I recently changed my roadie saddle to a 145mm Selle Italia Lady SLK gel flow. Previously I was using the 162cm wide saddle that I got with the bike but it was giving me a lot of discomfort in my lady soft pieces! I have been out 3 times using my new saddle and although my lady pieces are much more comfortable, my sit bones have felt very bruised and uncomfortable at the end of every ride, even if I have only been out for a couple of hours. My question is, is this normal? How long should it take for the sit bones to get used to their new position on the saddle? I would have liked to have got properly measured up for a new saddle, but that kind of facility doesn't seem to exist down here in the French Pyrenees! Any comments/advice would be very much appreciated as I need to get this sorted soon as I am doing a cyclosportive down here at the end of June.
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 It could be just a case of your sit bones getting used to the new saddle but I would of hoped that after 3 rides it would be a lot better. Perhaps it's not the right saddle for you, there are so many out there now.
Apparently, 143mm is the most common size for women - well that's what I got told when I was measured here in the UK.
I don't seem to have helped you here though, sorry!
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 Do you have your saddle at the correct tilt/angel? Maybe try a different seat post? On my old road bike i didnt have any problems, but my new road bike, we cant get the saddle at correct angel so im gonna ave to buy a different seat post, and after yesterdays ride, i certanly ave sore bits.
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I don't think the problem is with the angle/tilt of the saddle as my front lady pieces are much more comfortable and my whole riding position feels much better, particularly on the downhill sections of the rides. It's just my sit bones which are giving me problems and I don't know whether I need a wider saddle or whether I just need to put up with the discomfort until my bones get used to this saddle!
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Hi I too am looking for saddle advice, although mine is for my time trial bike; at present i have a Specialised Jet 143mm and I find it really uncomfortable when i'm on my tri-bars, I would really like racing saddle with a soft nose. does one exist? I don't want some big, heavy thing, or a really wide one, but I don't find that cut-outs solve the problem and sometimes exacerbate it!! Over the years I've tried quite a few different saddles but never really found one Ive been happy with. Any advice or reccommendations would be appreciated.
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i'll join the club here as i've been in agony recently - had to cut a training session short i was so uncomfortable today. been looking at women specific saddles for the road bike, but there's so much to choose from! Bikescooby - you mentioned getting measured? where was this? and what exactly was measured... I've never tried a saddle with cut-outs but was thinking of it. Would also appreciate any advice.
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 I have been having a similar problem, but I am getting chafing on my sit bone area. Someone (a man!) asked if I wore underwear under my padded shorts etc, err yes! and suggested I go commando, I tried it today and I am no where near as sore as I have been on previous rides. I will add that I have adjusted my saddle as I was having to keep sitting back and slapped on the sudocrem but it would appear that a new saddle is now not required. Don't know if this will help anyone but maybe...
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I don't wear underwear with my padded shorts and it is definitely the bones and not skin chafing that is my problem! I have just received my new Selle Italia Lady Sport Gel Flow saddle which is 155cm wide, so in between my old one (162cm) which gave my soft lady pieces a problem and the other Selle Italia SLK saddle which was 145cm wide. Hopefully I will have got it right this time! Will report back.
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It might not be the saddle itself but your relative position on it. I've got a women's specific Specialized Jett 143mm on the Sunday best bike and the men's equivalent Alias 143mm on the winter hack. I have recently put my saddle up a tad and have been far less fidgety on both bikes. You could also try moving the saddle backwards/forwards. Saddles are one of those very subjective items. If you haven't ridden any further than normal it would certainly seem like it's not in the right place. Specialized have a little foam gadget that you sit on to determine the width of your sit bones but I'm sure you could approximate with a tape measure and a bit of help!
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wherer can you find this specialised foam measure thing? and what exactly do you measure? your width including fleshy bits - or just the distance between sit bones? thanks!
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I had my bum measured in a LBS ( a Specialized dealer), all you do is sit on a gel pad which has measurements on it, and you have to have your feet raised slightly (on a box or something) so that your bones make a good imprint. the gap between your sit-bones is shown on this gel pad and the size saddle you need in mm's. (You can keep your dignity as you can do this fully clothed, although its best to wear something that lets you to move ) However, its not my bones that have been the problem with my Specialized Jett, its my delicate bits on the front of the saddle, although I did ride a 10 mile tt on it yesterday and it wasn't too bad, but i don't know about anything longer than that.
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Oh yes, forgot to say, it doesn't go between your legs or anything, its flat and you just sit on it on a chair or bench; no one puts anything between your legs!!!! (at least no one did in the shop i was in!!!)
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Char, where do you live? All the Specialized concept stores have this facility, not sure if someone like Evans does, but some LBS's do as does the Buy-a-Bike store at Charnock Richard, Lancs.
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 I've tried the Speacialized meausring thing too, I need a 155mm saddle and am relieved that it's sit bone width, not butt size *phew*! I must admit, being a DH'er I tend not to wear padded shorts but we've taken up riding XC more often too and I'm getting some kind of new saddle (researching them as we speak) for a few rides this weekend, it had never occurred to me to wear the padded shorts with no underwear though and yet it would make perfect sense because it's always where the seams go that I get sore!! Anyway, I'm just rambling now and not really offering any constructive advice to the OP so I'll get out of your topic!
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 As Ergo said, it's also your position on the saddle, not just the saddle itself. I was recommended to use an angled stem to raise the handlebar, but when I reverted to the old stem, my saddle became more comfortable. More weight on the bar, and less on the saddle, I suppose - the same effect Ergo found by raising her saddle. I expect a larger frame would have a similar effect? They say most of us wear the wrong size bra, but I wonder how many of us are riding the wrong size bike???
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But surely more weight on the bar means more pressure on your hands, wrists, arms and through into your shoulders and neck?! My new Selle Italia Lady Sport Gel Flow 155cm wide saddle seems to be the business - did 80km taking in 2 cols down here the other week with much less discomfort than I had on the 145cm SLK saddle. Problem sorted (I think!)
Anybody want to buy a Selle Italia SLK lady gel flow 145cm wide saddle?! Only used twice!! PM me if interested.
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 I have been back to evans cycles today with my Specialised Jett 143mm saddle, which i bought 6 weeks ago, they re measured me today and said its the right size, it crippled me at enduro 6, I could hardly sit down for last 2 hours and have been unable to ride since! I have never had a saddle problem before.. got a refund, bontrager saddle from review on here coming my way...
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