Road Bike Saddle Recommedations ??

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Hello,

I have a Bianchi Road Bike with a Gel Velo saddle, I have had it for several
years and thought I would upgrade it to something more contemporary and
higher quality.

The problem I have is there are so many saddles and opinions, I have
absolutely no idea which one to buy !!

I weigh 180 lbs and 6 ft tall. I ride 80 kms on Sundays both flats and
medium sized hills.

Any suggestions of where I should start my search would be appreciated !

Oh, there are many many bike shops in my area, so I have some access to
various makers :)

Thank you

"Gunny Bunny" <none@none.com> wrote in message
news:7TEfc.24246$2Z6.1004411@news20.bellglobal.com...
> Hello,
>
> I have a Bianchi Road Bike with a Gel Velo saddle, I have had it for
several
> years and thought I would upgrade it to something more contemporary and
> higher quality.
>
> The problem I have is there are so many saddles and opinions, I have
> absolutely no idea which one to buy !!
>
> I weigh 180 lbs and 6 ft tall. I ride 80 kms on Sundays both flats and
> medium sized hills.
>
> Any suggestions of where I should start my search would be appreciated !
>
> Oh, there are many many bike shops in my area, so I have some access to
> various makers :)
>
> Thank you
>

Bianchi? You have a BIANCHI? For someone your size those thing are
DEATHTRAPS!

http://tinyurl.com/2yy5w

http://tinyurl.com/3gbvc

http://tinyurl.com/247gcis

>
> Bianchi? You have a BIANCHI? For someone your size those thing are
> DEATHTRAPS!


Two things:
1. The complaint only applied to the Boron frameset.
2.when that complaint first came out, I asked my local Bianchi dealer who
said they had never heard of any problem with Boron framesets. The guy who
originally posted it was never heard from again. smells fishy to me.

Pat in TX

"Gunny Bunny" <none@none.com> wrote in message
news:7TEfc.24246$2Z6.1004411@news20.bellglobal.com...
> Hello,
>
> I have a Bianchi Road Bike with a Gel Velo saddle, I have had it for
several
> years and thought I would upgrade it to something more contemporary and
> higher quality.
>
> The problem I have is there are so many saddles and opinions, I have
> absolutely no idea which one to buy !!
>
> I weigh 180 lbs and 6 ft tall. I ride 80 kms on Sundays both flats and
> medium sized hills.
>
> Any suggestions of where I should start my search would be appreciated !
>
> Oh, there are many many bike shops in my area, so I have some access to
> various makers :)
>
> Thank you
>

I'm about your size and ride a Selle Italia SLR. It is a very minimalist
saddle, but after trying 4 others I find it most comfortable.

Butt, everbody is different, and saddle comfort is a very personal thing.
Perhaps your local bike shop, or some of your riding buddies, have some
spare saddles that you can test ride. If not, be prepared to buy more than
one before finding one you like. But, be sure and give them each enough
riding time before trying a different one.

--
~_-*
....G/ \G
http://www.CycliStats.com
CycliStats - Software for Cyclists

GaryG <garyg@shasta_SPAMBEGONE_software.com> wrote in message
107uddb7n44vh9d@corp.supernews.com

[...]

> I'm about your size and ride a Selle Italia SLR. It is a very
> minimalist saddle, but after trying 4 others I find it most
> comfortable.

Speaking of minimalist, has anybody tried SaddleCo's Flow saddle?

--

A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

Gunny Bunny wrote:
> Hello,
> I have a Bianchi Road Bike with a Gel Velo saddle, I have had it for
> several years and thought I would upgrade it to something more
> contemporary and higher quality.
> The problem I have is there are so many saddles and opinions, I have
> absolutely no idea which one to buy !!
> I weigh 180 lbs and 6 ft tall. I ride 80 kms on Sundays both flats and
> medium sized hills.
> Any suggestions of where I should start my search would be appreciated !
> Oh, there are many many bike shops in my area, so I have some access to
> various makers :)
> Thank you



Dear Gunny,

In my experience, bottoms do not take much notice of "contemporary" and
"higher quality" when it comes to saddles. Mine demands a certain shape
and a certain amount of padding to be comfortable. It refuses to be
impressed by the saddle maker's name or the price tag.

The only selection process I know is trial and error - I don't think
other people's recommendations will help much. They probably have
different shaped bottoms. My favourite bicycle shop would let me try any
number of saddles for a decent ride (my regular 100 km route) provided
that they came back in the condition in which they went out. Try to find
a shop like that. Analyze the faults in your Velo and look for ones that
are better in those respects.

Funnily enough, after some painful experiences on early 400 and 600
km brevet rides when I developed haematomas under the ischial bones
while riding expensive saddles, I tried a Velo and was delighted. I
can now ride those distances comfortably - well, on the bottom
anyway. The fact that my current Velo (marked "Velo Plush") cost only
$10 was just a bonus.

Good luck.

John Retchford



--

Over the years I have gone from Selle Flight, to SLR, and recently SLK. I
have found the SLK to be a marked improvement, almost as light as the SLR
but tends to absorb shock better. I don't think the split design makes much
of a difference, but it has taller rails and I think the shell gives a
little more. In the case of these minimalist saddles, it is not so much the
padding as the flexibility in the shell.

If I were to buy another saddle, I would try the SLK GelFlow next--I
promised the tender parts that I will try some Gel. Interestingly, as I
have come down from 220 Lb to 192 (over about 20 years) I noticed more
sensitivity on my sit bones. Either things get more tender with age or I
have lost some of my natural padding--along with misc. things like the hair
on my head.

Cheers, Shawn

Gunny Bunny <none@none.com> wrote:
>I have a Bianchi Road Bike with a Gel Velo saddle, I have had it for several
>years and thought I would upgrade it to something more contemporary and
>higher quality.
>I weigh 180 lbs and 6 ft tall. I ride 80 kms on Sundays both flats and
>medium sized hills.

If you can ride 50 miles on it without discomfort, don't change it, for
God's sake!

If you _do_ suffer discomfort, it's another matter.
--
David Damerell <damerell@chiark.greenend.org.uk> Distortion Field!

> Two things:
> 1. The complaint only applied to the Boron frameset.
> 2.when that complaint first came out, I asked my local Bianchi
dealer who
> said they had never heard of any problem with Boron framesets. The
guy who
> originally posted it was never heard from again. smells fishy to me.
>
> Pat in TX

I know the shop where he bought it. They're quite expensive and
therefore people think they give good service but in this case Van
Herwerden should have returned 80% of the purchase or changed the
frame etc. not Bianchi. By Dutch law the responsibility is with the
seller first. As the buyer states correctly besides the given warranty
there is an expected live expectancy of a product. His 80% claim is
more than reasonable and the shop should have done something about it,
instead they waved their obligations and blamed the manufacturer.


"Pat" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:c5nbei$3n342$1@ID-194653.news.uni-berlin.de...
>
> >
> > Bianchi? You have a BIANCHI? For someone your size those thing are
> > DEATHTRAPS!
>
>
> Two things:
> 1. The complaint only applied to the Boron frameset.
> 2.when that complaint first came out, I asked my local Bianchi
dealer who
> said they had never heard of any problem with Boron framesets. The
guy who
> originally posted it was never heard from again. smells fishy to me.
>
> Pat in TX
>
>

Carl Sundquist wrote:
> Bianchi? You have a BIANCHI? For someone your size those thing are
> DEATHTRAPS!



Two Notes:

(1) I weight 172 lbs (78kg), and I ride a '03 Bianchi EV4, which is
their lightest frameset. I've put this frame through some punishing
terrain, and it shows no signs of fatigue. Although I am near their
'weight limit' for this frameset, it carries a 5-year warranty
against failure.

(2) I wouldn't consider the SLR saddle if comfort is top priority. I
ride an SLR, but the Flight saddles are more comfortable, and the
Turbomatic 4 is incredibly comfortable (apparently Ullrich agrees),
and I strongly recommend that one to anyone without reservation.
Unfortunately, the Turbo 4 does not seem to be sold in the U.S., so
you'll need to get that one from an overseas vendor (via Internet),
go figure.



--

"Carl Sundquist" <carlsun@cox-internet.com> wrote in message
news:107uameg2hbv864@corp.supernews.com...
>
> "Gunny Bunny" <none@none.com> wrote in message
> news:7TEfc.24246$2Z6.1004411@news20.bellglobal.com...
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have a Bianchi Road Bike with a Gel Velo saddle, I have had it for
> several
> > years and thought I would upgrade it to something more contemporary and
> > higher quality.
> >
> > The problem I have is there are so many saddles and opinions, I have
> > absolutely no idea which one to buy !!
> >
> > I weigh 180 lbs and 6 ft tall. I ride 80 kms on Sundays both flats and
> > medium sized hills.
> >
> > Any suggestions of where I should start my search would be appreciated !
> >
> > Oh, there are many many bike shops in my area, so I have some access to
> > various makers :)
> >
> > Thank you
> >
>
> Bianchi? You have a BIANCHI? For someone your size those thing are
> DEATHTRAPS!
>
> http://tinyurl.com/2yy5w
>
> http://tinyurl.com/3gbvc
>
> http://tinyurl.com/247gcis

Some of those threads were amazing considering they were never intended as
trolls. Either that or "Justin" was one of the greatest trolls to ever hook
this NG.

Gunny Bunny wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I have a Bianchi Road Bike with a Gel Velo saddle, I have had it for several
> years and thought I would upgrade it to something more contemporary and
> higher quality.
>
> The problem I have is there are so many saddles and opinions, I have
> absolutely no idea which one to buy !!
>
> I weigh 180 lbs and 6 ft tall. I ride 80 kms on Sundays both flats and
> medium sized hills.
>
> Any suggestions of where I should start my search would be appreciated !
>
> Oh, there are many many bike shops in my area, so I have some access to
> various makers :)

Most people get on with a standard Flite. They look good on any bike too.

Carl Sundquist wrote:


> Bianchi? You have a BIANCHI? For someone your size those thing are
> DEATHTRAPS!

Well, Bianchi make everything from kids' bikes to motor scooters, so
that just *might* be a generalisation.

"Gunny Bunny" <none@none.com> wrote in message
news:7TEfc.24246$2Z6.1004411@news20.bellglobal.com...
> Hello,
>
> I have a Bianchi Road Bike with a Gel Velo saddle, I have had it for
several
> years and thought I would upgrade it to something more contemporary and
> higher quality.
>
> The problem I have is there are so many saddles and opinions, I have
> absolutely no idea which one to buy !!

I absolutely love my Selle Italia Max Flite Transam. Not overly heavy, but
a slightly wider back-part for comfort and a nice cut-out to prevent a limp
biscuit...

Basjan

>
> Bianchi? You have a BIANCHI? For someone your size those thing are
> DEATHTRAPS!

when they fold up on you, you have no warning.

>
> Most people get on with a standard Flite. They look good on any bike too.

not if you have a big ass. a flite is too small for someone that weighs
180. Pro link is more like it.

"basjan" <basjan@vt.edu> wrote in message
news:c5pcjq$r6u$1@solaris.cc.vt.edu...
>
> "Gunny Bunny" <none@none.com> wrote in message
> news:7TEfc.24246$2Z6.1004411@news20.bellglobal.com...
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have a Bianchi Road Bike with a Gel Velo saddle, I have had it for
> several
> > years and thought I would upgrade it to something more contemporary and
> > higher quality.
> >
> > The problem I have is there are so many saddles and opinions, I have
> > absolutely no idea which one to buy !!
>
> I absolutely love my Selle Italia Max Flite Transam. Not overly heavy,
but
> a slightly wider back-part for comfort and a nice cut-out to prevent a
limp
> biscuit...
>
> Basjan

Hi, do you find the hole works or is it just a gimmick ??

I notice San Marco has one too, but in Titatium !!

On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 19:33:06 -0400, "Gunny Bunny" <none@none.com> may
have said:

>Hello,
>
>I have a Bianchi Road Bike with a Gel Velo saddle, I have had it for several
>years and thought I would upgrade it to something more contemporary and
>higher quality.
>
>The problem I have is there are so many saddles and opinions, I have
>absolutely no idea which one to buy !!

Realistically, neither do most of the rest of us.

>I weigh 180 lbs and 6 ft tall. I ride 80 kms on Sundays both flats and
>medium sized hills.
>
>Any suggestions of where I should start my search would be appreciated !

While it might seem logical to think that saddles from the same maker
that produced the one you're riding now would be a good jumping-on
point, even that's not a guarantee of a match. Saddle shape and size
is such an individually-peculiar thing that literally the only way to
find a saddle that works well is to jump on and try it. Even then, a
saddle that was perfect with the seat post up high might be a literal
pain in the rear with the post dropped for a different riding style.

>Oh, there are many many bike shops in my area, so I have some access to
>various makers :)

The ones that are honest and competent will understand the complexity
of this issue, and may be able to let to test-ride a bike that's
equipped with the saddle you're contemplating, but that's not likely
to be the case in all instances. Even the most accommodating lbs will
have a real challenge trying to have a demo available for any
significant fraction of the saddles they sell.

One last thought; if the one you're riding now isn't beat to death,
and is still comfortable, why not just stick with it? If it's not
broke, as they say, don't fix it.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

In rec.bicycles.tech Callistus Valerius <jazzyboss@hotmail.com> wrote:

>> Most people get on with a standard Flite. They look good on any bike too.

> not if you have a big ass. a flite is too small for someone that weighs
> 180. Pro link is more like it.

I don't think it's about the riders weight, but the shape of the butt.
Personally, weighing about 135 lbs, I've tried Flite, Flite TT and SLR
XP. Of those three I could never get very comfortable on the SLR XP.
The problem wasn't the padding (or lack of it) but the wide shape of the
saddle, which for me caused chafing. I know of several significantly
bigger guys who seem to like the SLR a lot.

-as

"Contemporary and higher quality"?

You would be surprised how many professional racers use the highest
quality Brooks leather saddles. A product that has been around, almost
unchanged, for about a century!

If it fits, is comfortable and isn't falling apart, use it.

- -

"May you have the wind at your back.
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner