Touring saddle

[jdudleyuk]

EDIT - Should have asked - What's currently on your bike and what's is wrong with it? That's probably the best starting point.

Its the hard, its plastic, it hurts and there is no pressure release channel...

[alicej]

EDIT - Should have asked - What's currently on your bike and what's is wrong with it? That's probably the best starting point.

Its the hard, its plastic, it hurts and there is no pressure release channel...

Does your weight rest on your seat bones, or elsewhere? It's supposed to rest only on your seatbones, and if it does that then at least in theory it shouldn't matter that it's hard. If your weight rests between your seatbones then your saddle is too narrow, and if it chafes the inside of your thighs then it's too wide. Sounds like your may be too narrow.

After that it's just a question of finding a shape that doesn't interfere with your other bits. If you feel like you might want a cut out saddle then you may just need a wider saddle, but first try tilting the one you have down at the nose a bit to see if that puts your weight on your seatbones (without making you slide forward and put weight on your arms too much). Then see if you can borrow someone elses slightly wider saddle for a long ride and see how that feels.

Where do you live? I've got one you can borrow if you're in Leeds, although it's a women's saddle so probably too wide, but might be useful just for comparison.

[nmnm]

try tilting the one you have down at the nose a bit to see if that puts your weight on your seatbones

I second this. Getting the angle right can be a big help.

[georgew]

Spa sell this saddle which I believe is at least the equal to Brooks in quality and cheaper too.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... b0s81p2667

[tooley92]

B17 special for me, I have a black one and a honey one - the honey one seemed to break in faster than the black one.

[snibgo]

It's difficult, not least because there are a number of B17 models. Mine is a "Champion Narrow", and it suits me well. However, the back slopes up rather steeply so the nose needs tilting up to stop me sliding towards the front. I would like the nose to be a little less high and wide.

I also use and like a Lycett Swallow, which is similar to a Brooks "B15 Swallow Chrome". It fits my anatomy better than my B17.

However, my usual saddle is a "Selle Italia Sil Tech Turbo". The profile from the side is almost flat, which suits me well. However, the central ridge is higher than those of the leather saddles, causing some perineum pressure. Not a problem, certainly no discomfort, but it's there.

Each of these saddles cost me under £20 from these forums.

I might mention I'm a skinny bloke and my sit-bones seem closer together than average. For long distances, I use tight clothing that hold my dangly bits up, if you see what I mean.

If you search on these forums, you'll find loads of advice on saddles. We are all different. It takes time to adapt to a new saddle, so I suggest you settle on one sooner rather than later.

[daddig]

Spa Cycles also do a similar leather saddle! Maybe worth a look!

[Nettled Shin]

I bought a noseless one. (I went for the ISM Sport.) I'd heard scare stories about how they hurt the back of your thighs and didn't allow you to control the bike in corners <snip> The stuff about not being able to control the bike in corners is just an old wives tale.

I'm sure having nothing between your legs must affect handling. A saddle doesn't just take downward pressure, but also sideways pressure from your inner thighs, which is used to set or limit the bicycle lean...that's partly why your bike rocks more when riding out of the saddle.

[Mick F]

I've had a variety of saddles of "no name" makes. Latterly I had a suede black one on a Raleigh Clubman and then swapped it for a Madison G12. That saddle was eventually fitted on my Mercian, so the Madison went on for 14 years or more.

I eventually gave it away to a chap on this forum in search of the "Perfect Saddle". How do you know what's "Perfect" for you unless you try them first?

Dunno about any other Brooks saddle, but my Brooks Team Pro is fantastic!
Rock hard, solid, shiny black leather, good-looking - perfect!
Far better than any other I've ever used. What a B17 feels like I don't know, but if my Pro is perfect for an all-day ride - and as far as I can ride in three weeks - without any saddle-soreness issues, what else do I need?

[PW]

Have a look at Spa Cycles leather saddles. Very similar to Brooks at much lower prices. You can afford to risk softening one with neatsfoot oil if you think it's too hard.

[DevonDamo]

I'm sure having nothing between your legs must affect handling. A saddle doesn't just take downward pressure, but also sideways pressure from your inner thighs, which is used to set or limit the bicycle lean...that's partly why your bike rocks more when riding out of the saddle.

I read a lot of discussions along these lines when I was trying to decide whether or not to buy one of these. The theory made sense and I was a bit concerned about whether I'd be messing up the ride, but in the end I just decided to give it a go. Once I got it, I only had one snag to deal with - filing out the slot to allow it to point downwards enough so as not to poke me in the backs of the thighs. However, the supposed handling problem was indeed an old-wives tale. I've been riding bikes all my life, and if the handling had been compromised, I'd immediately feel it. But it rides exactly the same, even when I have to do a last minute sharp correction at speed, e.g. when I've been day-dreaming and gone off-line. It's not a 'saddleless' saddle - it's a 'noseless' saddle. There's still something between your legs you can put thigh pressure on when you need to.

[ossie]

Brooks Team Pro here as well. It took me a few weeks of commuting followed by a 10 day tour for it to shape itself nicely.