I’ve got a month to go before my first double century. I’m working with a fitter to dial in the fit of my road bike to make it the most comfortable but I’m still figuring out saddles (aren’t we all). Recognizing there’s no magic bullet for saddles for everyone, wanted to hear some experiences to perhaps try to shortlist some saddles to try. Here are some I’ve tried or are curious about:
Specialized Pro Power Mirror: I’ve used this for century rides that has been largely comfortable/manageable, and probably the most comfortable saddle I’ve had (I can go 90 mins on the trainer with it as opposed to 60 mins on other saddles). It does get a little uncomfy later in a century ride. Usually, I’ll feel sit bone soreness around halfway and it increases but as it’s a flat saddle, I’m able to move around to manage. I suspect, though, that I sit too far forward on that saddle due to its shape. A lot of pain mentally diminishes when you get close to the finish line) so I don’t know how that will be once I cross the 100-mile mark.
Giant Contact SL: This saddle was ok for me but would get uncomfortable a third of the way during centuries – again with sit bone soreness. It came stock with a bike and I’ve looked to upgrade it with the next on this list.
Selle SMP Avant: On my fitter’s recommendation, I’ve been trying this saddle out and have over about 20 hours of riding. It’s big and looks plush but it gets uncomfortable for me around 40 miles in (pressure in front of the sit bones) and by then I’m trying to shift around but with its shape, I’m largely unable to move much. On the trainer, I really have to push to sit an hour on it. People who love Selle SMP really swear by their saddles, and I’ve seen that they’re finicky to dial in, but I’m not confident about it.
Selle Italia SLR Boost Endurance: I’ve not tried this one but it’s now a recommendation by a social media influencer bike fitter (his recommendations seem to change over time). It’s now hard to find anywhere but I’m curious if this (or its gravel version) works for folks doing ~200-mile rides in one go.
Fizik saddles: These have never worked for me at all. The most recent one, Fizik Vento Argo R5, was firm and gave me a saddle sore between my bum and left thigh.
These days, I’m largely using Rapha Core Cargo Bibs. With limited time left, I’m hoping to narrow down a list of saddles to discuss/try with my bike fitter. Any thoughts?
I use a Fizik Arione without a cut out but as you said you dont get on with Fizik. All other brands when I tested them had a cut out I couldn’t personally get on with. A bit of a game changer for me though I think was a bike fit, which lowered the saddle and I guess put more of the load through my legs and I moved in the saddle less.
SMP VT30c. By far the best option I’ve found and have used nothing but it since switching to it ~3000 hours+ of riding ago. Used it for PBP and had no significant saddle sores/chafing (plus chamois cream + Assos bib) and no issues with numbness at all.
The combination of flat surface, cut out, plus narrow nose is key for me. Flat surface also allows you to scootch around a bit if you’re getting sore in one spot too.
Any saddle though that meets these three broad criteria I find tend to be very comfy for me. Traditional things like sit bone width I’ve found are basically completely irrelevant to my comfort.
Saddles with the rocker shape and upwards nose (ex: Avante) tend to lock me into one spot and worsen chaffing, and tend to cause worse issues with pudental nerve compression for me as well.
I used an Ergon all road saddle for unbound. I’m prone to saddle sores and this got me through 200 miles. I have a specialized mirror and while it was very comfortable when I bought it, I find it much less so anow after riding with it for ~18 months.
I been using the Spec Romin with mirror for 2 years. It’s long and narrow. Good for me as I do move a lot forward when climbing. It’s not flat like the Power Pro mirror that I have on my older bike. For some reason the Power would just not work on the new bike.
Power Pro Mirror/Wove Mags/Wove V8/Specialized Sitero have all been fine for me on 200 mile events depending on bike setup and goals. I think the Wove falls apart for me after 400 miles and the Sitero leaves me feeling more chafed than others.
I did not get along with PRO Stealth or most Fizik saddles.
My biggest problem was shoes that were too narrow that I’d stand more from fatigue towards the end of the day causing cramps in my foot. Bike fitter made me feel foolish because I thought by my mid thirties I’d be able to buy the correct sized shoe.
I think trying to get recommendations for saddles from the internet is somewhat futile, it’s classically the most personal, YMMV-type part of a bike.
That said, it’s probably useful to consider what has NOT worked about the saddles you’ve tried. Is the nose or sit-bone area too wide, is there chafing, is there too much pressure in the peritoneal area etc.? Consulting a fitter is also a good move; how aggressive your position is, how heavy you are, and how much power you’re putting out can all influence the “what next?” part of saddle shopping.
Personally, after trying a ton of options, the Fizik Antares Vento or Antares Versus Adaptive have both worked amazingly well for me. Despite being 6’3" I find the narrower width ideal.
I’m with you on trying to get recommendations via the internet for saddles. I’m just hoping to narrow down some options to try with my fitter given that I only have a month until my event.
Your point on what has not worked is pretty valid. I’ll update my original post for each of those saddles that I’ve tried, but often it’s that my sit bone area gets very sore at some point in the ride. If my fit is good, then I’m wondering if a more appropriate saddle would be the fix.
Specialized Phenom paired with Velocio bibs made for an incredibly comfy 206 miles this summer. I do have a slightly more up right position than most and a bit more fat on my ass than most… both those things tend to help comfort wise.
Selle SMP Carbon Lite got me through Unbound unscathed and tens of thousands of other miles. Never going back to a padded saddle. Bonus: it doesn’t compress over time and need replacement.
That saddle is amazing and terrifying at the same time. I would imagine there’s no room for error on that one! And, probably depends on an equally dialed chamois!
I think it was someone from Wove on one of the EC podcasts who said they typically find 3 reasons people don’t like saddles: The nose is too wide causing chafing, the side-to-side shape isn’t good causing soft tissue pressure/issues, or the saddle is too hard causing sit bone (actually pubic ramus) pain. They noted that some folks love harder saddles and some just don’t. Sounds like you don’t.
That being the case I’d consider some of the 3D printed options, which tend to spread the pressure on the sit bones out a bit more. Seems like the saddle you like most (Power with Mirror) is of this ilk. Of course the bummer is that these tend to be $$, so definitely consider a shop with a great return policy; Competitive Cyclist is a good one.
In the past I used a cobb v-flow plus ( now the jcob delta p ) with great results.
My most recent bike, one of the build options was the fizik argo vento, and it looked closest to my riding style so I grabbed that and had success on that on my last couple double centuries as well.
Personally, my experience has been that a saddle that’s comfortable for 3 or 4 hour rides should also be comfortable for 200-milers. I’ve found that things start to change around the 16-hour mark, and any small fit or rub issues begin to magnify and get more and more severe.
I’ve ridden quite a few saddles over the years chasing that unicorn. I’m currently on a Specialized Power Pro Mirror and while it’s not perfect (some reviewers sing its praises as if they’re riding on air), it’s probably the best saddle I’ve ever owned in terms of long-ride comfort. Looks like you’ve already ridden one, so I may not be adding much to the discussion. I’ve never found something that completely eliminates some sit-bone discomfort, but I very rarely experience numbness on my Power Pro Mirror, whereas I used to on previous saddles. I have the Power Comp (non-Mirror) on my MTB and it’s nowhere near as comfortable but with how much I get out of the saddle on my MTB, it hasn’t really affected me on long distances.
I’ve always been curious about the Infinity Saddle. Chris Burkard has done many ultra rides with one and swears by them. They look a little goofy, but a lot of non-traditional saddles focused on long-distance comfort usually do.
I also recently came across the Posedla Joy Seat. It’s a custom 3D printed saddle based on your butt imprint. Don’t think it fits within your timeframe but an interesting (and very pricey) option to consider for the future. The Bi-Saddle Hurricane Pro 3D has also caught my eye, but I think that’s mostly due to me getting an Instagram ad for it pretty much daily
Saddles are a difficult thing because everyone’s body and fit are so unique. I guess that’s why there are so many options.
Something else to consider besides a saddle for prolonged comfort…a suspension seatpost.
It doesn’t have to be anything overly complicated or funky looking. Something like the Ergon leafspring seatpost can add an amazing amount of comfort to your bike.
You need to have a round seatpost for this to be an option though…
