Touring saddles

[tzarriello]

Hi everyone,

Wondering if a female out there has a recommendation for an awesome saddle. 

[justbarb]

I have a Brooks pre-aged B-17 that came with my Raleigh Sojourn, and after almost 300 miles I am still not comfortable with it.  I am thinking of getting a sprung Brooks, as my handlebars are a little more upright, and I am a member of The Slow Bike Movement. [I wear mt. bike shorts, gloves, helmet, SPDs but that's about it for cycling clothing.] I do lots of errands on my bike, so a little more comfy saddle sounds like a good idea.  From several sources I have learned that the Brooks women specific saddles aren't as good as the men's.

[waynemyer]

Saddles are immensely personal, but that said...

My partner rides a Selle Anatomica and finds it to be very comfortable.  At the risk of being too graphic, the Selle Anatomica is very kind to the prominent bits.  The SA is the only saddle she rides on all of our bikes, and she tried lots of the female specific saddles out there. 

I ride a Selle SMP Forma.  My partner has tried this saddle for a few miles and found it to also be very comfortable, but has not logged nearly as many miles on it as her SA.

[paddleboy17]

Saddles are indeed personal. 

I ride Brook's saddles and cannot ride a Selle Anatomica saddle as it just does not work for me.  The guy I tour with rides a Selle Anatomica saddle and cannot ride a Brook's saddle.  Yes, we have traded saddles.

I don't know that a sprung Brooks saddle will be a major improvement over a standard B-17.  If I remember right, the Flyer is a B-17 on springs.  I know that men benefit from cutouts in saddles to protect their prostrates.  I don't know what, if anything gets done for a woman's comfort.

Have you played with saddle adjustments?  The norm is a level saddle, but I usually need a slight down tilt.  It may also be that you need look at front to back adjustments.  The norm is knees over pedal, but I am most comfortable slightly in front of that.

Most of us have a box of saddles that did not work out.  It may be time for you to start building your box.

[bogiesan]

Recumbent.

Few months ago, one of the bicycling magazines ran an article about women-specific saddles. Sorry, can't recall which one, may have been one of the British mags. Time to fire up google.

david boise ID

[Tourista829]

I agree with Paddleboy17, it is truly a personal thing. I ride a Brooks Professional with copper rivets and love it. I have had it for years. The Springer is similar to the Professional with shock absorbing springs. The Brooks Imperial is a B-17 with a cut out, in the center, also may work too. Nashbar has good prices on Brooks saddles. On the road, almost 1/3 of the saddles, i see, on touring bikes are Brooks. (mostly B-17) In the old days, a real Brooks saddle had copper rivets, not so today.

There are two schools of thought. Some say you should be comfortable as soon as you get on it and then there are those that believe it takes time to break in a saddle and to become "road hard." It took me awhile to break in my Brooks saddle but it was worth it.

My girlfriend is having a difficult time finding a saddle that feels good. She has tried the Terry Liberator X and it did not work for her. It was too hard. They recommended this saddle for touring, in a more upright position. Alex Dawd of Villin Cycles, a custom frame maker in Gainesville, Fl. use to ride a Brooks. He and is wife now swear by a Sella Royal Men and Womans Gel Saddle. Whatever you decide to do, get as long a trial period as possible. I'd ask for 90 days although most will give you 30 days. Otherwise you will end up with a box full of saddles that you discarded in your garage.