LOOKING FOR A COMFY SADDLE

[Hurrellmc'burrell]

Hi guys every time I get out on my ebike I'm getting some pretty bad saddle sore normally ride about 20 miles but today went to 28 miles and it was pretty tough going I do wear padded undershorts but can't help but think I need a more comfy saddle as I'm still using the saddle which came with the bike just looking for some links to what you guys upgraded to if you changed your saddle or some other advice on what you do if you haven't changed your saddle.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

Hi guys every time I get out on my ebike I'm getting some pretty bad saddle sore normally ride about 20 miles but today went to 28 miles and it was pretty tough going I do wear padded undershorts but can't help but think I need a more comfy saddle as I'm still using the saddle which came with the bike just looking for some links to what you guys upgraded to if you changed your saddle or some other advice on what you do if you haven't changed your saddle.

Hello mate. How much saddle time do you get? The arse soon gets used to it ?

 

[Hinett]

I use a Specialized henge which I got fitted for from the concept store. Most of not all bike shops that sell saddles will have a memory foam style pad to sit on that you measure the distance between your sit bones on and then choose a saddle that fits your size. Most bikes come with very narrow saddles which maybe ok for some but not all, so I would advise going to your local bike shop and get measured as you could spend all the time in the world on the wrong sized saddle and it will never give you the support you need to be comfortable

 

[Hurrellmc'burrell]

Ok cheers mate every bike shop I have tried have never offered that service tbh have to keep looking

 

[Hinett]

Have you got a Specialized concept store near to you? If not larger stores as leisure lakes or Evans cycles will definitely supply this service. You can do a home hack also. Get some corrugated cardboard about 30 cm long and 20cm wide and wrap in tin foil, place on the 3rd step of your stairs and place your feet on the first step. Push your weight though your bum and on to the cardboard, this should give you the 2 pressure point dents which you measure from Center to center this gives you your sit bone measurement, add 20mm to this and that will give you what width saddle you need and then you can chose one to suit you

 

[Doomanic]

Getting measured is the way forward. I did it for my road bike and the new saddle transformed the ride.

Alternatively, we could just ignore the sensible advise and tell you get a Charge Spoon or Fabric Scoop because some bloke on Facebook said it was the best...

 

[ChrisP]

Not a seat I know, but these cycle shorts made a massive difference for me. Amazing things. They have the 600 series padding and i wont ride without them now! They are not cheap but my ass is worth it
Endura FS260-Pro Shorts 2017 | Chain Reaction Cycles

 

[John Locke]

That's interesting. I walk into a bike shop to have my ass measured? OK, I'm in if it helps with my long rides. I just feel a little weird about it.

 

[Hinett]

This is the one that Specialized have in stores for measuring you

 

[Theolegit]

Getting measured is the way forward. I did it for my road bike and the new saddle transformed the ride.

Alternatively, we could just ignore the sensible advise and tell you get a Charge Spoon or Fabric Scoop because some bloke on Facebook said it was the best...

Best saddles going and cheap, been using them for years on all my bikes

 

[John Locke]

I can just imagine the look on my wife's face when I suggest she go through this process to help her mitigate fatigue on long rides.

I don't think I'm going there, but it was a funny thought anyway.

 

[R120]

Fabric Cell Elite radius

Cell Elite Radius - Fabric

 

[Doomanic]

http://www.mbr.co.uk/news/product_news/review-saddles-group-test-281471

 

[Kernow]

I’ll second the Endura pro shorts , I’ve got a few pairs of quality shorts but they are another level , especially on long days on the roadie .
I got measured at the specialised shop. But found it hard to get an accurate reading on the bumwidthometer , I managed to work out the width after trying the fabric saddles with the free return if you don’t like it deal
. Then I discovered the fizic saddles measuring concept and worked out my seat needed to be a certain fizzic model , based on my width measure I ordered that fizzic seat for my road bike and now combined with my Endura shorts I have done a few 80 mike days without a worry about saddle comfort , the rest of my body was another story but bum was fine . I can now recognise a seat that will probably suit me , but there’s half a dozen failed seats on my bike shed shelf ?

 

[Moose]

After a lot of consideration I got measured for an SQ labs saddle at Raceco Cycles and although expensive it has been worth the expense, having now covered over 400 miles using it I have no problem recommending it.
SQlab Ergowave 611 saddle review - Mtbr.com

 

[R120]

On the subject of shorts, i use Boardman bib shorts, which i find a massive improvement over anything i have used before, mainly because i think the bib shorts don move around as much

 

[Doomanic]

I used bibshorts until I got some Endura Clickfast liners.They are awesome!

 

[R120]

They are good - i have a couple of pairs as my preferred riding shorts are Humvees

 

[caterhamnut]

I also rate the humvee shorts and liner - I sometimes get ‘caught’ on the saddle though....any one recommend anything less baggy? Endura would be good - also,lighter for the hot weather?

 

[Hydracatch]

For me, the best saddle type has turned out to be the all-leather Brooks type saddle. These days there are quite a few brands out there. Some people still swear by Brooks, but I have heard experienced Brooks customers saying that they don't keep their shape as well as they used to. Spa makes some very similar-looking saddles that reputedly take longer to soften, but hold their shape better. They are also cheaper than Brooks without any obvious drop in quality. My own (expensive) favorites are made by Gilles Berthoud in France, and they are like a Brooks brought into the 21st Century, with the ability to replace individual components (including the leather) if necessary. Like Spa saddles they take hundreds of miles to soften, but when they do they are great for long-distance rides. I did 120 miles on one on Saturday and only afterward did I realize that I had not thought about my rear at all during the ride.

If you choose a padded saddle I would warn against anything that claims to have "Gel" in it. I've had a few saddles with gel, and none felt good after 10 miles. A good shape (individual to you) and a bit of flex are the things to aim for. And don't even begin worrying about weight. This is not an area to save grams.

Good luck finding your ideal saddle. It is such an individual thing that no-one can reliably point you in the right direction.