Saddle Help

The saddle supports you on your sit bones, bony knobs on your pelvis. Weight loss might change your pants size but won't change the recommended saddle size.

A 30 pound weight loss 'may' affect how you sit a saddle of some specific size. Sure, the sit bone spread isn't going to change, but the amount and location of padding over it will. There may also be a shape difference between your old saddle and this new one that isn't working with your anatomy and/or position on the bike.

If your old SMP worked, why not put one on your new bike for a trial?

I would also go over every measurement of your bike setup carefully.
Reach, stack, setback, saddle height, saddle angle, etc.

As for the saddle sores: Cleanliness is next to Merckxliness. Use a chamois cream/butt butter for awhile.

Lastly, if this OEM saddle isn't working after a re-setup check of the bike and a couple of small adjustments from your home position...ditch it. Try something else. Riding in pain is no fun.

jwroubaix said:

I just got a brand new 14 Specialized Roubaix Pro. It's quite an upgrade from my 07 Roubaix. On my old bike a SMP saddle that worked fairly well. It had a lot more padding than my new Specialized saddle. I've been riding my new bike for a month about 50 miles per week. I'm getting quite a bit of sit bone pain and i've developed zits right where my sit bone is on one side. This makes it painful to ride as i end up sitting right on the zit. I feel like the bike is set up pretty well, i'm getting no pain in my hands like i got on my old bike. The saddle problem is my only problem and sometimes i've got a little low back pain when pushing bigger gears. What should I try, do i need to adjust my saddle? Do I need a larger/wider saddle? My old saddle was a 153, however I've lost 30 pounds since I took those measurements. Do i just need to ride more and get used to the firmer saddle? Any help would be appreciated.

Let me be more emphatic than CAMPYBOB was when he asked, "If your old SMP worked, why not put one on your new bike for a trial?" ...

Regardless of your current riding position, Why aren't you STILL using the SMP saddle if you knew that IT was a comfortable saddle for you?!?

OR, put another way ...[SIZE=14px] Why would you use the off-the-shelf saddle which came with your off-the-shelf bike IF you had already found a saddle which was comfortable for YOU?[/SIZE]

If you were riding a 153 SMP saddle before, the stock saddle on the Roubaix is, as you are experiencing, a poor fit.

The Roubaix comes with a 143 Toupe saddle, which is a flat saddle. The SMP are rounded. A closer match would be the 155 Specialized Romin saddle, which has a rounded profile much like the SMP.

I echo the sentiment that if you had a saddle that you liked, stick with it. As soon as I got my new road bike, I took the stock saddle off (Fizik) and put on an ISM Adamo Road saddle (same saddle that's on my tri bike as well). Then I proceeded to change the wheels, bars and stem.

CAMPYBOB said:

If your old SMP worked, why not put one on your new bike for a trial?

I would also go over every measurement of your bike setup carefully.
Reach, stack, setback, saddle height, saddle angle, etc.

+1 ...

Maintaining some semblance of continuity in how a bike which FITS a rider (AFTER a comfortable riding position is established for the rider) expedites setting up a "new" bike for that rider ...

If Park Tool still has their road positioning chart, I recommend everyone download it, fill it out and stash your measurements in your bike toolbox, tacked above your workbench, on your hard drive and on your external drive or stored on the cloud...er [censored] that moronic term...store it on da intarwebz.

Hang on...BRB...

parktool.comroad postioning chartOpen ↗

A 2' level, a 4' level, a framing square and a tape measure graduated in CMMM should be employed to take accurate and repeatable measurements. A plumb bob and tailor's measuring tape are also useful.

CAMPYBOB said:

If Park Tool still has their road positioning chart, I recommend everyone download it, fill it out and stash your measurements in your bike toolbox, tacked above your workbench, on your hard drive and on your external drive or stored on the cloud...er [censored] that moronic term...store it on da intarwebz.

Hang on...BRB...

parktool.comroad postioning chartOpen ↗

A 2' level, a 4' level, a framing square and a tape measure graduated in CMMM should be employed to take accurate and repeatable measurements. A plumb bob and tailor's measuring tape are also useful.

Oh nice! Thank you for that! I think it may come in very handy.