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Light weight comfortable saddle for 200 lbs rider

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  • December 4, 2014 at 9:52 am #22821
    yespsb

    My original saddle was a 2006 Specialized body geometry Avatar 143 with small gel pads and Chro-mo rails.It weighs a chunky 400 grams but my backside loved it, I clocked many thousands of miles including 400 miles in 4 days without any soreness.

    However I am a self confessed “tweaker” and I am always looking to improve my bikes, so ahead of a W2W ride in October this year I swapped out the the 143 for a much lighter Specialized Phenom Expert with Ti rails, to my bum its a WMD !

    Any ride over 30 miles causes pain that lasts for days, I have not gone beyond 80 in a day and after about 500 miles on it I have decided its going on ebay.

    The big difference between the two saddles is the size of “seating” area, the Phenom Expert has a much larger platform and the larger area protrudes further forward which is where I think my problem arises from.

    Can anyone recommend a saddle that weighs sub 300 grams and has a small seating area similar to the 143, see the two images below – many thanks Paul

    http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/equip/05SaddleAvatar143_blk_l.jpg

    http://www.cyclesurgery.com/pws/UniqueProductKey.ice?ProductID=CSBC0746WW&gclid=CI7S74eNrMICFQHMtAodVwoAlg&gclsrc=aw.ds

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  • December 4, 2014 at 4:40 pm #822529
    0
    Simonsays50

    get a piece of thick
    get a piece of thick corrugated cardboard . put on a hard flat surface like a kitchen worktop. wearing only underwear sit on the cardboard leaning forward as you would on a saddle. rock slightly back/forward left /right. there will be 2 indentations corresponding to your sit bones. measure middle to middle. buy a saddle at least that width..preferably a little wider.
    or go in to a specialized dealer and they will do it on a special bit of memory foam board.
    most saddles are too narrow so your sit bones sit either side of the saddle and cause your pelvis to rock side to side as you pedal…disaster, loss of power and very uncomfortable.
    saddles come in 135 145 and 155mm widths.. you probably need a 155, but get measured first.
    simon

    December 4, 2014 at 4:31 pm #822527
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    JudgeDreddful

    Pardon my ignorance as I’m
    Pardon my ignorance as I’m new to this myself, but how do you measure your sit bones? Then once you have measured them (it?) how do you know whether your saddle is right for you?

    December 4, 2014 at 4:22 pm #822525
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    CXR94Di2

    That’s the common response,
    That’s the common response, but I value the comfort over style. Function over form always. It takes a number of rides for your sit bones to adapt to the pressure points, then it’s bliss. My adaption took half a dozen 20 – 30 mile outings.

    If you value your tackle Adamo is a great saddle

    December 4, 2014 at 4:19 pm #822523
    0
    yespsb

    Thanks for your feedback.
    Thanks for your feedback. Quick update I have changed back to the original Avatar 143 but I’m finding it hard to accept I cannot get a better lighter saddle, the Romin is on my radar, ditto the Fizik Aliante.I need to look up how you measure your sit bone as I can see that helping me avoid buying more ill fitting saddles ATB Paul

    December 4, 2014 at 4:14 pm #822521
    0
    massspike

    Freddy56 wrote:
    Worried about

    Freddy56 wrote:

    Worried about 100gms…jeeeze

    We’d appreciate it if you kept these heretical opinions private.

    Signed,

    The cycling equipment manufacturers.

    December 4, 2014 at 4:02 pm #822519
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    Simonsays50

    get/measure your sit bone
    get/measure your sit bone width …buy the correct width saddle. i am 200 lbs+ and have tried a bunch.. best by far is brooks titanium team pro. followed closely by specialized romin pro. go for the brooks..break it in and you’ll never look back. better to be comfortable than save a few grams and have every long ride a pain.
    simon

    December 4, 2014 at 3:00 pm #822517
    0
    Freddy56

    200lbs,
    Worried about
    200lbs,
    Worried about 100gms…jeeeze

    Regardless If you were 100lbs- comfort if first

    If your going specialized they are based on pelvic bone width. I’m 143, my son is 130mm and my father uses a155mm.

    A specialized shop will fit ye

    December 4, 2014 at 2:44 pm #822515
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    massspike

    I used the Alias 143 which I
    I used the Alias 143 which I believe is the predecessor to the Avatar. I switched to a Romin Evo 143 two seasons ago and am quite happy. Romin are a more contoured saddle vs the relatively flat Alias. It does have less padding (but is spec’d the same as the Phenom). If you go the Pro (carbon rail) route it is under 200g. I am only 185lbs but I don’t think body weight is the right metric — getting the right width is most critical part (imho).

    P.S. the Phenom is actually marketed as an MTB saddle which could be messing up your road riding since the nose is more pronounced.

    December 4, 2014 at 2:03 pm #822513
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    backflipbedlem

    why not just go back to the
    why not just go back to the 143?
    Comfort gotta be worth 100grams! 😕

    December 4, 2014 at 1:09 pm #822511
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    yespsb

    Thanks, just Goggled one and
    Thanks, just Goggled one and they are err, mmhh 😕 very strange looking things.

    I’m not convinced they would work for my normal riding because the blurb states they are best for the static time trial mode seating whereas a lot of my riding is up and down twisty hills where I will move around quite a bit on the saddle.

    December 4, 2014 at 11:03 am #822509
    0
    CXR94Di2

    Adamo Road 2, I can’t fault
    Adamo Road 2, I can’t fault it for comfort. 100 mile rides are easy on this saddle. Forget lightweight if you’re a 200 lb rider like me.

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