Best irish store for a saddle

KStaford

I know the saddle issue is flogged to death here and I apologise for the continuation of that.

I am suffering from my saddle. I want to buy a saddle that i can be comfortable on. I dont care about weight or appearence. Many have suggested the Brooks B17 or a Specialized. I just recently bought a new Specialized bike so I assume I am using a specialized saddle already. I have tried three saddles now on 2 bikes and they are all killing me. I max 20km before I start suffering. I am 6'5" and 17st and realise this may be part of the issue.

Here's my question. Surely you need to go to a physical shop and try out saddles rather than clicking "order" on a website ? How do you pick a saddle in a store? Every saddle will feel "ok" when you try them out in a store no ?

Can anyone tell me where in Ireland might be able to help me? (I live in Galway but would travel if necessary).

bunnygreen

Hi,when i got a new saddle i was fitted for it in Cycleways,maybe try them,it takes a couple of minutes and might make all the difference.

Murph100

Get demos saddles for a week or so, its the only way.

I've got 2 Prologo saddles from Dave Kane Cycles on trial at the moment, just rang them up and gave a credit card for security.

Slane Cycles also have a big selection of demo Fizik saddles, same deal ring 'em up and have your credit card ready.

Ask you LBS if they have any demo saddles, the distributer should be able to provide some, it really is the only way to make the right choice.

KStaford

Murph100 wrote: »

Get demos saddles for a week or so, its the only way.

I've got 2 Prologo saddles from Dave Kane Cycles on trial at the moment, just rang them up and gave a credit card for security.

Slane Cycles also have a big selection of demo Fizik saddles, same deal ring 'em up and have your credit card ready.

Ask you LBS if they have any demo saddles, the distributer should be able to provide some, it really is the only way to make the right choice.

how long would you use a saddle for before determining if it is the right one for you or not?

Murph100

A couple of 50km spins should give you a pretty good idea. The longer the better, the Ring of Kerry cycle would definitely make your mind up !!


Here are the two i have right now

:https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/171345/78110.jpg

blorg

Saddle is a very personal thing and Brooks are certainly not for everyone. Within Brooks' range the B17 is really more for shorter distances, I don't think it is optimal for long cycles on a road bike. For that I would go Swallow/Swift. However if you are heavier or put a lot of weight on the saddle B17 might work better. But like any saddle you will either get on with it or you won't.

rottenhat

blorg wrote: »

Saddle is a very personal thing and Brooks are certainly not for everyone. Within Brooks' range the B17 is really more for shorter distances, I don't think it is optimal for long cycles on a road bike. For that I would go Swallow/Swift. However if you are heavier or put a lot of weight on the saddle B17 might work better. But like any saddle you will either get on with it or you won't.

As the resident contrarian, I will put my hand up here and say that you are quite incorrect in these assertions. I have done plenty of centuries (imperial), 200s and a 300 on a B17 and it hasn't been the saddle that's been hurting me at the end of the ride. Its popularity with audax/brevet riders and touring cyclists around the world should attest to how suitable it is for riding long distances.

However, the shape and skirts of a B17 mean that it's best suited to someone who rides with a fairly upright position, with the handlebars no more than an inch or so below the saddle. It is wider than the average modern road bike saddle so if the problem OP is having is that s/he finds saddles too narrow to sit on, then it's worth a look. Because it's that bit wider, it breaks in a lot quicker than some of the other Brooks saddles, but is also more prone to stretching if you get it wet. And of course, it is a bit of tank, in weight terms. On the plus side, the basic B17 is about a third of the price of a Swallow.

There are pros and cons to the B17 but it's definitely different from the average road bike saddle in ways that do make it suitable for a lot of people, and when people talk about Brooks, it's usually the B17 they have in mind.

blorg

@rottenhat- max I did on the B17 was 235km and the saddle was noticable at the end of that, but still less so than a non-Brooks saddle. Certainly I had bigger problems than the saddle. I have also toured long distances on it but with only 70-100km per day. But by contrast on long rides the Swallow is not noticable at all. Have you tried long distances on thinner Brooks saddles yet to compare? (I believe you are the happy owner of a Swallow recently?)

What you say about upright position is indeed correct, B17 is designed for a more upright position, Swift and Swallow for more of a drop. Currently have the B17 on my commuter which is relatively upright.

End of the day it is a personal thing though, what works for one of us may not work for the other.

rottenhat

I should be taking ownership of the Swallow this evening if Frank Grimes has time to call over - I'm looking forward to trying it out, definitely, albeit with some trepidation. The last saddle I had before I quaffed the Brooks kool-aid was a Selle Italia Flite which I found strongly resembled having an iron bar jammed forcibly between your buttocks and I know the Flite was originally modelled on the Swift so....

Basically between my lack of flexibility and the general position on the Rivendell, I think the B17 is spot on for my position on the bike, but I'm optimistically hoping that the Swallow might be even better. I have a new bike in the works for 2010 which will be more of a lightweight affair so the Swallow will likely end up on that. Or, if I love it, I'll get a second one.

KStaford

went out and got a few sheets of carbon paper to try and measure the sit bones as per advice in other posts. (basically the method is to place carbon paper on white paper down on a hard surface and sit bearback on it for a while).

Apart from imparing myself on the surface and trying to get as much weight down onto the paper as possible, this mthod just doe snot work with me. There was no imprint whatsoever. So can anyone tell me how I now go about measuring mysef ?

biker_joe

what about the Fizik ? I think there about most comfortable ( light ) saddle around ?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=8392

sy

+1 on Fizik

KStaford

biker_joe wrote: »

what about the Fizik ? I think there about most comfortable ( light ) saddle around ?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=8392

sy wrote: »

+1 on Fizik

Thanks guys but does my original question not still apply? Surely I need to be measured (see above post re- problems in this area)? Surely ther eis no point in just ordering a Fizik off some website without trying it out etc? Is there a shop that will let me try out a Fizik (in Ireland) and return it if it does not work ? (much the same as buying shoes)

????

Murph100

Eh.... I thought we had that covered already.

The answer is YES, these two definitely, but you have to call them. They are both in Belfast so you will have it in the post the next day. Slane Cycle might be a better bet for Fizik demos, as I know they definitely have them.

http://www.slanecycles.com

http://www.davekanecycles.com

KStaford wrote: »

Thanks guys but does my original question not still apply? Surely I need to be measured (see above post re- problems in this area)? Surely ther eis no point in just ordering a Fizik off some website without trying it out etc? Is there a shop that will let me try out a Fizik (in Ireland) and return it if it does not work ? (much the same as buying shoes)

????

TinyExplosions

KStaford wrote: »

Thanks guys but does my original question not still apply? Surely I need to be measured (see above post re- problems in this area)? Surely ther eis no point in just ordering a Fizik off some website without trying it out etc? Is there a shop that will let me try out a Fizik (in Ireland) and return it if it does not work ? (much the same as buying shoes)

????

Slane Cycles will let you try out Fizik's. TBH though, they don't come in varying widths, so you'll either get on with it or not. The reviews tend to say that the Arione is suitable for 99% of riders, with the remaining 1% hating it, so it may be work a gamble... I have one myself, and am very happy with it!

rottenhat

Or, you know, if you have friends who cycle, ask if you can throw their saddle on your bike for a quick spin.

KStaford

I think the point I am trying to make is that surely buying a saddle should be similar to buying a pair of shoes ?

Should there not be a process of measuring, fitting, trying ? How does this normally work ?

I cant see the sense in ordering a saddle of blind the internet. So I guess I am looking for advice on a more holistic approach to buying a saddle.

TinyExplosions

KStaford wrote: »

I think the point I am trying to make is that surely buying a saddle should be similar to buying a pair of shoes ?

Should there not be a process of measuring, fitting, trying ? How does this normally work ?

I cant see the sense in ordering a saddle of blind the internet. So I guess I am looking for advice on a more holistic approach to buying a saddle.

Not really, while some saddle manufacturers sell them in various widths, this is the exception rather than the rule -saddles are pretty much a 'one size fits most' situation

rottenhat

To be fair, most manufacturers will have a range of different saddles aimed at different kinds of riding, but there is no accepted fit process beyond "suck it and see". The main error not to fall into is thinking that a saddle with a lot of padding is going to be more comfortable - usually that just means the bony part of your bum sinks into the saddle, and the weight ends up on softer, more sensitive parts of your anatomy. This tends to be more apparent after you've been sitting on it for a while - once round the block might not be enough.

IM0

in general there are about 3 different widths of saddle (road anyway) so as long as you get the one which fits you better (the distance between your sit bones ROUGHLY) - the bigger build you are Small/thin Medium/avergae Large/Big frame the wider saddle you need. thats what matters and you can click on a website once u measure yourself....or you can believe whatever hype said shop wants to 'sell' you - your choice, but know this the more weight on the pedals (effort/torque) - more power you put out the less you need "the magic" saddle, look at the non padded carbon shell ones, they are not designed to be ridden at 150-200w, but more like 300-500w in races especially by pro's.
But yet you get people going on about how uncomfortable they are when riding at 150w down the road for 1hr 30...its not DESIGNED for that purpose :rolleyes:

Its like buying a walrus in a pet shop and then wondering why it wont come for a walk with you along the seafront...ITS A BLOODY WALRUS!!! not a dog! you get my point?

BostonB

I was in 53 degrees north (I think thats the name) and I noticed beside their bikes, (Specialized) they had a Specialized Saddle Chart that seem to tell you have to measure someone up for a saddle. Something about sit bone spacing. My old bikes had butt splitters of saddles. Rock hard narrow and I hated them. I've a cheap gel saddle at the moment and its fine. That said on my MTB I've the bars set low so I've more weight forward on my arms more like a racer/road bike. I'd be on the large side too. (Must cycle more).

I think if you go into a decent shop they'd work with you to sort out the problem. Padded shorts help a bit too. I find I don't need them though.

http://www.epicidiot.com/sports/bicycle_saddles.htm