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Uncomfortable Saddle After How Long?

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  • April 5, 2019 at 6:20 am #29508
    ibr17xvii

    Appreciate this is a very personal subject but here goes anyway:

    I ride a Fizik Antares VS & have done for the past 3 years but on longer rides I find it gets very uncomfortable.

    Most of my rides are 1 – 2.5 hours which is fine but anything 3 hours & over my backside is sore. I do all the usual things like changing position & getting out of the saddle every 15 minutes or so but still the same.

    My question is at what point do I think about changing? Is that just the way it is for 3 hours plus for me? Should I just MTFO & get on with it? I’ve always ridden a saddle with a pressure relief channel & the newer Fizik models have a cut out so maybe I should be trying that out?

    Testing saddles out can get very expensive which is something I’d rather avoid obviously but I just can’t get this nagging doubt out of my mind that it shouldn’t be like that & it should be more comfortable for longer. Maybe I’m kidding myself.

    Just wondered if what I’m feeling is the norm or if I should be doing something about it?

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  • January 21, 2021 at 5:51 am #938901
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    MacBad

    Just cool! Sadle is the

    Just cool! Sadle is the defensive componants when you are riding a long tour.smiley

    April 21, 2019 at 5:05 pm #938899
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    dottigirl

    Sit bones – you don’t even

    Sit bones – you don’t even need to measure the gap, just compare the indented foil to your current saddle and the centre of the padded bits either side should line up with the dents.

    If they don’t, the saddle isn’t right for you.

    Also, make sure you replicate your riding position on the foil as your sit bones are wider the more upright you are, and vice versa.

    April 20, 2019 at 6:15 am #938897
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    Mungecrundle

    matthewn5 wrote:

    matthewn5 wrote:

    If all else fails there’s a saddle swap in the Bike Radar forum (apologies for cross posting!). Loads of people wanting to exchange saddles to try to find “the one”.

    Naked Bike Ride

    https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/naked-bike-ride-cambridge-2019-16138740.amp

    You have been warned!

    April 20, 2019 at 4:57 am #938895
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    ibr17xvii
    matthewn5 wrote:
    If all else fails there’s a saddle swap in the Bike Radar forum (apologies for cross posting!). Loads of people wanting to exchange saddles to try to find “the one”.

    Didn’t know that, I’ll take a look. Cheers!

    April 19, 2019 at 9:30 pm #938893
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    matthewn5

    If all else fails there’s a

    If all else fails there’s a saddle swap in the Bike Radar forum (apologies for cross posting!). Loads of people wanting to exchange saddles to try to find “the one”.

    April 17, 2019 at 5:34 pm #938891
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    ibr17xvii
    mike c wrote:
    Jack Osbourne wrote:
    Interesting recommendations.

    custom cycling jersey sublimation printed from China

    I think I might try to find a shop with the ID system. 

     

    ‘Narrow’ sit bone width would be 100mm or less, medium 100-130mm, wide over 130mm.

    A saddle’s width is measured from edge to edge across the top, and Specialized recommends a 130mm saddle width for narrow, 143mm for medium and 155mm for wide. These figures should translate approximately across other ranges, with all other factors taken into account.

    Interesting that I’ve read a few times online that when people have had their sit bones measured (properly) that Specialized have put them on a 155mm saddle even if they come out as a medium.

    Guess it’s horses for courses or the model of the saddle they go for.

    April 17, 2019 at 8:35 am #938889
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    phebeM
    mike c wrote:
    ‘Narrow’ sit bone width would be 100mm or less, medium 100-130mm, wide over 130mm.

    A saddle’s width is measured from edge to edge across the top, and Specialized recommends a 130mm saddle width for narrow, 143mm for medium and 155mm for wide. These figures should translate approximately across other ranges, with all other factors taken into account.

    This is the only home method that worked for me. Couldn’t get the cardboard method to work. 

    April 17, 2019 at 8:32 am #938887
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    mike c
    Jack Osbourne wrote:
    Interesting recommendations.

    custom cycling jersey sublimation printed from China

    I think I might try to find a shop with the ID system. 

     

    ‘Narrow’ sit bone width would be 100mm or less, medium 100-130mm, wide over 130mm.

    A saddle’s width is measured from edge to edge across the top, and Specialized recommends a 130mm saddle width for narrow, 143mm for medium and 155mm for wide. These figures should translate approximately across other ranges, with all other factors taken into account.

    April 10, 2019 at 10:13 am #938885
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    ibr17xvii
    Jack Osbourne snr wrote:
    Interesting recommendations.

     

    I think I might try to find a shop with the ID system. 

    I think it’s case of that or measure your sit bones yourself & then make a choice of either no cutout, small cutout or bigger cutout & see how you go.

    April 9, 2019 at 9:04 pm #938883
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    Jack Osbourne snr

    Interesting recommendations.

    Interesting recommendations.

     

    I think I might try to find a shop with the ID system. 

    April 8, 2019 at 10:47 am #938881
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    ibr17xvii
    peted76 wrote:
    Yes, I did one of those ID Match things at a local bike shop. 

    They determined I was an S3 fitted me to a S3 saddle, I’ve since had two S3’s and it/they were probably my most comfortable saddle. 

    It’s not all about sit bone width, it’s also about how flexible your lower back/hips are too.

    My thoughts as well.

    I can measure my sit bones at home which is fine but that only seems half the equation to me.

    April 8, 2019 at 10:08 am #938879
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    peted76

    Yes, I did one of those ID

    Yes, I did one of those ID Match things at a local bike shop. 

    They determined I was an S3 fitted me to a S3 saddle, I’ve since had two S3’s and it/they were probably my most comfortable saddle. 

    It’s not all about sit bone width, it’s also about how flexible your lower back/hips are too.

    April 8, 2019 at 9:05 am #938877
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    ibr17xvii

    Anyone have any experience of

    Anyone have any experience of going for the ID Match by Selle Italia at their LBS?

    From what I can see it involves taking your sit bone measurements (which you can do at home) but also offers the pelvic rotation bit which as far as I know you can’t. That then seems to determine whether in my case I would be a L2 or L3. As far as I can see this means that the dimensions of the saddle are pretty similar, the L3 has the larger cutout though.

    A shop nearish to me will do the “proper” test which doesn’t involve pressure mapping or anything along those lines for a tenner which is then knocked off the price of saddle if you buy one.

    April 6, 2019 at 7:47 pm #938875
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    risoto

    There are just as many

    There are just as many saddles as there are answers to this question. I am using three different saddels. After I got serious about small – 1-2 mm – adjustments I am happy with all my saddles. Also after 3, 4 or 6 hours.

    Saddle height – lowered 2-3 times until I found my best position. Works for all my bikes.

    Tilt the saddle slight upwards – a few degrees only. This will keep you from gliding forward  and also from  putting too much weight on your arms/hands. Your body is riding in a natural position and as you are not scooting forward your sit bones are happier sit bones when relaxing on the padding on the saddle at the back of it where the most padding is located.  

    Aft /forward position might also play a role. Personally I have no conclusions on this aspect so I don’t worry.

    My best advice – experiment as much as possible. But getting the saddle height correct is priority number one. More often than not too high a saddle position is the problem. 

    Oh, I’ve also noticed that my butt is even happier when I ride more in the drops. Less weight to be supported by the butt. Watch old tour de france movies, most seemed to ride with saddle tilted upwards and many with extremely stretched out body positions. 

    I have four comfortable saddles –  a very cheap but excellent Spoon, Ergon from Germany, mid-range, Selle Italia – very cheap, the cheapest in their catelogue but the cheapest Selle Italia tend to be better than most mid-range, and finally a mid-range/lower top-range Selle San Marco with a cut-out. 

    My take on this delicate subject is that ‘it’s not about the saddle’ or the price of your shorts but the industri will tell you a lot of questionable ‘scientific’ advice plus a lot of marketing to get us all to buy a ton of saddles and padded shorts. 

     

    April 6, 2019 at 6:06 pm #938873
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    ibr17xvii
    hawkinspeter wrote:
    A foil measurement will be in the right ballpark (sniggers), so you should now know whether your current saddle is too narrow or too wide. Just use a ruler to see what your sit-bone width looks like across the saddle.

    A bike-fit is definitely a good idea – it might pick up on something cheap and easy to fix whereas getting the right new saddle can be a literal pain in the arse (and expensive if you don’t get the right one).

    Edit: I found the Selle Italia sizes confusing until I found some more info:

    S1 – “Narrow” intertrochanteric distance and low pelvic rotation
    S2 – “Narrow” intertrochanteric distance and average pelvic rotation (Flow saddles)
    S3 – “Narrow” intertrochanteric distance and high pelvic rotation (Flow and SuperFlow saddles)

    L1 – “Wide” intertrochanteric distance and low pelvic rotation
    L2 – “Wide” intertrochanteric distance and average pelvic rotation (Flow saddles)
    L3 – “Wide” intertrochanteric distance and high pelvic rotation (Flow and SuperFlow saddles)

    The numerical part relates to the central hole, so L3 has a wider hole than the L2 as far as I know.

    I’ve got on well with Selle Italia in the past so this is good stuff thanks. 

    Looking at my measurements my current saddle should be fine width wise so maybe it’s just too hard on the longer rides. 

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