How To Choose A Road Bike Saddle
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- So you want to buy a new saddle for your road bike. Chances are, this is because your current saddle isn't very comfortable for you. Choosing a saddle can be an absolute minefield - with different widths, cut outs, and shapes to contend with. But don't worry, there's plenty of options out there for riders of all different shapes and sizes and, in this video, Ollie talks you through everything you'll need to know next time you buy a road bike saddle.
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Leave us a comment below! - Sport
"bum-o-meter" is the best term ever!
Steel O Bunz O Meter
"Sit bones"
"Soft tissues"
"Fancy pants"
In the auto world it's the Butt-dyno
Finding a fitting saddle is sometimes more problematic than finding a partner for the rest of your life.
I agree lmao
😭😭🙏
Does that mean if I get my saddle fit sorted, I'd guarantee myself a life long partner? I know it doesn't, but man I wish it work that way.
I still think there is a chance on the saddle bit.
A saddle is cheaper.
Great video Ollie. It deserves a sitting ovation!
@ricksnyder6318:
I’m clapping like a seal on my computer-chair.
Had to change to a wider and more s-shaped saddle after the birth of our son. Apparently, 2 kids making their way down there within 2 years somewhat modified the shape and dimensions....
tmi lol
care to explain whats S-shaped saddle looks like?
Add that to the list of things I would have never in a thousand years guessed I'd be Googling...
Oof! Thoughts and prayers
100%. Pubic symphysis or the opening of the pelvic ligaments during birth can permanently alter bone dimensions, even up to a few cm! No surprise that you needed a replacement saddle!
11:40: Ollie I may disagree with you on the top reason why a GNC viewer may want to upgrade their saddle (discomfort with current saddle). As with any bike, bike parts, and accessory, a top reason for any upgrade is watching too many GCN and GCN tech shows and falling in love (lust??) with the latest bike tech and innovations!! Thanks a lot for the show?? :)
To gold chain or not to gold chain...that is the question!
Being an older rider ( I'm approaching 70 ) my sit bones can ache quite badly on a longer ride. I now use a Selle SMP with a gel insert on both my bikes. The best I've tried so far. It's not the lightest saddle in the world but I prefer comfort over weight. You wouldn't notice the difference any way.
Did you have to try different SMP saddles to find the right one or did the first one you tried work, and out of interest which SMP saddle do you use. I've heard good things, but my finances are limited and the saddle I currently use, I'm happy with, although there is an SMP option for about £40 that I'm tempted to try to see if it makes any difference. Thanks
@@leightoms3917 Hi, the saddle I use is called a SMP Extra which has the gel inserts. This is the only SMP I've tried. This one is around £70. I chose this because of the gel, though it's not essential . Look at their options and their reviews. As far as I can see all the SMP saddles are good.
Cheers, shall give it some thought
Super helpful! I've got lost in the ammount of saddles out there, but I feel like I now know how to approach upgrading my saddle. Thanks ollie! (also great name!)
'Road saddle is not an arm chair' - quote of the year.
One of the most useful videos I've seen about cycling! Thank you so much!
Good video Ollie!! I recently switched from a softer, wider saddle to a narrower and harder saddle, and I'm way more comfortable now :D
Thank you for your videos; especially for the more recent ones. They have coincidentally coincided with my purchase of a new bike. I feel that a lot of your videos have guided me through before my bike purchase through some adjustments I am considering... such as that of a saddle!
Thanks for finally doing a video on this and stopping at the "saddles are very personal" point.
I love love LOVE the Selle SMP Well saddle. It's just the right width for my sit bones and the design is super comfy for long rides. I've demo'ed numerous other makes and models and this is the one for me!
I did a proper bikefit yesterday. Suddenly my horrible saddle feels amazing!
ThTs amazing , how did they modify your bike handle bars ?
@sr Vaughan answer thefucking question
That was super helpful! I'm looking to help my partner make his bike more comfortable and this video was amazing.
I was not expecting such a well thought out and detailed video. This was way more helpful than any video I’ve seen in the last couple years. Thanks GCN!
Thank you seriously I had this giant wide saddle for my spin bike, and I hated ridding because it was so uncomfortable. now I upgraded what a difference. You just saved me a couple thousand I almost purchased a treadmill.
Thanks Olly, im about to buy a new saddle and i had no idea on what i needed to watch out for. Great vid :) :) Thanks again
Good job Ollie. I know there are a hoard of different saddles out there, and the one I’ve found to combat numbness is an ISM PN1.1. They are a bit different looking than most saddles but work very well.
BiSaddle SRT 2.0 Bonneville is wonderful. I recently switched from a hybrid to a road bike and the BiSaddle was a great replacement for the stock saddle that came on the road bike.
Went through so many of these saddles(wider/narrow, channel/no, cutout/solid, time trial/standard). Ultimate solution was the infinity bike seat. No problems for 2 years.
Very detailed explanation of optimum saddle height set up. Great video. Thanks.
Shoutout to the G O O C H!
Never thought I'd hear those words in a GCN video...
I thought I was the only one that called it a gooch ahha
Great presentation Ollie! Thanks. The most important topic of cycling and it's all to do with our various undercarriages. I had the pleasure of buying a new bike last year and the shop was terrific in letting me try a number of saddles. I finally settled my ischial tuberosities (love that term), on a Selle Italia STS. The difference is all it takes to either 'like this bike' or 'not like this bike.' Compared to my older bike which had a pain inducing stock saddle by MTB, I can now ride at a leisurely pace pace for hours and concentrate more on cadence, position, endurance, coffee stops and the beautiful trails and country side.
This is perfectly timed. I have been having real issues on my TT bike 😑
For a long time, riding with my wife and young son, I went with the townie saddle. The guys at the local shop mockingly refer to it as the “sofa.” It’s actually comfortable for stop and go, low speed riding. My 7 year old son is now capable of 17+ mile rides on his 20 inch, one speed kids bike. He’s ready now for a 24 inch bike with gears. I’m looking at getting a new bike, too. Hopefully, we will be doing more longer rides together. Should be fun. Needless to say, I will have to retire the sofa saddle.
I love his humour. Fantastic presentation in his videos
You may want to discuss Brooks saddles, and how regularly changing pelvic tilt and position (fore-aft) on the saddle during a ride is both necessary and beneficial.
Great vid! Through measuring my sits bones and my saddle, I found out I have been riding on too narrow a saddle since I bought the bike. Bike shop owners ought to get out the bum-o-meter for all new purchasers. Right?
Thanks for the info, Ill have to scout out my LBS sometime soon for a pro fit!
This was pretty timely for me since I'm looking to do a few updates on my beloved Ridely X-Trail. Thanks! But even if I was not - Olli's facial expression when talking about the 3-d printed mesh stuff was more than worth it. Lol.
The saddle that came with my bike had the padding on the nose start to rip and it just isn't comfortable for me, so I'm buying a new saddle. Great timing.
Very informative! Thanks! Could you all make a video for gravel bike seats vs road bikes?
I have an Ergon Women's large Smc Sport Gel Saddle on my Santa Cruz and the road version on my Boardman, best buys ever as I went through too many saddles since my pregnancy and injury to my pelvis during labor I felt I needed something different to reduce my pain levels when riding, my mate suggested a cutaway saddle and gave me a loan of one have never looked back since I don’t have the pain levels I had as it was getting to the point I was considering giving up cycling
Can you also make a video on how to find these well equipped bicycle shops?? I have never seen a bike shop with trial saddles, let alone the bum-o-meter.
Good luck finding one in a 3rd world country such as where I am. 😅
Our local bike shop put my rear reflector on upside down (reflecting at the ground). Last thing I'm trusting them with is my arse.
Search for bike fit in your area. They're usually located in posh bike shops with other equipment available.
Love my Gilles Berthoud Marie Blanque. If you are even thinking about maybe trying a cut-away just do it! We spend enough time on our bikes so we know our bodies well enough. I have one with and without a cut away and I love them both but the cut-away is absolutely brilliant.
I've been looking at new saddles due to discomfort in my no-no bit region but after watching this I think what I need is a bike fit!
Bought an Argon 18 last year, saddle is a fabric ALM. I was sure I was in for a world of pain. Not having a cutout was something new. My sit bones are perfect for a 142mm wide saddle. Did a few 200 km rides, best saddle I've ridden so far. Got a Trek this year, the Bontrager Montrose Comp, steel rails, 138 mm width is a bit too narrow, not a world of pain, but, you know, the saddle is in the way kinda feeling. Bummometer, arf. Kudos for another smooth vid.
Excellent video. Covers anything and everything saddle related.
Very nice explanation, thanks. Now to start looking.
When my dad gave me his old mountain bike that he had bought in 1990s, there was a saddle that I'm still using in my new bike - that's WTB Speed V. And this saddle was on this bike by default - from the bike shop. Still have no idea why they put it, but I'm glad, because it's as soft as an armchair and as light as air.
I have found that when getting into cycling, the most important thing to be comfortable is to ride and get used to it. I would recommend switching a saddle if it's really uncomfortable though.
uh
My seadle is comfortable, but after 200 km in time of 2 weeks I got an little issue. Now I am thinking about change this stock seadle to anything with hole. What do you think? :(
@@panmaximus9504 visit your local bike shop and ask them.
On long rides every saddle can get uncomfortable. The same is the case when you ride a lot with little time in between.
I'm riding 80-120km per week without any problems. Many others ride a lot more than that without issues.
But a new saddle can potentially help you
@@sebastianjost I already called one bike shop and they want 10% price of the new saddle. Moreover they don't return this cash to me after end of the test. I find it strange, how it looks like in your area? Now I am thinking about buying Selle italia slr tm flow L2-selle Italia web site told me that this is my size after short test. What do you think about this? I Don't want to test if the 10% test fee is roughly 25% of the saddle I want to buy. Price is cheaper because I am not looking for a brand new Selle slr..., but opened- someone rode on in 100km and stated that is not for him.
uh. a bit long
thank you for reply
@@panmaximus9504 Buy any Selle Italia saddle from their “road - cycle touring” department. They’re all very comfy. All their saddles that have “MAX” in their name are extra comfort.
Very informative! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
The best saddle advice have seen. I have also found that nose width can be a problem. Some people need a narrower nose than many saddles have. After trying several saddles, I have started measuring the nose width from the tip back every 1cm. for 3 or 4 cm. The narrow nosed saddles work best for me.
“Bumometer”!! Brilliant and nice new word
Thanks for another interesting rundown on tech.
Peter Sagan's also pretty flexible too judging by his instagram...
Also you missed one important thing!! Doesn't matter what saddle you got if it's in the wrong place! Experiment with your position, both saddle and bars.
Also also i thought spesh made the power short cause the nose isn't the part of the saddle you should be sitting on anyway and hence chopped it off?
Also also also, appreciate the top down cam, good work.
Thanks, I needed this.
I started riding 2 years ago lost 50lbs as of today, about 5 months ago I developed pain in my left hip all the way through out my glutes, pain would get quite severe at times my acupuncturist and chiropractor couldn't figure it out, long story short, time has come for me to replace my saddle, I ordered Bontrager affinity elite, middle width, from Trek website simply because it looked good and was on sale, titanium rails and all that fancy staff, after two rides the pain is virtually gone, I never thought it was caused by cycling less likely by the saddle which I did find quite comfortable as well.
I just got my new saddle last week. :( Thanks a lot, GCN! (Great video!)
I just bought a Fizik Aliante saddle to try out before I buy my first road bike and see how it works. It's like Ollie mentions at the end: not a soft, plush place to spend your day. This saddle, while padded, is very, very stiff and must be used with cycling shorts, and even then, I know it's still gonna take some getting used to. But the saddle on my hybrid bike felt like that when I bought it and now it's become a part of me. But this is a great starting point when deciding what to buy.
Had an Fizik Aliante which left me numb after 30mins, replaced it with a Specialized Power Edge 2, worked out great for two seasons. But have found it can limit position changes, especially when climbing for long stints. Advice on saddles and terrain would be great!
I just bought myself a new saddle today, went from prologo to pro and both being metal rail, the pro saved 100g!!
Great vid, very informative - thanks!
Good one as usual Ollie. Thanks buddy. Hey, I called several local shops, a few high end ones too, and nobody has or knows of the “saddle fitting device”, (aka bumometer). Any advice on how to find one?
I quite like my brooks cambium carbon. I didn't pay attention when buying the seat post and had to "convert" my clamp to accept oval rails. A little dremelogy and it clamps just fine.
Very informative. Thanks!
Having a correct saddle makes the difference. Doesn't need to be expensive.
Since a i used the easy to use selle Italia on-line tool, plus a pragmatic mind: don't spend too much. I found a perfect match !
Can you guys do a video about Seatpost as well? Great video btw
Great video thanks for the info very helpful
No problem 👍 Glad it helped 🙌
I have an ancient Wright Swallow that I have been moving from bike to bike for about 45 years. I am one with this saddle. None of the newer saddles I've tried even come close for long distance comfort.
Love the new saddles going shorter, only now we need reverse layback seatposts to get the saddle up as the rails are still in the front.
Sterling effort to explain the inexplicable!
I’ve been looking for a new saddle since October 2019. Still undecided, so this helped 👍🏻
All the long nose saddles are equally horrible (for me at least).Try something with a cutout and short and wide nose. The bontrager aeolus comp saddle works perfectly for me.
I’ve just bought an ISM PN1.1. They look a little different but are awesome. No more numbness in the goodie area. I’ve been using Fizik Arione’s.
@@sgbryant1962 Good luck with the ISM. I had a ISM PN 3.1 before and it was a game changer. Had to take brakes alot with previous saddles. The PN 3.1 was super comfy while in the drops but not so great in a more upright position. No numbness at all and feels nice in a fast and low position so I was happy for a year. Then I started getting chafing as I got more active. Not completely sure why. Maybe too thick padding.
Wow! The next time I get a saddle, I'm going to find one of those primo bum-o-meters. Thanks!
It took me over a year to finally find the perfect saddle, I've wasted soo much money on new saddles, new bib shorts with ideal paddings, super extra chamois creams...the funniest thing is----> £10 cleat shim solved all the saddle discomforts. It could've been discovered waay much quicker, saving me loads of money just for the price of one pair of decent bib shorts - good BIKE FITTER is the key
Best advice i have read in years 👍
This so much. Very often sore arse isn't result of a bad saddle, but rather a bike fit issue (saddle height/tilt/fore-aft, shoes, cleat position, wedges, etc)
Probably the best posting yet from Oli whose equipment choices/recommendations are at times perplexing. I'm not a Specialized fan but they were an early proponent of dealer fitting programs and I went to a presentation over ten years ago in Melbourne (Australia) where Andy Pruitt, one of the most prominent cycling body mechanists at the time, spoke and proudly showed off the Specialized "arseometers" their dealers were using for body fits.
Saddle comfort is such a personal thing that recommending one to someone else is a perilous exercise - I am with Oli on loving the Fizik Arione (despite being older and and on the wrong side of 80kg) but know they are not for everyone. Given the problems that females often encounter in getting good advice on this subject, this posting could also have done with some input from Manon to discuss things to look for in women specific saddles as I don't think men are necessarily the best qualified to do this.
Happy to clear up what you have found perplexing. The main message I wanted to get across to people who are struggling for comfort is to get to a bike shop and do some fitting of some kind. I feel this applies to both men and women.
@@oliverbridgewood3929 I did feel that your breakdown of saddle choices and the type of bikes they suit was excellent and do agree that good fitting advice is an important aspect of finding saddle comfort. A good LBS is gold and the best starting point for this but the demographic for many of them, both in terms of staff and customers, is skewed towards a male perspective and at times recommendations given are too heavily influenced by the stock they have on hand. Because of this it is harder for females to find people who will give them suitable advice on things specific to them and saddles are perhaps the area with the highest fail rate.
The Fizik Argo is THE BEST SADDLE EVER. I swear to you have have gone through dozens of saddles (even TT saddles) and nothing relieved my Numb Nuts issues until I got the Argo.
LOVE IT. ♥️♥️♥️
As he said Saddles are personal.the Argo didn't work for me.the edges of the cut out cut in.
nice video, a lot info in less than 12minutes
thanks
Probably going to try the 3d printed saddles next - like the idea of a little bounce.
Saddles are one area brick and mortar bike shops still have a huge advantage over online retail. You can go in, get measured, then demo a variety of saddles before picking one that you've actually tried. In the long run you will save money, because you've tried a bunch to know what you like and don't like, and already have a nice fitting saddle. You'll end up buying several saddles online trying to find one you finally like.
Hello! Very informative video! Thank you!
Useful video 👍 I recently bought an ISM saddle as I use TT bars and it has eradicated the numbness in my feet after every ride. Very comfortable for this type of body position. I measured my own sit bones using a piece of corrugated cardboard and chalk. Saw a video of how to do it on CZcams. Bit of guesstimate but the saddle fits fine!
I just bought a couple ISM saddles. I don’t go numb anymore. Still trying to get it adjusted just right
Steve Bryant Mine isn’t in the perfect position. I brought my saddle forward and higher which helped. Also dipped the nose so I just perch on the front of the saddle. Again, good videos on CZcams
This was quite useful. A shopping I shall go.
I changed the awful padded comfort saddle to a road bike saddle on my City bike and my discomfort days were over. I also adjusted the saddle height and it's position to suit me better (thanks GCN for those tips in the other video). Last 200km of over 1000km has been really nice and pain free cycling.
Glad to hear your cycling is pain free!
I did the same thing. Now I have new bike I need to find a similar seat 😢
Great video Ollie👍👍
Thanks for reviews. Very good, understandable English)
I’m trialing an infinity seat at the moment, very comfy and well worth a look!
Is it possible to give one a trial in the UK do you know?
@@childofeternity no I had to buy it and see how it felt. 👍
I like my saddles curvy. I use a Fizik Aliante and San Marco Concor light.
Ooo you like your saddle just like your girl😏😏
Well hopefully I find a saddle that relieves the numbness I get. This gave me some knowledge anyway, but I think going to a bike shop is the best and well the spendy option also!
Gotta love my Fizik Antares. Best saddle I've ever tried and ive had many including specialized power, romin evo, selle italia, etc.
My saddle is rock solid but super comfy once your down low going hard on the pedals
Ollie, great, love it.
My question is what about firmness in saddles?
I use Fizik tundra, plenty of firm cusioning, manganese rails and aparently leather top.I knkw fizik have a t1 to t7 ranking in their saddles and i cannot see if that relates to firm support or soft support.
Do you know how I could update my aging tundras, with an equivalent current model with decent support and rails and does the t1 to t7 number, located under the noss of current fizik saddles, relate to their firmness. And....loved your hour record video attempt.... very proud of you.
Pressure = Weight x Surface Area. The larger the saddle, the more you spread out the weight, the less pressure is applied. And of course cuts outs take pressure of the most sensitive bits (if the cut out is wide enough). I ride a Selle SMP Martin Touring Saddle. Yes it's huge. Yes it's funny looking. Yes it weighs a ton. In 5 years of riding, not numb once. Not a single saddle sore. Even after winter break when hopping back on the road bike for the first ride of the season, no 'break back in' period. (Had tried 20-25 other saddles before I discovered this one. Can't recommend this enough for larger riders... (or smaller riders, no numb simply can't be beat...)
After one year of saddle discomfort I found Prologo Dimension 143 very comfortable with Rapha Bib shorts. First of all you need to buy a really good bib shorts. Expensive one. After that every cm and the degree on your saddle counts. You must ride it to found the best fit for you with less knee pain and low back pain. Remember one centimeter makes the change.
That fancypants 3D mesh looks just like an Adidas 4D shoe lol
Made by the same company
Thanks!
If you have or want to steer clear of shops in the current situation you can also measure your hip bones with a piece of corrugated cardboard. There's loads of instructions how to do that online.
If you put a small glass ball in the dented cardboard, it will be easier to measure!
Did so and ordered one from SQlab. Happy with it.
I just got a new bike and it came with a Fizik Vento Argo R3 Kium 140 which has a cut out. I was excited when I first got the bike. The saddle looks awesome. After 15 miles on the bike I was like "OUCH!!!" So I think I'm going to take the saddle of my old bike and put it on the new one until i find something like it or the same type.
Sent me online shopping to discover that Fizik now makes my favorite saddle with a "soft tissue pressure relief channel" that might remedy a certain discomfort on longer, steeper climbs that have been forcing me out of the saddle. Now to justify the fact that the lighter, channeled version will run $400 and save 81 grams while leaving me with an extra saddle.
from my own experience: it is trying trying trying, buying, reselling, buying, reselling, until.... you finally got it. no matter if I measured sit bones, I tried years, where at the beginning I always thougt: yeahh, this is the one.... wrong.... same game again.. and happy to got one, that fits for years now... selle SLR flow
I didn’t find a saddle that worked for me until I got a professional fit. I tried about 10 different saddles and ended at a 166mm Specialized Power saddle. Before that it took about 10 min before I started going numb.
Honestly speaking, a correct fit on the bike is more relevant to "saddle comfort" than changing the actual saddle. There is only... maybe like 1 (or the most 2) deciding factor when buying a saddle, which is whether it is able to support your skeleton evenly on left and right. Cushioning, thickness, weight, style, "swoopiness" either horizontal or vertical has very little to do with whether you'd feel good on the bike. The right fit for your body will ensure perfect support while riding in various positions throughout your ride regardless of duration. Save the money you would spend on trying saddles on a decent basic bike fit and you'll learn more about yourself and ensure healthy riding for many many years to come. I finally set aside the money last year and everything changed for me.. would recommend any cyclist to do so.. its really for anyone and everyone.
バイクフィットは禅の一種です。（自転車乗りも）
Bike fit is a kind of Zen. (Also bike riding)
Reconsider yourself (its skeleton and flexibility)
Despair in their big and small, then accept them
It is a work that leads to comfort nirvana.
Selle San Marco Zoncolan is the best fit saddle for me.
Bum-O-meter!
I went through about 5 different saddles before I found one that worked for me (loads of abrasions and numb junk for days after every ride)and that ended up being a triathlon saddle, so I ride my road bike on a selle italia iron flow. And I might actually have to go more aggressive on the cut out even since I some times still get numb junk on longer rides (80+ km), but now numb for a a few hours and not days.
Numb junk for *days* 😨? I would have thrown out that saddle immediately and visited a doctor if that happened to me 😵
Bum-omitor 🤣😂 LOL. Cheers for all you said which is very helpful, never knew there was such a choice & understanding 👍
Waiting for the all-black GCN fan bibshorts to arrive back in stock. :)
Me too!
My local bike shop let me use a test saddle for a good few weeks and their advice was to clock some decent kms on it
just two thoughts on saddle comfort that weren't mentioned: 1) flat saddles like arione can make it feel to some cyclists like they are never really sitting in the "right" place and they slide around. these people could benefit from having a curved back to the saddle to act as a reference 2) saddle comfort is also related to power on the bike, and this should make sense when you consider that force from legs is not only pushing down on the pedals but also pushing up and elevating your weight from the saddle
I am a big fan of curved back saddles, helps quickly get back into a decent spot on the saddle when getting back on the saddle after standing up. I run the WTB Volt on my MTB and love it, the curved back makes it easy to just slide back into a good pedaling position, especially on steep climbs. I tried the Specialized power saddle and could never get into the "right" position on it without a lot of shifting around. The power saddle also rotates your hips pretty far forward, definitely better suited to a road bike or XC bike with a slammed stem, not the big Enduro sled I was testing the power saddle on.
I bought a Giddy-up seat. Nice padding and a rear light! None of this narrow crap.
Do a video on Brooks and other leather saddles. I wonder if the leather riveted saddles should be the same width as other seats if the riding position is the same.