Uncomfortable Saddle After How Long?

Sit bones - you don't even need to measure the gap, just compare the indented foil to your current saddle and the centre of the padded bits either side should line up with the dents.

If they don't, the saddle isn't right for you.

Also, make sure you replicate your riding position on the foil as your sit bones are wider the more upright you are, and vice versa.

If all else fails there's a saddle swap in the Bike Radar forum (apologies for cross posting!). Loads of people wanting to exchange saddles to try to find "the one".

Interesting recommendations.

I think I might try to find a shop with the ID system. 

Yes, I did one of those ID Match things at a local bike shop. 

They determined I was an S3 fitted me to a S3 saddle, I've since had two S3's and it/they were probably my most comfortable saddle. 

It's not all about sit bone width, it's also about how flexible your lower back/hips are too.

There are just as many saddles as there are answers to this question. I am using three different saddels. After I got serious about small - 1-2 mm - adjustments I am happy with all my saddles. Also after 3, 4 or 6 hours.

Saddle height - lowered 2-3 times until I found my best position. Works for all my bikes.

Tilt the saddle slight upwards - a few degrees only. This will keep you from gliding forward  and also from  putting too much weight on your arms/hands. Your body is riding in a natural position and as you are not scooting forward your sit bones are happier sit bones when relaxing on the padding on the saddle at the back of it where the most padding is located.  

Aft /forward position might also play a role. Personally I have no conclusions on this aspect so I don't worry.

My best advice - experiment as much as possible. But getting the saddle height correct is priority number one. More often than not too high a saddle position is the problem. 

Oh, I've also noticed that my butt is even happier when I ride more in the drops. Less weight to be supported by the butt. Watch old tour de france movies, most seemed to ride with saddle tilted upwards and many with extremely stretched out body positions. 

I have four comfortable saddles -  a very cheap but excellent Spoon, Ergon from Germany, mid-range, Selle Italia - very cheap, the cheapest in their catelogue but the cheapest Selle Italia tend to be better than most mid-range, and finally a mid-range/lower top-range Selle San Marco with a cut-out. 

My take on this delicate subject is that 'it's not about the saddle' or the price of your shorts but the industri will tell you a lot of questionable 'scientific' advice plus a lot of marketing to get us all to buy a ton of saddles and padded shorts. 

Where abouts in the NW are you ibr17xvii? I’m in Congleton, 5 miles east from J17/18 of the M6. If you want I can do a basic bike fit for you. I’m a BC coach with no specialist skills, but I’ve done loads for mates and club members, all of whom are happy and the feedback is they are more comfortable - I even did a TT bike fit for a lad who joined our club several years back and he’s now the current Cheshire Points TT champ!

Best of all, I only charge a ‘middle shelf’ bottle of Shiraz!

PP

A foil measurement will be in the right ballpark (sniggers), so you should now know whether your current saddle is too narrow or too wide. Just use a ruler to see what your sit-bone width looks like across the saddle.

A bike-fit is definitely a good idea - it might pick up on something cheap and easy to fix whereas getting the right new saddle can be a literal pain in the arse (and expensive if you don't get the right one).

Edit: I found the Selle Italia sizes confusing until I found some more info:

S1 – “Narrow” intertrochanteric distance and low pelvic rotation
S2 – “Narrow” intertrochanteric distance and average pelvic rotation (Flow saddles)
S3 – “Narrow” intertrochanteric distance and high pelvic rotation (Flow and SuperFlow saddles)

L1 – “Wide” intertrochanteric distance and low pelvic rotation
L2 – “Wide” intertrochanteric distance and average pelvic rotation (Flow saddles)
L3 – “Wide” intertrochanteric distance and high pelvic rotation (Flow and SuperFlow saddles)

The numerical part relates to the central hole, so L3 has a wider hole than the L2 as far as I know.

I have cheap industrial nylon carpet on my stairs so I doubled up a piece of foil and sat on the top step on the foil. There were two very distinct stippled areas on the foil from my sit bones so it was easy to measure (110mm in case I forget). Cost peanuts. Still not looked at saddles again though...

I have cheap industrial nylon carpet on my stairs so I doubled up a piece of foil and sat on the top step on the foil. There were two very distinct stippled areas on the foil from my sit bones so it was easy to measure (110mm in case I forget). Cost peanuts. Still not looked at saddles again though...

There's a reasonable amount of give and take with sit-bones/saddle measurements so adding 15-30mm to your measurement should be fine.

Have you measured yourself yet? It'll only take a couple of minutes to get a rough idea of whether you need a wider saddle or not (and costs nothing).

(I'm currently using a Selle Italia SLR Superflow L3 that's wide and has a large cutout).

All riders should use a cutout or noseless saddle to remove any pressure centrally EG Selle itallia SLR. 

Then have sit bones measured either yourself(easy to do) or at a shop.

If your sit bones are 120mm saddle with should be around 15mm wider @135mm.  

There are a few shops which allow trials of saddles for a week or two with free return.  I bought my ISM Adamo saddle this way.   

https://outlet.upgradebikes.co.uk/Outlet/ISM/ISM-Range/Demo-Program

Definitely agree with people about getting a bike fit.

Also do you live anywhere near London because the London Bike Kitchen have a saddle library and you can go there for a saddle fit and then pay to loan a saddle to try so you don't just have to take the plunge and pay full price for a brand new saddle only to find out later on that it doesn't work for you.

https://lbk.org.uk/pages/saddle-library

Good luck finding the right saddle for you!

I'd say there is someting wrong with your saddle position either height or fore/aft poistion which means your hips could be rolling side to side or front to back, or both.

I'd endorse getting a basic bike fit especially one which checks your sit bone width, certainly before you spend more money on another saddle that might make no difference. 

I had the basic one at a Specialized store in advance of Ride 100 last year. I didn't have any particular problems but I hadn't ridden 100 miles before and I set the bike up when I got it 5 years ago. It took about 4 hours and cost a bit but was worth the cost and I didn't have any saddle sores or comfort issues for the 7+ hours it took me to complete the ride.

I had the cheaper bike fit (as opposed to the full-on video analysis) at a Specialized store a few years ago which lasted a couple of hours or so and definitely recommend it. I discovered that my sit bones are quite wide, so ended up being sold a wider saddle which was indeed more comfortable. The width of your sit-bones isn't particularly related to the size of your arse, so it's not immediately obvious what kind of saddle is a good fit.

The measured my sit bones with a pressure pad - you sit on it for a bit and it changes colour according to the heat/pressure of your bum. You can do the measurement yourself with something like a pristine piece of cardboard or tin-foil.

I have seen, in more women centred articles on their saddle problems, and if we thought we had it bad, sometimes in the Guardian, of certain shops offering saddle fits with pressure measurements.

Go get a bike fit and see if the fitter can see what might be causing the problem.

One in my area does a bike fit option to sort a saddle out, and does Selle SMP test saddles, and I know one of the phyios at the Boardman prrfperform centre also does them, or did when she was working at her own practice in Essex. I forget her name right now.

I'm having a similar issue with my Fizik Aliante Vs which was my saddle of choice, but lately it's causing discomfort over longer rides.