Hello,
I am finally looking to replace my Ridgeback world panorama stock saddle. The two I am considering are:
-
Ergon SR Allroad (M/L)
-
Fizik terra Argo X5 (150mm)
I run a slightly more upright and longer stem as you can see in the photo, so not really racing position. I use this bike for bike touring and bike packing trips (usually 2 weeks long). I would say I have slightly chunky inner thighs.
Do you guys have any opinions and/or suggestions? any help in choosing is appreciated!
by tricepratos
6 Comments
I’m pretty sure you have to have both and ride at least 50-100km to have a meaningful comparison results.
is this the saddle you’re currently using? [https://p.kagi.com/proxy/OIP.BsI5gISoy37r0DHXNmXZcAHaE8?c=AwKOFIL3h0I-mU9TjXSzKTQHR_UG_Abjaq5CnyvtcqJAR3cADC_sXKCw-eJRjfdSl_ozFC6sjjwsb1wha2mAiZv9ymqhsoqfB3SJvXiFqeA%3D](https://p.kagi.com/proxy/OIP.BsI5gISoy37r0DHXNmXZcAHaE8?c=AwKOFIL3h0I-mU9TjXSzKTQHR_UG_Abjaq5CnyvtcqJAR3cADC_sXKCw-eJRjfdSl_ozFC6sjjwsb1wha2mAiZv9ymqhsoqfB3SJvXiFqeA%3D)
how is it for you? Do you have any downsides? the risk of changing saddle is that you’d have to recalibrate a lot your butt. 😀 So I’d rather go for something that fixes any of the problems you currently have, or something that is as similar as possible to it.
Some things that are worth considering:
* pressure relief zone size and position
* nose width (you already point out this one)
* overall profile (flat vs curved)
* overall width
* materials (usually I prefer to go for harder rather than softer, as it’s just a question of getting a bit of “callus” rather than having the risk of getting sores)
A lot of this has to do with:
* the way you ride (cool that you already consider that)
* how much “padding” you have on your bones (fat and muscle)
* and how thick are your legs
Ideally a lot of this should be addressed by a professional, which I am far from being one, so I hope you can find a solution that works for you
Trial and error is the only option. Recommendations mean nothing when it comes to saddles. What is as comfy as an old armchair for one person is a medieval torture device for another.
Twenty minutes around the block isn’t going to tell you either unless it’s totally wrong. You need a good few hours at one go to really tell if a saddle works for you and even then it can still be uncomfortable after several days.
I prefer the allroad core to both you listed
After speaking to Ergon, I went with the SMC Core for my upright drop bar bike (Stargazer). Love it. Used it for multiple long rides (GDMBR included).
I used a Fizik Argo R5 for about 5 years before replacing it with an Ergon SR Allroad for touring. The R5/Tempo is stiffer than the X5/Terra so not the exact comparison you were looking for but I found the Ergon to be much more comfortable for long miles and back to back riding days.