Road Bike Saddle Recommedations ??

Callistus Valerius

>
> 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.

Gunny Bunny

"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 !!

Werehatrack

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.

Antti Salonen

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

Chris Zacho The Wheelman

"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

Tom Sherman

Callistus Valerius 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.

What does chain lubricant have to do with this?
<http://www.progoldmfr.com/products/prolink.html>.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad Cities (Illinois Side)

SMMB

"Chris Zacho "The Wheelman"" <ChriszCorner@webtv.net> a écrit dans le
message de :
news:29688-4080887C-83@storefull-3174.bay.webtv.net...
> "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!

Go ahead - surprise me and name a few of them...
--
Bonne route,

Sandy
Paris FR

Mike Krueger

<< 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. >>

ExcelSports sells them.

I've been riding the original Turbomatic with the ti rails since they came out
in around 1990. You can find these on ebay occasionally. This saddle has a
smooth leather top in black or white leather, and they weigh around 260g, which
is pretty light for a suspension saddle. The rubber pads do help soften sharp
bumps. The shape of the Turbomatic is a couple mm's wider than the Flite at the
back.
I've ridden the Turbomatic 2 and 3 with the steel rails, and they didn't feel
the same. They were stiffer and more rigid. I don't know if it's the ti rails,
but to me the ti version is a more compliant saddle. i never tried the
Turbomatic 4.

dvt

John Retchford wrote:
> 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.

[...]

> 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.

Just to prove John's point regarding one size not fitting all, I have a
saddle mared "Velo Plush" that I really dislike. 3 or 4 hours on that
saddle is uncomfortable, although not to the point of giving me sores or
any long term problems. That saddle is still in use, but on a bike that
doesn't typically get ridden for more than an hour at a crack.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu