Saddles for commuting...

mikebordo · 07-09-2008

I'm on the heavier side (6'2" - 260) and am considering a road bike for commuting to work and exercise/pleasure riding. I need to shed the pounds. I'm presently riding a Fuji Crosstown 1.0 and I hate it. I need the drops. It's what I'm used to from my teen days of the 70s.

I've never had a road bike with those little racing saddles. Should I decide on the Fuji Newest 1.0 or Trek 2.1, would I be more comfortable by switching saddles to a Touring bike saddle? The added weight isn't a factor because I'm not racing. I just like to go fast!

Thank you in advance for any replies.

Mike

Squidward · 07-09-2008

This topic has been discussed at length here at RBR. If you do a search you will likely find many posts about it.

The bottom line is that you need to find a comfortable saddle. The problem is that your anatomy and the anatomy of your friends and neighbors who may be close to your size and weight are not necessarily the same where you make contact with the saddle so asking for advice on a forum is like asking what tennis shoes you should buy. You're going to have tons of answers but ultimately you need to go out and find something that works for you.

Some things to think about:
Some bike shops will loan you saddles until you find something that works for you. They do expect you to buy from them when you do find something that works.
If you haven't ridden in a while then it will take time for your butt to build enough tolerance to sitting on a saddle before you can really figure out what works for you. In the meantime you need to tough it out, shift your position, stand for 15 seconds during a ride to allow blood to flow, etc.
A thickly padded saddle is probably the worst thing you can get for comfort. This is because the deformation of the padding actually will work to cut off circulation to that area, causing even worse pain or other problems. Having said that, I remember, as a kid, having ridden a plastic shell saddle without a chamois nor padding and I don't recall having issues with saddle soreness but all of my saddles these days have padding.

I weigh 145 lbs and I only have Fizik Aliante (road bikes) and Pave (mountain bike) saddles.

I3erto · 07-10-2008

get a brooks b17.. but if you want to try a bunch of saddles cant really beat this..

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/ro...es/demo-saddle

buck-50 · 07-10-2008

+1 on the brooks. Caveat- most folks either love them or hate them. Me, I'm 6'2", 220. I'm not small. It fits me well. Caveat 2- brooks+rain= not so good.

Also consider the Selle San Marco Rolls or Regal- both have a similar shape to the brooks, but lighter and with a wee bit more padding, and a lot more weather-proof.

mikebordo · 07-10-2008

As I kind of figured, the right saddle is going to be trial and error. Sounds like Brooks is pretty popular.

Thanks for the help guys. I'm 49 and have ridden since I was 5. I'm just taking an intrest in hard core road bikes. My last one was a 1973 Falcon Cycles. Right now I have a Fuji Crosstown Hybrid. Don't care much for it. I hate the flat bars. Everytime I go test ride a road bike I want one more and more. Love those drop bars. Haven't bought a new one yet, but I really like the Trek 2.1 and the Fuji Newest 1.0.

Mike

**Dave Hickey** · 07-10-2008

another B17 user....I wouldn't commute on anything else

Squidward · 07-11-2008

Brooks saddles require a break-in period for most folks. In theory, the Brooks saddle could be THE universal saddle once it has broken in for the owner because it molds itself to the rider but that process could prove painful to some people. I have yet to try one but probably will get one sooner rather than later.

BentChainring · 07-11-2008

+1 on the Brooks B17. I have it on my Road Rig.

My commuter is awaiting a Brooks Flyer (B17 w/ Springs). Gotta wait till August to buy it, my butt is hating me right now.

nK

buck-50 · 07-12-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squidward

Brooks saddles require a break-in period for most folks. In theory, the Brooks saddle could be THE universal saddle once it has broken in for the owner because it molds itself to the rider but that process could prove painful to some people. I have yet to try one but probably will get one sooner rather than later.

For what it's worth, none of mine have required any break in (I've got 3)- they were all pretty much instantly comfortable and have just gotten more comfortable...

brianmcg · 07-12-2008

I use the Brooks Champion Flyer. It is basically a B-17 with springs. It is great on my touring bike. It really smooths out the bumps.

I tried the regular B-17 and the Flyer together and I picked the Flyer because of the extra shock absorption. This may be good for a commute over bad roads.

Go to www.wallbike.com , they have a great return policy on Brooks saddles. You can try out a saddle for six months. If you don't like it return it, no questions asked. You may pay a little more, but if you are searching for the perfect saddle it will save you money in they long run.

mikebordo · 07-12-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squidward

Brooks saddles require a break-in period for most folks. In theory, the Brooks saddle could be THE universal saddle once it has broken in for the owner because it molds itself to the rider but that process could prove painful to some people. I have yet to try one but probably will get one sooner rather than later.

This may be one of those questions with many diferent answers but, how many hours is normally required to break in the Brooks B17?

BentChainring · 07-12-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikebordo

This may be one of those questions with many diferent answers but, how many hours is normally required to break in the Brooks B17?

The Brooks is very much like Chuck Norris. It breaks you in.

(Ive heard about a month or a few hundred miles. I rode a 65miler on mine a week after installation, and it was beautifully comfortable)

nK

brianmcg · 07-12-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikebordo

This may be one of those questions with many diferent answers but, how many hours is normally required to break in the Brooks B17?

Mine was very comfortable right out of the box. If the saddle fits you properly there should not be much of a break in required in order for it to be comfortable.

However as you put more miles in a Brooks it does get softer and it starts to form to your butt. It is quite nice.

jorgy · 07-12-2008

I have a Brooks Finesse on my commuter. It's the women's version of the Team Professional.

Mr. Versatile · 07-12-2008

No matter how heavy or light you are, your sit bones don't change. They're always the same distance apart. This goes an awful long way in determining what's comfy for you in a saddle. The sit bones are what you sit on. They contact the seat, and support your weight on it. Big, wide, padded seats only support flesh, which doesn't need to be supported. That = pain in pretty short order. The larger & wider the seat, the more likely it is to cause chafing. OUCH! That's why you see seats that are relatively the same size on road bikes. The big seats are standard on lower line, and crossover bikes because the mfgr's assume that those kind of bikes will not be ridden long distances. There are many, many excellent seats out there. Finding one you like is a pain in the ....oh, never mind. If I was planning to buy a new bike with drop bars, I'd wait until I got the bike. You might really like the seat it comes with. If not, try shopping at your local bike shop (LBS). They will often let you try a seat for a couple of days, and if you don't like it, you can exchange it for another. Bike seats are a HIGHLY individual choice. I ride a seat that other people wouldn't ride for 20 miles, and I know plenty of people that have seats that I just roll my eyes at. Nobody's right. Nobody's wrong.

BTW, I commute 36 miles per day, and I use the same seat on my commuter as I do on my race bike.

mikebordo · 07-12-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Versatile

No matter how heavy or light you are, your sit bones don't change. They're always the same distance apart. This goes an awful long way in determining what's comfy for you in a saddle. The sit bones are what you sit on. They contact the seat, and support your weight on it. Big, wide, padded seats only support flesh, which doesn't need to be supported. That = pain in pretty short order. The larger & wider the seat, the more likely it is to cause chafing. OUCH! That's why you see seats that are relatively the same size on road bikes. The big seats are standard on lower line, and crossover bikes because the mfgr's assume that those kind of bikes will not be ridden long distances. There are many, many excellent seats out there. Finding one you like is a pain in the ....oh, never mind. If I was planning to buy a new bike with drop bars, I'd wait until I got the bike. You might really like the seat it comes with. If not, try shopping at your local bike shop (LBS). They will often let you try a seat for a couple of days, and if you don't like it, you can exchange it for another. Bike seats are a HIGHLY individual choice. I ride a seat that other people wouldn't ride for 20 miles, and I know plenty of people that have seats that I just roll my eyes at. Nobody's right. Nobody's wrong.

BTW, I commute 36 miles per day, and I use the same seat on my commuter as I do on my race bike.

Mr. V. (and all who've chimed in here),

Thanks for the thorough reply. The sit bone analogy makes a lot of sense. Also, the wide cushy seat is what I have on my Fuji Crosstown Hybrid. Along with not really liking the bike, the seats has done some damage on me after a few weeks of numerous rides.

What you recommended is what I was planning on doing - get the bike first and see how I like the stock saddle. I'm just asking questions about it because I'm basically a newbie and I have a very inquisitive mind. I also tend to over think things. Plus, last year I got some serious seat rash from overdoing it on my Hybrid.

I still want to kick myself for not buying a road bike to begin with. I guess the good thing is I'm an avid eBay seller and my hybrid is still like new so I shouldn't have any problem selling it.

Mr. Versatile · 07-13-2008

Any time, Mike. Keep in mind that getting used to ANY seat is going to take a little (ahem) getting -to-know-you period. None of them are what I'd call Barcoloungers. No disrespect intended, but this especially true if you're a newbie to riding. I ride all year, but many riders don't. When the weather gets good they start riding again, and you can bet their butts are going to feel it for awhile. So good luck, and give it some time.

Kwikfile · 08-25-2009

I am on the verge of getting a Brooks Champion Flyer (B-17 w springs) from Wallbike. It seems that it is a great saddle. I have read reviews other than Wallbikes blogs that actually seem very honest. Kicking down that kinda dough for a saddle is big for me. I visit the wallbike site every week, I guess you could say I am Jonsing for that saddle...

Peace,

Kiwkfile
Life is Hard, and when your stupid it's harder!