Author Topic: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.  (Read 11155 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Glitser

Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« on: December 02, 2020, 04:13:24 pm »
Hello fellow cyclist. I have a Sirrus comp bicycle. It is alot like a racing bicycle, however the handlebars are the typical T shape as opposed to the curled rams horned shape. Anyway, I consider it my racing bicycle.

Anyway, I dislike the thin long seats of the racing bicycles. Can anyone recommend a different seat that I could use on that bicycle? A wider more comfortable seat is desired. I am not out to break any time trials or anything so adding a few more ounces is not an issue. Thanks in advance for your help.


Offline John Nelson

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2020, 10:25:47 pm »
A lot of people associate comfortable with cushioning. But that’s not necessarily true. It could be you just need a saddle with a different width. Some shops have the equipment to measure what width you need. Other shops have a loaner or try it before you buy it or free exchange program.

How many miles are your longest rides? What do you find uncomfortable about your current saddle? How upright is your riding position? Forgive the delicate question, but are you heavy?

Offline Glitser

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2020, 10:55:00 pm »
Thanks for the reply. Yeah, a little wider of a width is fine. I am looking for a seat replacement, not to add any type of slip on cushion.
 I frequently run about 4 miles per day, so I don't consider myself heavy. I was out riding a month ago and went off of a curb and might have fractured my Cocyx bone. Anyway, I just want comfort right now. A big Granny Seat is out of the question, but these thin narrow seats are killing me. If someone can recommend a seat I would really appreciate it. With the pandemic I don't want to hang around any bike shops or other stores if I don't have to.

Offline John Nelson

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2020, 11:30:59 am »
Bike saddles are very personal things. It’s not possible to know what will work well for you without trying them. Having said that, I’m going to recommend you try a Brooks B17. You can order one on the web from countless vendors.

Offline HikeBikeCook

  • World Traveler
  • *****
  • Posts: 497
  • Touring for over 50 years and still learning
Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2020, 01:43:30 pm »
I have different saddles for different types of riding. I like the ones with the pressure relief slot in the center for long days in the saddle, but I also ride with a classic Brooks B17, which I am going back to more. From everything I have read and experienced, the narrow saddles are more comfortable in the long run. Take some time to read about saddle and rider position and do a "fitting" or have your local shop do it for you. Being properly positioned on the bike is key to  getting the weight distributed between your butt, shoulders, and arms. The last long trip I did I actually brought 2 saddles with me to experiment and test riding comfort. Different saddles lend themselves to different riding positions and styles. It also takes your butt time to break-in to the new saddle and your sit bones are going to hurt in the beginning, no matter what you choose, if you have not ridden in a while.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2020, 12:19:59 pm by HikeBikeCook »
Surly Disc Trucker, Lightspeed Classic, Scott Scale, Klein Mantra Comp. First touring bike Peugeot U08 - 1966

Offline hikerjer

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2020, 11:38:50 am »
Everyone's butt is different. Experimentation is really the ony way to determine what works for you.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2020, 07:27:50 pm by hikerjer »

Offline TCS

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2020, 04:34:49 pm »
I think I would recommend a root canal before a B-17 to someone with a fractured Cocyx.   ;D

The Sirrus Comp is OEM spec'd with an in-house "Specialized Body Geometry Targa Sport saddle with front/rear bumpers for durability and ample padding for comfort".  Hmm.

Perhaps a Serfas DDM-CT Dual Density?  Not overly wide, not a "granny seat", multiple progressive layers of pressure-spreading material.
"My name is Pither.  I am at present on a cycling tour of the North Cornwall area taking in Bude and..."

Offline cyclist alan

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #7 on: December 19, 2020, 03:31:12 am »
You can Check out these comfortable bike seats available online:-https://bikesreviewed.com/gear/most-comfortable-bike-seat

Offline canalligators

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #8 on: December 19, 2020, 10:52:22 pm »
The wider Brooks saddles are popular, and I really like them on my diamond frame  bikes.  Check out the B66 and the like, the ones with 205mm width.  Of course the Rans mesh is my favorite, but that requires a different bike type  ;) .

Offline cyclist alan

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2021, 02:48:36 am »
BONTRAGER AJNA PRO CARBON BIKE SADDLE: This is a great racing bike saddle and mountain bike saddle. It is a highly comfortable bike seat that you can ride with for long hours. To get more comfortable bike seat visit: https://bikesreviewed.com/gear/most-comfortable-bike-seat/

Offline ZiZohn

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #10 on: January 05, 2021, 09:48:30 am »
I really like the Selle Anatomica X. I have one on each of my bikes (Road, They seem to have less break-in time than the B17.

Offline driftlessregion

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #11 on: January 05, 2021, 03:08:49 pm »
The old saddle can of worms is officially open. No break-in period for me with B-17: comfortable right out of the box, mostly because the shape and width fits me perfectly. The Selle Anatomica never felt right.
Perhaps the Brooks Softened Flyer with the springs (like the B-17 175 mm wide) or the B-67 Softened which is 205 mm and has the springs or the B-33 which is a whopping 235 mm wide also with springs.

Offline Inge

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #12 on: January 06, 2021, 02:33:39 am »
I also can advise the Selle Anatomica for comfort however I found that for me they do not last long enough - in other words I find them too expensive for the about 6000km they lasted me.
I have since moved to a Gilles berthoud Mente saddle - which I find now that I have broken it in equally comfortable.

Just glanced thru the saddles mentioned on https://bikesreviewed.com/gear/most-comfortable-bike-seat/ but find that these gel saddles get very uncomfortable when the temperature gets warmer and get, at least for me, uncomfortable on long 6+ hours of riding - for me a reason to stay clear from them.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2021, 02:38:28 am by Inge »

Offline bobbys beard

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #13 on: January 06, 2021, 06:39:59 pm »
Saddles can take some time to get use to, but sometimes never. If you felt comfortable with a certain saddle, maybe swap it, or try to find another.

Offline jkbrooks

Re: Alernate bicycle seat to a racing bike. More comfortable.
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2021, 10:19:15 pm »
I agree with the loaner suggestion at a bike shop. Great idea if you can find a line of saddles you're interested in and a shop that does a loaner bit.

I have a couple Selle Anatomica (like ZiZohn mentioned.) One is the new rubber one (I live in Seattle) and the other is a leather one. I had some water issues and broke one so was pretty happy about the rubber offer they have now. I like the saddles.

I also think that saddles can elicit the jihadi in all of us. Since everyone's self set up is different, everyone's saddle issues are different. And many have strongly held opinions on the topic! :)

I'm sure this isn't fair and I'm sure will elicit plenty of feedback here, here's what I've come to believe about saddles;
* They're never like sitting on the couch. If they are, I'm probably doing it wrong and will pay for my short period of comfort soon
* My rating scale goes from "this thing sucks and should be used for some medievil torture set up" to "this thing sucks less than the other one and doesnt bite my shorts when I'm trying to get back on the saddle at a stop light"
* I'm sorta shooting for 60% happy out of the box. The balance (for me) is down to fit on the bike & mobility of the human involved.

So, what I would do is what you've done. 1) spend a ridiculous amount of time on the internet looking for the answer to my life's seat based problem. 2) Talk to my bike nerd friends (who typically have opinions about things like this that are far outside of the norms of reasonable) 3) Settle on one or two and try them. I'd try to get 10 hours in on the saddle, make sure I've got height re-calibrated for the new saddle, etc before passing ultimate judgement. 4) Be a little bit Buddhist; "don't get attached" to any particular saddle. Try to stay open minded.

And, given that any saddle is only one part of a three point (at least) issue; (saddle, bike fit, human mobility) I'm sorta shooting for 60% happy out of the box.

Legit shorts make a difference here too. You probably know that

I'm sure you're close to joining the ranks of the bonafide saddle jihadists of one tribe or another :) Happens