when choosing saddles for the TT bike I popped into my local specialized and Fi'zi:k dealer tried about 8 test saddles out on my bike on a turbo trainer. Arione was best by far aliante was quite nice as well though.
Have a planet-x arione copy on the track bike, would save me a fortune if it was a good as the real thing (could have one on every bike for the price of 1 arione!) sadly it's not, ok on the nose in hard efforts but in a casual position it's not good at all -5/10.
Iain
The WTB on my XC bike is not bad for a few hours not brilliant after a whole day though.
I've got an OEM job on my Road bike which is suprisingly good actually.
an old "BeOne" branded saddle on the SS bike which is not bad either.
And I us a BMX race saddle on my DH bike and it's not actually very comfy but then I don't really sit on it for very long... So not that's not an issue...
Never been fitted or measured for one, but tend to spend some time adjusting them to get the best level of comfort I can.
I've found I keep putting the Nose down a little bit more than some others seem to but it just suits me better...
Love the comments about not needing padded shorts - you try riding big miles without padded shorts + your perfect saddle 😯
SLR for me too. Got them on road and MTB. Happy backside even after 11 hours of the Kielder 100. They just feel right. I don't imagine they'd feel to good as your first foray into cycling though.
3 different saddles including a roadie one with no padding on my SS
None of them bither me much tbh I am used to it- no real pain but I would not actually call any comfortable
The only saddle I'd describe as "comfortable" is a well worn-in Brooks I tried a while back, and it wasn't even moulded to my arse.
bel air 9/10
WTB Pure V 8.5/10
Gobi 7.5/10
Boardman 5/10
I'll give the I-beam bel air a 10, rode for 3 weeks solid and not the slightest niggle. The standard railed version I'd only give a 7 - I figure my arse likes the firm base of the I-beam.
Spec Toupe 143 on teh rodabike is probably an 8.5; one day i love it the next it's not quite right.
Off to scour ebay for an slr to strip down, I've a funny feeling I might like that.
Got a brooks and comfort is way off the scale, sat on normal saddles since and I can only ride for a few 100mtrs before its torture.
I like an SLR XP on the mtb and its OK on the road, but for racing and TTs I use a Selle SMP full carbon - looks like a torture device, has no padding at all but actually really comfy. Must be the shape of my arse.
MTB 1 - Old Selle Italia Octavia (no longer made). Just don't notice it. Love it.
MTB 2 - WTB thing - awful
Road 1 - Selle Octavia. 9/10. Nose worn and taped up.
Road 2 - SLR. 6-7/10. Ought to be great, but isn't quite right. Bought s/h (but unused).
CX - Selle Italia Filante (no longer made). Narrow. Stiff as a board. Love it - comfiest of the lot..!
My Fizik Gobi is around an 8 out if 10.
My original Flite Ti is a 9 out of 10.
I prefer the slightly narrower profile of the Flite when riding for a few hours.
The back of the Gobi is a bit wider which causes me a few 'hotspots' over a few hours.
I find that the key for myself is to make sure that the saddle is completely level.
Charge Spoon on the mountain bike, its fine. Begin to feel it a bit on longer rides, but I cant complain too much. 6/10
San Marco Blaze F on my fixie, been on there a good few years and its great, but i'm never on the fixie for more than an hour or so. 7/10
MOst Leopard on my road bike. So long as I've got the angle right, its by far the comfiest one I own. 100+ miles on it and no problems what so ever. 9/10
Spoon on the mtb - 7, would be more but for the seams on the top which rub after a few hours, especially with baggies.
Used to have Bel Airs, comfier but pricey and fall to bits within months.
Brooks on the commuter/tourer - 8. It's a B17 narrow, which is great with drops but not so good with flat bars.
Velo TI with cut out on the road bike - 9. Pretty much perfect.
zangolin - Member
Love the comments about not needing padded shorts - you try riding big miles without padded shorts + your perfect saddle
Done it but then I'm lucky and have found a saddle that suits really well. I also don't seem to suffer saddle sores as much as many.
I should add that I do wear padded shorts when I cycle but they're not really 'necessary' for me most of the time. Where I find they make a difference is if it's wet or if riding a long way on rough roads/trails.