Saddle Question

Andy Magic

Hi all, I've a long'ish charity cycle coming up soon and at present my saddle is killing me, even at 20k rides.. I'm looking to change to something like the ISM Adamo Saddle but I really can't afford the price tag, not now anyway.

Does anyone know of a similar brand/make to Adamo that is cheaper in price but the same shape or design?

DirkVoodoo

Is the Adamo not a time trial saddle?

Asking for saddle advice is a little tricky, it is a personal choice. Find a local shop that have some "test" saddles, put a few hundred km one each one, then decide.

Andy Magic

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Is the Adamo not a time trial saddle?

Asking for saddle advice is a little tricky, it is a personal choice. Find a local shop that have some "test" saddles, put a few hundred km one each one, then decide.

Thanks for your advice, I'd agree there is a local store that stocks something similar but I just wanted to see/research what was out there first. I have been looking all day on the internet for something similar, just to compare and know what to look for.

seamus

Have a charge saddle on the road bike for a couple of years and I love it. I tolerated the saddle on my commuter for a year before fitting a charge saddle to it and now I love that too.

Conclusion: Charge saddles rock.

It's quite hard to look at a little piece of steel and leather and justify spending €60+ on it, but when you consider that your saddle has the greatest impact on how much you enjoy a spin, there's no point in looking for a cheap one. You wouldn't buy cheap shoes to go hillwalking, so why buy a cheap saddle for the bike?

As Dirk says, individual advice is tough. What works for one ass doesn't work for another. Though I wouldn't use a TT saddle for a charity cycle. It's designed for riding in the crouched TT position.

Ole Rodrigo

The Selle Rolls is a good bet if you want to buy something on spec - cheap enough and you could sell it on quite easily if it doesn't suit. Its hard to please everyone but its had many fans over the years.. LA, Sean Kelly and popular in long distance. It tolerates the wet and most importantly looks nice

cdaly_

Or there's always the trusty Brooks B17. I got mine in the Bike Hub in Howth for €75 a year or so ago and it was brilliant from day one...

t'bear

I have a Brooks too, wouldnt be without it. I struggled at the start thinking 'ah sure I have to get used to it', but actually was wrong, my sit bones were not taking the weight , so all the soft bits were under pressure , so I would be inclined to google 'sit bones saddle' to see if how you measure the distance and then explore the saddle that supports that size. Or if an LBS will allow a swap/test then this is the best way to get the right one. You do 'know' when your sits bones are doing their job

Wicklowrider

There are two bone protruding either side of the base of your spine "sit bones". If you can measure the distance between these bones you will know the width of the saddle best suited to you. If you sit on a folded towel or soft covered chair you should see two indentations. Try and lean forward to replicate aprx position you ride in - if you sit straight up they will be too wide.Measure these centre to centre Now, try and figure out what shape you like (what do you dislike about the saddle you currently use?) Some like a flat saddle, some like a rounded nose and some like a "hammock". This shape is highly important. If you can get your measurements and shape figured out you are on your way. Buying 2nd hand off ebay is a great way to go as you can sell them on at little loss if you get it wrong. The only make of saddle I know that is agreeable across a big range of riders of different shapes weights and sizes are the specialized body geometry range. I know a small light rider, several large heavy riders and a couple in between who all swear by them. Specialized have a measuring device in the shops but remember about leaning forward during the measurement. When you get your saddle your next step is setting it up right - but that is a whole different subject.

smacl

+1 for the Brooks saddles. B17 on my road bike and flyer on my commuter, both very comfortable on long days and rough roads, though not the lightest if weight is a major consideration. Also heard good things about the charge spoon, which is supposed to be very comfy for a very competitively priced saddle.

AaronB

Is there anywhere in cork that you can test out saddles?

cdaly_

AaronB wrote: »

Is there anywhere in cork that you can test out saddles?

I brought my bike into the shop, put it up on a turbo trainer and we fitted various saddles so I could get a feel for them on the spot. One felt like an ass hatchet from the start. The brooks felt lovely straight away...


That said, it's worth asking them to let you have the saddle for a few days just to be sure. You'll buy it and get a refund if you don't like it.

Mycroft H

Another vote for brooks. They're classy pieces of kit too

couerdelion

I've got an Adamo Racing 2 and I'm still undecided on it after 6 months. My sit bones feel tender after a 40km tri bike leg and I find myself movig around trying to get comfortable after an hour on the turbo. It's not enough to consider swapping and I'm still just hoping I'll get used to it after a while.

That being said I've gone back to a more traditional saddle for the new bike. I've a specialized saddle on my road bike that came with the Allez and I can sit on that all day fine (did the Malin to Mizen without too much discomfort).

Ole Rodrigo

With the brooks, you're kinda limited on what bike to fit them? They usually suit tourers and randonneuring bikes with a traditional geometry.

Mycroft H

ror_74 wrote: »

With the brooks, you're kinda limited on what bike to fit them? They usually suit tourers and randonneuring bikes with a traditional geometry.

B17 narrow will suit anything with a racier geometry.

Brooks professional/colt is another model worth looking at for racing