[Snooze]

How in the world do you choose one? I may have asked before, but I don't remember if it was in here. Is it a personal butt feeling or is there a one size fits all saddle? And do you guess what would feel good? Is there protocol for this? My saddle is getting a tad more unbearable, and apparently it's not just me as I have read many reviews on my bike (Trek 5000 2007), and most changed out the saddle pretty quickly.

 

[COcarrie]

I don't really know much about the "how to select" part, but one of my LBS has a deal where they mount them on this long metal deal with fake pedals and handlebars so you can test it out for "feel" I guess. They also have a pretty liberal return policy. I gather it's a trial and error type thing.<br><br>
But what do I know?! I am such a cycling rookie.

 

[Heather H]

I'm considering a new saddle too. The factory saddle is just not butt-friendly enough for me.<br><br>
Ladies- anyone try this one? <img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2336/2300154267_17747f6bb7_m.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br>
any good or bad experiences? I thought I wanted the black one with the butterfly, but DH says this one is better (maybe just newer and fancier?).<br><br>
I'm thinking it's mostly trial and error too, but I could be wrong.

 

[Tri-Tammy]

I am having a hard time getting comfortable in the saddle this year. I don't know why... weight loss, saddle issues? Who knows. But I do know that DH suggested I start researching and get myself a new one.<br><br>
Of course he might have been joking. According to him, my on sale, $700 road bike is worth $6,000. I keep showing him pics of real $6,000 bikes. He says to keep dreaming. One day baby, one day.....

 

[melistic]

every time I see a saddle post I get excited thinking we're moving on to horses.<br>
...<br>
damn, suckered again<br><br>
Tammy, have you messed w/ the tilt?

 

[slow_n_steady]

I am shopping for a new saddle myself right now. I think it really is a process of trial and error. Find a bike shop with a liberal return policy and start trying.<br><br>
Heather, I know Terry saddles work well for lots of women, but I am not one of them. The one you have in the picture, the Damselfly was probably one of the most painful saddles I have ever tried. That isn't to say it won't work for you however.<br><br>
Last season I thought I needed a new saddle, mine was ok, but got a bit painful on longer rides. So I asked a bunch of people which one they liked and started trying them out. None of them were any better than what I had and some were downright painful. Then somebody suggested tweaking the position of my current saddle, and what do you know, it made all the difference in the world.<br><br>
Unfortunately, that saddle is just worn out. The cover is cracking and it has definitely seen better days, so here I go starting all over again. I am thinking I may just end up buying the exact same one again, but I would like to give a few others a try first.<br><br>
Good luck with your hunt!

 

[3chilipeppers]

I have the Terry Butterfly Ti saddle and LOVE it. It came on my bike! I do need to tilt it a bit now that I've installed aerobars. I agree that you should fiddle with the position (pressure in front, tilt forward, etc...), but sometimes you just know it isn't a good saddle for you. Most bikes will come with a racing seat that is definitely not made for women (or many men!) One saddle may work for one person and not for you. It all depends on your sit bones. The saddle should support them. That's why there are men's and women's because women have a wider pelvis (and if you've had babies it is all out of whack!! LOL) More padding and gel usually make it worse because then your soft parts are sitting right on some padding. It doesn't matter how soft that padding is, it is gonna hurt! That's why you see the cutouts in the middle. You just need to support those sit bones.<br><br>
So, how do you choose? Well, I know Terry will let you try one out for 90 days. I think you can get one through your LBS. Also, most LBS will have several styles of saddles as test saddles and they'll let you take them and try them out. Then, they can get an idea of the style and make some suggestions. You're not going to be able to tell just sitting on it for 10 minutes at the shop on the trainer. You can get close that way, but it may feel different after riding for an hour or 2. Plus, it might be a bit uncomfortable the first few times you ride on it, so you have to ride a few times.<br><br>
Heather- I saw that one. That's a racing seat, which means it is going to be narrower. I doubt it is as comfortable as the Butterfly, but everyone is different. It is "faster" and has titanium rails and a leather cover, but mine also has titanium rails and a leather cover. Sometimes DHs get caught up in the "features" and forget about the comfort. He probably read the part where it says "best for performance and competition," which does not = comfortable! If you only do sprint races (which I know you don't), then it would be o.k., but I'd go for comfort over performance myself (because it isn't going to make much difference unless you are SUPER fast) My guess is you have a racing seat on your bike now, so you probably don't want another one, but this one might be better for women. Only you can tell. I'd definitely check out the Butterfly (they have a regular, titanium, and now a carbon one).

 

[3chilipeppers]

Have you tried the Butterfly now that you've changed the position? It may still not work, but you said you tried a bunch and none of them were right. Then, you just changed the position. The position can make a huge difference. I agree that the Damselfly looks quite uncomfortable. Saddles are a very personal thing. You have to get a good LBS that will work with you, and when you come back and tell them what part didn't work, they should be able to suggest another one that will be closer.

 

[hobey]

Terry Butterfly Ti for me too.<br><br>
Saddles are all about the butt feel. Just keep on trying them until you get one which works. Most good LBS's will work with you here.

 

[Heather H]

That's definitely my DH lol! I think he lives vicariously through me. He works at a bike shop and he's "just" a recreational rider, but since I "compete" in tris I "need" all the cool fancy stuff. ok by me <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
My current saddle is a racing saddle and it's great for about 25 -30 miles then starts getting uncomfortable. I'm hoping the cutout in the damselfly will make a difference, if not then I'll probably go for the butterfly. Although I think DH has some other saddle he's looking at too.<br><br>
I'm going to let DH pick out what he thinks is best for me because he enjoys doing it and I really don't mind if I go through 3 or 4 saddles before I find the best one for me.

 

[3chilipeppers]

The cutout may certainly help, but if the saddle is too narrow, it will hurt regardless. I'm guessing that's the problem with your current one. I can ride on my Butterfly for hours (it has the cutout, but it is wider in back). The only time it hurts some is when I'm on my aerobars for a long time. That's because I don't have it tilted, though, so I'm sitting more on the nose. Just tell DH to let you try a few, and YOU'LL decide! It is your butt, not his! Just as he cannot just go buy you the best running shoes and expect them to be perfect for you, he certainly can't just give you what he thinks is the best saddle and expect that it will be perfect for you.

 

[Tri-Tammy]

I actually moved my seat forward, just a smidge, and then raised my seat just a little. I haven't messed with the tilt at all. Might that help?<br>
I'm riding tonight, so we'll see how it goes.

 

[Snooze]

Well, luckily for me, one of the dudes in my newbie tri group is an avid cyclist and has , literally, a box of saddles in his car. He gave me a half dozen, told me to try them, and if I liked one I could have it. I think I found the one I like. <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[slow_n_steady]

Out of curiosity, which one is it?

 

[3chilipeppers]

It depends on where it is hurting. If it is in front (on the nose), yes, tilting can help. I like mine pretty much parallel to the ground, otherwise I feel like I'm sliding off. I need to tilt mine, though, for riding on the aerobars.<br><br>
Yeah, what is it?

 

[Snooze]

Fizik Aliante. It's just the sport version though. And free will work for now. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">