Flite Gel Saddle

Wasatch5k said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a year
and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can anyone recommend a
more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range? I was thinking maybe the
WTB Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_progel.html

Any opinions?

If your privates are going numb, you may be putting too much pressure
on the pereneal nerves in your crotch. You need to be sitting back on
your sitbones. Try lowering the saddle slightly and/or tipping the nose
down a bit.
A squishy gel saddle is too soft where it should be supportive, and can
actually result in more pressure and friction on your sensitive area. I
do not recommend a gel saddle, or one with cutouts or grooves down the
center.
I ride the Selle Italia TurboMatic, the non-gel version. It is a smooth
leather saddle with firm padding. The rear is slightly wider than the
Flite for adequate support. The saddle shell is suspended on hard
rubber shock absorbers which flex on the largest bumps, but the saddle
itself provides a traditional firm ride.

"Wasatch5k" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a year
and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can anyone recommend a
more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range? I was thinking maybe the
WTB Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_progel.html

Any opinions?

nc
--

Let the bridges I burn light my way..

Not supposed to sit on your nuts.

There may be a more comfortable saddle for you out there but I suspect your
position on the saddle and the position of the saddle will do more to solve
your problem.
Bill

Wasatch5k said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a year
and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can anyone recommend a
more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range? I was thinking maybe the
WTB Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_progel.html

Any opinions?

nc
--

Let the bridges I burn light my way...

I've been using San Marco Regals happily since 1990. Thinly/firmly
padded and shaped like a Brooks Pro, a shape that has stood the test of
time.

Wasatch5k said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a
year and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can anyone
recommend a more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range? I was
thinking maybe the WTB Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_progel.html

Any opinions?

A hundred bucks for a 300-gram saddle?

You can do (MUCH) better.

[email hidden] wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Wasatch5k said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over
a year and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can
anyone recommend a more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range?
I was thinking maybe the WTB Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_progel.html

Any opinions?

nc
--

Let the bridges I burn light my way...

I've been using San Marco Regals happily since 1990. Thinly/firmly
padded and shaped like a Brooks Pro, a shape that has stood the
test of time.

The best there is if it fits you. I have them on 3 bikes with 2 in
reserve.

Bill Sornson said:

Wasatch5k said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a
year and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can anyone
recommend a more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range? I was
thinking maybe the WTB Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_progel.html

Any opinions?

A hundred bucks for a 300-gram saddle?

You can do (MUCH) better.

WTB saddles are very very comfortable. With Ti rails, they get to around
210g.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

"Wasatch5k" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a year
and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can anyone recommend a
more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range? I was thinking maybe the WTB
Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_progel.html

Any opinions?

nc
--

Let the bridges I burn light my way...

I had a flite gel saddle on my bike and hated it, mostly because of numbness
no matter how I adjusted it. My 13 year old kid (built like a twig) uses it
now and is happy with it.

Looking for something better, I went through about 5 saddles until I found
one that I liked - but then it could be that I finally got everything set up
right and/or my ass got harder. I have found that for me a saddle needs to
be very firm, wide enough at the sit bones and flat on top. Take your bike
to a shop and try some out if they will let you. You could atleast try the
saddles they have on the bikes in the showroom.

I ended up with the Terry men's ti fly. It has a slot down the middle but I
don't believe that the slot actually makes much of a difference. This saddle
seems to be the right width, firmness and just plain fits me.

It takes a long time to get your butt used to riding - how many hours a week
do you spend on the bike?. I also think that the fitter you are, the harder
you ride and the less weight you carry on the saddle which makes it seem
more comfortable.

Make sure your pants fit right and don't bunch up at all in the crotch.

"Bill Sornson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wasatch5k said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a
year and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can anyone
recommend a more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range? I was
thinking maybe the WTB Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_progel.html

Any opinions?

A hundred bucks for a 300-gram saddle?

You can do (MUCH) better.

Surely you don't suggest basing a saddle choice on the cost to weight ratio
only. It would be nice if the world were so simple. The marketing world love
us if it were so. If a 300 gram saddle fits and is comfortable I would think
it might be worth more than 100 bucks.

Bill said:

"Wasatch5k" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a year
and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can anyone recommend a
more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range? I was thinking maybe the
WTB Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_progel.html

Any opinions?

nc
--

Let the bridges I burn light my way..

Not supposed to sit on your nuts.

There may be a more comfortable saddle for you out there but I suspect your
position on the saddle and the position of the saddle will do more to solve
your problem.
Bill

I would like to back up this position with my experience. Most "saddle
problems" have to do with the fit on the bike and positioning of the
saddle. Secondarily, rider habits come into play, such as willingess to
move on the saddle and generally be more interractive with the bike
(getting up, moving around on the saddle, etc.).

Robin Hubert

Dan said:

"Wasatch5k" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a year
and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can anyone recommend a
more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range? I was thinking maybe the WTB
Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_progel.html

Any opinions?

nc
--

Let the bridges I burn light my way...

I had a flite gel saddle on my bike and hated it, mostly because of numbness
no matter how I adjusted it. My 13 year old kid (built like a twig) uses it
now and is happy with it.

Looking for something better, I went through about 5 saddles until I found
one that I liked - but then it could be that I finally got everything set up
right and/or my ass got harder. I have found that for me a saddle needs to
be very firm, wide enough at the sit bones and flat on top. Take your bike
to a shop and try some out if they will let you. You could atleast try the
saddles they have on the bikes in the showroom.

I ended up with the Terry men's ti fly. It has a slot down the middle but I
don't believe that the slot actually makes much of a difference. This saddle
seems to be the right width, firmness and just plain fits me.

It takes a long time to get your butt used to riding - how many hours a week
do you spend on the bike?. I also think that the fitter you are, the harder
you ride and the less weight you carry on the saddle which makes it seem
more comfortable.

Make sure your pants fit right and don't bunch up at all in the crotch.

This is the best post on saddle choice I've seen in a long time.

Thanks,
Robin Hubert

Quoted message said:

Wasatch5k said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a year
and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can anyone recommend a
more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range? I was thinking maybe the
WTB Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

http://www.wtb.com/products/saddle_progel.html

Any opinions?

nc
--

Let the bridges I burn light my way...

I've been using San Marco Regals happily since 1990. Thinly/firmly
padded and shaped like a Brooks Pro, a shape that has stood the test of
time.

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Robin Hubert

"Robin Hubert" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

This is the best post on saddle choice I've seen in a long time.

Thanks,
Robin Hubert

You are too kind.
Also a correction, I don't have the fly, I have a dragonfly like this one
http://www.trisports.com/termendragsa.html

"Robin Hubert" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

This is the best post on saddle choice I've seen in a long time.

Thanks,
Robin Hubert

Two more cents on Terry saddles:
I couldn't be more pleased with the Terry "Firefly" I started using
a year ago. It's not the lightest, but comfortable and consistent; no
change in characteristics after a season of use. Got it on 50%
discount regularly presented by a big shop online, before it started
getting free advertising with hype as "Editors Choice" product...
http://www.terrybicycles.com/detail.html?item_no=2174100

mykal said:

I couldn't be more pleased with the Terry "Firefly" I started using
a year ago. It's not the lightest, but comfortable and consistent; no
change in characteristics after a season of use. Got it on 50%
discount regularly presented by a big shop online, before it started
getting free advertising with hype as "Editors Choice" product...
http://www.terrybicycles.com/detail.html?item_no=2174100

I keep going back to my Terry Ti Race (not sure of model name) that I got
for $10 (!) at a local Performance store. It was in the "discount returns"
bin IIRC, marked $40. Then they were having some 50% off promotion, AND I
had a $10 Team coupon. Net ten bucks. It's not perfect (I'm still
searching for something closer to that), but it's pretty comfortable, fairly
light, and still looks brand new.

Put my (somewhat) fancy Selle San Marco Era-K on the mountain bike.

Bill "good for the first 40-50 miles" S.

Quoting Wasatch5k <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a year
and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min!

Non-leather saddles such as you have don't break in; either they're good
or they're not.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> Kill the tomato!
Today is First Leicesterday, June.

Wasatch5k said:

Any opinions?

If you've already tried the other things folks have mentioned to adjust
your current saddle position, you might try a new saddle that fits you
better (not too wide, not too narrow, not too soft).

You should go to a bike shop that sells Specialized and see if they have
the Ass-o-meter (I don't recall the real name, but it's a gel pad with a
gauge on it to measure the width of your sit bones). Honestly evaluate
your riding position and lookup their recommendation for saddle width
based on how upright or how leaned-forward you ride, and use that as a
starting point.

Whether you actually get a Specialized saddle or any other one of an
appropriate width is up to you.

For me, my recommended width put me on either a San Marco Rolls or
Brooks B17N. I chose the former because it was cheap and came in a
beautiful yellow. It's the most comfy saddle I've ever ridden on,
probably because it fits me well and I have it setup right on my bike.
I can ride without padded shorts, but then I don't go on extremely long
rides (mostly just commuting to/from work 10 to 12 miles or so).

No numbness, no cracked nuts, no chafing.

--
I do not accept unsolicited commercial e-mail. Remove NO_UCE for
legitimate replies.

"Wasatch5k" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've been told they take a while to break in, but it's been over a year
and I'm tired of numb nuts, it hurts after 20min! Can anyone recommend a
more comfortable saddle in the $50~$90 range? I was thinking maybe the WTB
Shadow V Pro Gel seen here:

I had the exact same from with the Flite Gel saddle. I switched to a Terry
Fly and love it. I think that Nashbar has them on clearance for around
$50.00

Bill said:

Not supposed to sit on your nuts.

I though you were supposed to stuff them through the hole in the flow
saddles?

Quoted message said:

There may be a more comfortable saddle for you out there but I suspect your
position on the saddle and the position of the saddle will do more to solve
your problem.
Bill

Seriously now, a saddle will not make up for incorrect positioning, but
then again correct positioning will not make all saddles acceptable. So
do what you can with positioning first, then try some saddles. I tried
a bunch of saddles when by chance I used a WTB Rocket Race as came with
my new mountain bike. It wasn't just the full suspension that made it
cushier than my Max Flite Gel! I'm sold on the WTB Rocket Race. I'm on
the heavy side so I like the softness, but at the same time it has a
nice slim shape. Works for me! And given the choice between weight and
comfort, I'll take comfort. How much time will 100 grams save you, vs
how unpleasant is it to have a sore bum for hours?

Joseph

Bill said:

Not supposed to sit on your nuts.

There may be a more comfortable saddle for you out there but I suspect your
position on the saddle and the position of the saddle will do more to solve
your problem.
Bill

First of all, I'm not sitting on my nuts. When I get off the saddle I
can see an indentation between my sit bones. I believe the medical term
for this area is the "chode". From what I understand, I'm not the only
person that this saddle has put the hurt on. I've moved the saddle
forward, backwards, and tried every angle.

--

Let the bridges I burn light my way...