Can anyone recommend a comfy women's road bike saddle?

[Sarah_M]

Mine was OK when upright but not most comfy (to say the very least!) when getting into a more aero position. Can anyone recommend a comfy one? Thanks

[Joanna]

Hi Sarah. I cant be specific about sadles but i have found that mens sadles are often more comfy, but only if you look for flat ones. personally the womens specific saddles with cutouts havent worked for me and as they are so expensive its imposible to keep trying new ones.

I think sigma and Butlers do a "try before you buy "on a couple of brands (or it may be that you buy one but can then swap around the range)

Otherwise i have 3 sadles you could borrow to try, all mens but flat so that the pressure is moved back onto seat bones. I loved my USE carbon pro untill i tried the Toupe which is im using now, though for really aero position you may need a tri saddle. and i dont have any of those.

pm me if you want to arrange to collect saddles i am intending to be at the pilates class on wednesday if its easier to collect them from there.

Joanna

[Tamar]

Conversely I am very happy with women's specific cut-out saddles. My favourite is the Specialised Body Geometry Jett (currently on offer from Evans): [url]http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=13286[/url] It comes in 3 different sizes but everyone I've spoken to so far is medium (143mm). You have to get your butt measured in the shop.

I've got an older version of this [url]http://www.totalcycling.com/index.php/product/SD_LDY_GEL8.html[/url]that I'm very fond of.

The only non-cut out saddle that I liked was a mtb one with a deep groove and sweeping profile that I bought off Paul Tunnell's son and use on my commuter.

You're welcome to borrow any of the above. I currently have the Jett on four of my bikes so can definitely spare one if you'd like to try it out. It's quite a firm perch for very long rides, where the selle italia is perhaps a litte more comfy in the sit-bone area....but the trouble with the selle italia is that the softness of it can cause the edge of the cut-out to dig in...so on the whole I think I still prefer the Jett. I'll bring one along to the pilates.

[Sarah_M]

Thanks Joanna and Tamar I will be at the pilates as long as William keeps behaving himself. My current saddle is a prolite. It is fine when more upright but I am finding it too long and uncomfortable when I am down on the bottom of the bars.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

No.

[Amy]

Ignoring Mr PVT's oh-so-useful contribution, I too prefer men's saddles though I am trying out the Jett Tamar mentions. I tried the 'measuring' thing and came out medium too but I compared the different widths with my Selle Italia Aspide men's saddle and the smallest Jett was the same size.

The only other thing is that it might not be the saddle but rather the angle of it - I have seen it recommended that women have their saddles pointing down ever so slightly (ie not so much that you're having to push yourself back up the saddle)

Ha, ha, I used to scare beginners with my Brookes' narrow by rapping it to show how hard it was

[Sarah_M]

Thanks Amy,
That may well help, I'll try it It is the long and narrowness that is a pain (metaphoric and literal!) when getting down low on it.

[Amy]

hmm, there was another women's saddle I was interested in that you might like - can't remember what it was at the mo. Will post when I remember but in general women's saddles are shorter and broader. Ah just checked on Evans - this one [url]http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=13642[/url]. I rejected it as too wide

[Marky Mark]

I've heard side saddle is for the ladies or is that just horses

[Sarah_M]

Joanna and Tamar,
It looks unlikely I will be there Wednesday - I spoke to soon and jinxed it and Wills has to go back to hospital

[Ivor]

nah, I can't see how a horse can ride a bike mark.

[Amy]

You two had better watch it, orv you're already in trouble

[Marky Mark]

Yeah ORV

Behave!

[Michelle]

Now then now then now then! None of this mucking about lark....

Back to saddles then.

The jett is the one I have on my bike but I did have to make sure it was pointing downwards otherwise things get a bit sore in the front bottom department. The one on my nice bike is a Bontrager affair and I have no idea what its called. I have only done about 300 miles on it so I don't think I have broken it in yet.

[Marky Mark]

I stumbled across this and thought it might add to your Knowledge for seeking the perfect saddle.

[url]http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bike/[/url]

Marky Mark