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I currently use Charge / Fabric saddles and generally they are a good fit. However on the turbo and road bike I get the old numb bolx syndrome after prolonged efforts. Sometimes on the MTB too.
Therefore, I'm considering a saddle with a cut out. Something like the SQ Labs or similar. Is it best to got a a shop and get fitted or just a case of find one through trial and error.
Pointers and recommendations please!
Off road it makes less difference because youre constantly shuffling and standing up but broadly....
Get the width right do you don't get sore sit bones.
Get a flat topped saddle for off road as it's easier to shift your weight (roadies often have scooped saddles that spread the weight better but hold you in a fixed position, e.g. Sells Italia Flite).
Don't go too wide with the cut away. I've got an SLR Gell Flow in the narrow width on my road bike and it's the most comfortable saddle I've ever had. The Max Flow version on my MTB is unbearable as the gaps too wide and the sides put pressure on the sides of my taint (but acceptable off road as I'm in it for less time and often wearing thicker shorts).
I think fitting is a bit of a red herring unless they actually use pressure mapping or something.
Otherwise you can just do it yourself and be surprised to learn that your ideal saddle size is 143mm, just like the rest of us 😁
But yeah, I've had good experiences with cut-outs which allow you to hold a more aggressive position for longer, but there is also a school of thought that turbo saddles should be more padded as you are more static, or even just that you should be conscious to change position and move around more to avoid numbness!
It's definitely a personal thing.
All I can say is that I too suffered on the Turbo and swapped out my otherwise fine Fizik saddle on the road bike with a Bonty Aeolus model. It's basically two halves with a nearly full length cut out. It's better in terms of numbness, but I find it a bit short. However, less bad on the Turbo than the Fizik it replaces.
More expensive versions of the same saddle design are available.
I have an adamo prologue on my turbo bike and it is the most comfortable saddle I have used on a turbo trainer. It has loads of padding and the massive cutout. I think I could do with the slightly narrower (road?) model though.
Selle SMP's TRK has a nice big cutout, "anatomic curve"* and a nice amount of padding under sitbones, plus is cheap anad available in two widths. Great for turbo for me.
*I made that terminology up.
Cheers all. I'll measure my gap tonight (nice) and go from there.
I bought one of these to try on the basis that they're cheap enough so no biggie if they didn't work. I am happy enough so have bought a second one.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07V7BT3FZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Selle Italia Lady Flow S3 here. Perfect fit. The mens version (Superflow) always seems to be be much more expensive, even in the exact same size/fit, rails and cover material. 🤷🏻
Sorry, superflow was the one I meant. It is ludicrously expensive which is why it's on my MTB rather than in the parts bin 🤣
£189 😮 I didn't pay that much thankfully!
Fizik Anatares R1 open wide fit I find is a good road saddle, but not so comfy on the turbo for some reason, not the cheapest but a good saddle