I know this question is often asked but I'm really struggling with saddle comfort, anything past about 1.5hrs of riding I’m really uncomfortable, I have a very skinny boney bum, and where my sit bones are in contact with the saddle becomes very sore.
My current saddle which came on the bike is Fabric Scoop Race, the padding is quite soft but underneath is hard plastic which seems to cause the discomfort.
I know there are alot of variables in what I'm asking but saddle recommendations from others who have experienced the same discomfort as me would be appreciated!
Thanks
by Mountain-Capital-737
15 Comments
Do you wear a bib/bike shorts? I use a chamois liner under jorts. Helps a lot.
selle italia superflow (cutout in the middle) boost (short nose) models are great. i use the SLR model wich is a bit rounded. If you prefere going back and forth a bit sometimes, the Flite model should wirk great. they also have a more padded „endurance“ model.
Specialized has the Rivo Sport with heaps of padding (so that you dont have to wear bibs). I can ride hours and hours on my jeans with that saddle lollz.
Though to be fair my skinny ass can sit on any saddle with no discomfort whatsoever.
My understanding is that it’s all about sit bone contact, so the fit may be very bum-specific. I used a padded saddle on my MTB prior to my gravel bike, and I’m considering swapping it on as my rides get longer and longer. I’m not a fan of padded shorts (feels stuffy and bulky), so I consider the saddle my first line of defense. Though I’ve been told by many padded shorts riders that it’s potentially not as effective.
It was whatever Trek had in the shop that wasn’t crazy expensive. I’m not able to check now, but I can later, if you like. I’m a guy and skinny and short, so my sit bones are a big factor for me. But it was only by riding that I could tell if it was going to do the job, which made Trek’s return policy nice to have as an option.
In my experience saddles with soft cushioning bruises the tissue around your sit bones. Your sit bones sink in too far so the area of soft tissue around your sit bones takes all of the pressure with your sit bones pushing through them. If it’s too firm it’s hard on your sit bones themselves.
My bum is very comfortable on Ergon saddles. You still need to make sure it’s the correct width. I’ve been very comfortable on the Trek saddle that came with my Checkpoint SL5 and their current line of saddles seem pretty good. The Specialized Power saddles are also fantastic.
Brooks C15. Most comfortable saddle I’ve ever used.
Ergon
My bike fitter had this neat little pressure pad he slipped over my seat. It highlighted where the pressure points were and allowed us to visually see how well the seat worked for me. Turns out, my trail and error ended with me making a pretty solid seat choice already. If it wasn’t he could use the data we found to pick a more suitable option. Might be worth the trouble to find a fitter who can do this for you. Will save you a lot of head and arse aches…
That’s like me asking you what kind of shoes should it wear.
Riding gets better over time. As you progress you may find skinnier seats feel better, with less pad but flexible base.
Specialized power in the appropriate width. I like the power expert with mirror
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/power-expert-with-mirror/p/1000148806?color=1000148808-1000148806
Fellow skinny boney bum that has tried all different types of saddles. I also started on a Fabric Scoop. I found a hard, flat saddle with no cut out worked best for me. Less cushion the better as that would cause friction over time. I found Fizik Antares with the cutout uncomfortable and ended up selling it but the one without the cutout was perfect.
Saddles are a personal preference but the specialized power saddle(I use the 143) is so good I put on all my bikes.
I must have an extremely accommodating ass. I’ve always ridden stock saddles without issue.
NinetyK The Jam
It’s usually the bike fit not the saddle that creates issues like this.