I just got a saddle with a cutout (SMP Vulkor). the shape of it actually feels amazing for me (and build quality is very very high end). I felt a distinct lowering in my hip rocking. (my previous saddle was a specialized Romin 3d printed - super comfy but I am trying a few different things to reduce…

Sounds a bit scary. Have you tried lowering your Romin? Rocking is most commonly caused by too high a saddle.

hmmm… my stuff never never drops down the hole in a cut out saddle… maybe i’m not quite as gifted? My assumption would be that your hips are tilted forwards and that this problem would go away if you were in a position on the bike where your hips were level and your sit bones firmly planted on the …

[image] TrekCentury: Sounds a bit scary. Have you tried lowering your Romin? Rocking is most commonly caused by too high a saddle. i think it had more to do with the flex laterally in the romin…the smp doesn’t flex side to side…very firm. [image] kevistraining: hmmm… my stuff never never…

[image] genefish: I thought you wanted that On a TT bike maybe - but you would do it by perching your sit bones right at the front of a blunt saddle. For road use you will want your hip pretty level and your sit bones taking all the pressure - low aero position achieved by lower back flexibi…

I have an SMP saddle and have noticed that the incidence of “stuff” creeping into the generous cut-out is actually related to the bibs I’m wearing. My Assos bibs will draw things into the cut-out while my Velocio and Rapha bibs do not.

If you like how you sit on an SMP but don’t get along with the cutout, the SQLab saddles might work well. Testing them back to back I could get slightly better forward hip rotation with the SMP. Some people ride with a natural wiggle where they enlist their core and the hip motion is complementary…

Serious question. Are you wearing bibs?

Bibs? Male or female? Seat height correct? I don’t use SMP saddles, but from what I understand, they are a lot more finicky when it comes to height and tilt. My saddles with cutouts do not have this trait - my junk doesn’t get jammed into the cutout in any way.

Saddles and cutouts are a funny thing IME, my Specialized Avatar has one and its quite comfy but I’ve never been able to get on with one with one with any other road bike saddle. Although my Fizik Tritone has a groove and whilst I didn’t like it at first, I dont mind it several years later.

SMP are hugely finicky; a few mm in any direction, and half a degree of tilt, can make a huge difference. The best bike fitter I know says that they are in theory the best saddles for most people (the design makes the most sense) but the fiddliness of setup makes them an impractical choice for many…

Saddle Cutout? do you get used to it?

Equipment

AJS914 March 23, 2024, 3:34am 19

Steve Hogg’s articles on SMPs might give you some ideas. I’ve been meaning to try an SMP.

Uneven sitbones

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Saddle Cutout? do you get used to it?

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