Recommend Some Good Bicycle Seats?
Rachel asked:
My husband and I have recently purchased a couple of new mountain bikes to get some exercise with. We love to ride but right now after about 15-20 minutes, our butts are hurting so bad that it is making this sport no fun.
I have been reading on the internet and I know a little bit about the issue, I have read about sit bones and we have measured them and we think we're pretty close. He is measuring at approximately 140 mm and I am measuring about 150-160 mm. Do you have any seat suggestions for us so that we can get it right the first time, ok the second time. We already tried the big squishy seats and they were even worse than the stock seat. We don't want to spend any more money on new bicycle seats than we have to and hope you can help us.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
Our Answer
Rachel...thanks for the email and the question. You are pretty advanced compared to most people that write us and ask for bicycle saddle advice. In most cases they need to measure their widths and haven't even heard of sit bones so cudos to you for doing some research.
Also nice job on learning that "squishy" is bad. Those types of seats always appeal to new riders but they are horrible as far as comfort goes if you ride longer than 15-20 minutes. Not a good investment at all.
As for saddles...the world is your oyster...I have a few favorites that I recommend often and that would be the Selle Italia Lady for women and the Selle Italia Max-Flite for men. Your husbands sit bones are moderately narrow so he can really use almost anything. The Max Flite is traditionally for those with slightly wider sit bones than normal.
So for him I would go to my all time favorite series of saddles ever and that is the Specialized line....and in his case I would go with the Specialized Toupe. It's an awesome saddle and Specialized really has their junk together when it comes to bicycle saddle design. Hope you like em.....here's some deals on both...the Toupe on top and the Lady down below.
Specialized Toupe Saddles
 |
 SPECIALIZED TOUPE 143 TEAM ISSUE SEAT SADDLE WHITE  US $127.50
|
 NEW Specialized Toupe BG S Works titanium road seat 130 US $99.99
|
 Specialized Toupe seat US $13.11
|
 Specialized Toupe Team Saddle 130 width Ti Rails US $90.00
|
 SPECIALIZED TOUPE Ti143 ROAD BIKE SADDLE US $73.50
|
 SPECIALIZED TOUPE TEAM ISSUE SOLID TITANIUM SADDLE 155 US $112.50
|
 Specialized Toupe Bike Seat White Red US $15.99
|
 New Specialized Toupe Ti 130 Saddle US $57.75
|
 Specialized Toupe Gel 143mm Saddle US $50.00
|
 Specialized Body Geometry Toupe Saddle US $7.50
|
 Specialized Toupe Gel Saddle Black 143 Titanium Ti US $41.00
|
 White Red Specialized Toupe 143 FREE SHIPPING US $43.00
|
Selle Italia Lady Saddles
|
 Selle Italia Lady Diva Gel Flow Saddle Black 10 NEW US $109.95
|
 Selle Italia SLK Lady Gel Flow Saddle US $39.95
|
 SELLE ITALIA SLR LADY GEL FLOW BLACK BIKE SADDLE SEAT US $89.99
|
 SELLE ITALIA SLR LADY GEL FLOW WHITE BIKE SADDLE SEAT US $129.99
|
 Selle Italia Lady Sport Gel Flow Saddle Black NEW US $79.95
|
 2009 Selle Italia Lady Gel Flow Saddle US $20.50
|
 SELLE ITALIA LADY SPORT GEL FLOW SADDLE WHITE NEW US $89.95
|
 SELLE ITALIA LADY SPORT GEL FLOW SADDLE BLACK NEW US $89.95
|
 Selle Italia Lady Gelflow Blue Saddle CroMo rails Blue US $78.04
|
Make sure the seats are adjusted properly. If you are not use to cycling it will hurt for a while. I have a WTB saddle that feels really good that came on a stock bike so you know it wasn’t expensive.
The proper frame size will made all of the difference in the world.
Check this site for the proper adjustments.
All butts are not created equal, so all bike seats fit differently. Best thing to do is go to a local shop and try a few different seats, they will all feel different the trick is to find the one that fits best! Once you find the right seat it will make a world of difference. Generally the smaller the seat the better the fit, it should rest on the inner butt bone equally. Other than that really cannot offer more since im not familliar with your butt. For you try some women specific models that may help, you and your husband should end up with different seats for the best fit that much im sure of.
Rate This Product!
View All FAQ
Top Rated Bicycle Saddles 2009
Specialized Saddles have become legendary around the cycling community as being some of the best performing...
Some women prefer diamonds but for others, the site of a leather clad, carbon railed, lightweight Terry...
Talk to anybody who takes riding a bike seriously and they will tell you one of the most important bike...
Selle Italia has a rich cycling heritage and is one of a very select few companies that can say they...
Saddle Reviews
Site Pages
Sponsored Ads