how to pick a new (road) saddle?

Yeah finding a perfect saddle is a chore. 3 ways I know...not sure if this is valuable but here's what I've done over the years w/r/t the saddle hunt.

1, take you bike shopping with you and have the LBS mount some different saddles w/your bike on a trainer. By paying attention to what shape yer after and where you like more/less padding, you can zero in. Problem is finding a bike shop (in my town anyway) with a lot of the saddles I'd be interested in.

Less opportunity but still might turn up a winner:
2, ride bikes in your LBS's that have different saddles -- very limited here, you can find san marco's and the like, but I'm not sure what OEM fitzik (for instance) provider you'd be able to find.

3, I've exchanged saddles/seatposts with a friend once to try out his saddle on a group ride.

Good luck.

ThrillBilly said:

... PS- im assuming that most people dont work in a LBS or otherwise dont have unlimited access to dozens or all the latest saddles to audition at will for as long as they need to evaluate in order to make a informed decision about the interface between their butt and bike which will be "close" friends for many miles.

I know a guy that does work at a LBS and he spent close to $300 finding a saddle he was comfortable with. Tomorrow I'll be test riding my 8th saddle in 2 years. Good luck.

Edit: Keep in mind that you may have to put some miles in and do a few rides in order to get used to a new saddle. They all seem to hurt at first but over the course of time you'll know which you like best.

Doctor Morbius said:

Keep in mind that you may have to put some miles in and do a few rides in order to get used to a new saddle. They all seem to hurt at first but over the course of time you'll know which you like best.

thanks for your replies.

i definately know that a parking lot ride will reflect little of the long ride/term character of any saddle.

also, it seems that the local shops typically stock only a small selection of seats, especially the higher end ones. AND, i would feel bad about sucking alot of their time trying all the saddles they offer unless i thought i was going to actually buy from them.

i DO have a nearly new fizik pave that a buddy passed on to me.
im going to give it an extended try next. my old seat is going on a trainer.

i rode with some guys on sat that both had "slotted" center seats.
both expressed how much better they thought this type of seat was.
one was a terry "fly" TI, and it looked to be pretty nice (and lite)

can anyone else share their experience with the newer "slotted" seats?

if they do provide some airflow to that area, it cant be a bad thing. 😉

There seems to be a consensus on the fact that MOST (no, not all) who have tried the Fizik Airone loved it. Considering spending far too much money to purchase one now (they go for about 80-ish Euro here in Rome).

Other than that, you have to try them to figure out what works. I still ride a Rolls, the first saddle they gave me on my first racing bike about two decades ago (I am now on my third one). Have another, brand new spare one in the garage. Can never be too careful if it goes out of production. Not cool looking, big and mighty heavy by modern standards, but it works for me.

I have tried my dad's 'slotted' San Marco, and it was a joy to ride. Very comfy for that whole perineum pressure thing. Unfortunately, not being too light myself (about 83 kgs now) it SQUEAKED. No, I do not mean a small annoying sound. I mean people pulling over by the side of the road in their car to check what was wrong kind. 🙄

Having said that, my dad, who is a little, light guy, loves his saddle, and has been riding it ever since he had his prostate surgery. That must say something in terms of comfort... :p

Powerful Pete said:

There seems to be a consensus on the fact that MOST (no, not all) who have tried the Fizik Airone loved it. Considering spending far too much money to purchase one now (they go for about 80-ish Euro here in Rome).

Other than that, you have to try them to figure out what works. I still ride a Rolls, the first saddle they gave me on my first racing bike about two decades ago (I am now on my third one). Have another, brand new spare one in the garage. Can never be too careful if it goes out of production. Not cool looking, big and mighty heavy by modern standards, but it works for me.

I have tried my dad's 'slotted' San Marco, and it was a joy to ride. Very comfy for that whole perineum pressure thing. Unfortunately, not being too light myself (about 83 kgs now) it SQUEAKED. No, I do not mean a small annoying sound. I mean people pulling over by the side of the road in their car to check what was wrong kind. 🙄

Having said that, my dad, who is a little, light guy, loves his saddle, and has been riding it ever since he had his prostate surgery. That must say something in terms of comfort... :p

Last time I checked roadbikereview.com, EVERYBODY that rode the Koobi AU Enduro gave it five stars. I ride this saddle, and after a short break-in period (2-3 several hour rides) all the reviews are correct. As far as I'm concerned, this saddle doesn't even exist it's so comfortable. Keep in mind, however, that this is a flat saddle - it won't work if you fit better on the concave saddles.

I also looked at fizik seats, but the free 30-day trial offered by Koobi (check out their website - http://www.koobi.com/) was what sold me.

descends411 said:

Last time I checked roadbikereview.com, EVERYBODY that rode the Koobi AU Enduro gave it five stars. I ride this saddle, and after a short break-in period (2-3 several hour rides) all the reviews are correct. As far as I'm concerned, this saddle doesn't even exist it's so comfortable. Keep in mind, however, that this is a flat saddle - it won't work if you fit better on the concave saddles.

I also looked at fizik seats, but the free 30-day trial offered by Koobi (check out their website - koobi.comkoobi.comOpen ↗) was what sold me.

I just checked. Unfortunately, they're out of the TI rail version! I also noticed they have the PRS, and the PRS Enduro... do you know of any difference between the two? Other than color choices of course.

Powerful Pete said:

There seems to be a consensus on the fact that MOST (no, not all) who have tried the Fizik Airone loved it. Considering spending far too much money to purchase one now (they go for about 80-ish Euro here in Rome).

I can second that. LOVE the Arione. Recommend those out there who havent tried it maybe consider testing it if you're thinking of getting a new saddle.

As to how to find the best saddle for you, its really trial and error since its such a personal preference. Try to nail down 3-4 saddles about which you've read good reviews and/or received good recommendations -- then try to test them whatever way you can, see if your LBS will let you test ride a few etc. I'd be willing to let someone I knew borrow my saddle for a day too -- if you're in a club you might wish to try that.