# Terry and MTB-specific saddles?



## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Okay, I've been riding my rigid 29er almost every weekend since the snow gave way. And I don't know if it's the fact that I'm riding rigid, or my saddle just doesn't fit - but it's not comfy! I do wear chamois and didn't notice this issue (well, as much) on my suspended bikes. I don't tend to stay seated the entire time and I've learned to use my legs and arms more as shock absorbers and raise myself off the saddle when going over large bumps/logs/rocks/etc. I've tried adjusting my seat angle by little bits and while I can tell the difference it makes on the soft tissue in the front, my sit bones are not happy. Initially I thought I just needed a couple of rides in to get used to riding again after the winter...but now I don't think so. And after reading several different threads on here on women's saddles, I'm starting to think I just don't have a good fit. I know...long story. So anyway, I guess I should go to Specialized and get measured (ee gads). I know there are other options in regards to women's-specific saddles, such as Terry. But when I went to their website to learn more - it seems like they designed their saddles to be more for road riding. Is that true? What makes a saddle mtb vs. road-specific? Is there really that much of a difference? And if you were to use a saddle that was designed more for road use (like the Terry?), how would it affect performance? Is one stronger than the other? 
Incidentally, I am interested in the Terry Falcon X - but it sounds like it is supposed to be a road saddle?


----------



## deanna (Jan 15, 2004)

petey15 said:


> So anyway, I guess I should go to Specialized and get measured (ee gads). I know there are other options in regards to women's-specific saddles, such as Terry. But when I went to their website to learn more - it seems like they designed their saddles to be more for road riding. Is that true? What makes a saddle mtb vs. road-specific? Is there really that much of a difference? And if you were to use a saddle that was designed more for road use (like the Terry?), how would it affect performance? Is one stronger than the other?
> Incidentally, I am interested in the Terry Falcon X - but it sounds like it is supposed to be a road saddle?


Get measured, it'll help take the guesswork out of how wide of a saddle you need.

There's road-specific and mtb-specific saddles? Weird. I've been riding for years and no one's ever told me about that! I have the same saddle on all my bikes (multiple Terry Fly's, I don't switch saddles each time I switch bikes). No issues whatsoever.


----------



## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Apparently there are...Specialized differentiates between them (road and mtb) as well as others. Guess I wondered what the difference really was? MTB saddles have more padding or something? Guess I was curious to see if others used "road" saddles on their mtb and vice-versa and if it was more than just a matter of comfort which to use. 

Does it cost anything to get fit/measured?


----------



## chuky (Apr 3, 2005)

There is no difference beyond what is printed on the marketing materials, for the most part. You can use just about any saddle on road or mountain, with a few caveats:

- a super light carbon railed saddle might not be the best at withstanding impact. Impact is more likely to occur off-road. If you look at a product and think, "I don't know if this is robust enough", then maybe don't use it on the MTB.

- some "MTB" saddles offer extra protective features such as kevlar shoulders to help make them more abrasion resistant. This is nice if you lay your bike down a lot (at speed or standing still .

- since you don't tend to move off the seat much road riding, the edges of the shell of a road saddle can be more rigid. This makes them less desireable for bikes where you have the seat lowered often, as the edges can bruise your legs. Some MTB saddles have more padding around these edges or a shell that curves in at the bottom in order to help reduce this problem. Adding this extra material can add weight to the saddle.

Anyway, I ride "road" saddles on most of my XC bikes and sometimes on my trail bike. I like how low profile they are and how easy it is to move around the saddle. I find on my bigger bikes that the hard shell edges are too much, and ride a saddle with more shell material.


----------



## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Thanks Chuky! That was very helpful!


----------



## LadyDi (Apr 17, 2005)

It is UNtrue that Terry's are road-specific. And, since all Terry saddles come with 30-day "ride it and love it or return it" guarantee, you can essentially swap them out until you're happy. Unfortunately Terry's more popular saddles sometimes get backordered and then you have to wait. 

I've been a Terry lover for a while-- Butterfly Tri Gel and Butterfly Ti on my bikes. Awesome saddles. The Ti is slightly firmer than the Tri and a bit "grippy" until the patterned leather wears away. But then they last practically forever. A friend of mine has the Damselfly but I find that one too stumpy/short. I've got a new bike coming soon and I'm thinking of trying the Falcon X. Looks primo.


----------



## MtbRN (Jun 8, 2006)

LadyDi said:


> It is UNtrue that Terry's are road-specific. And, since all Terry saddles come with 30-day "ride it and love it or return it" guarantee, you can essentially swap them out until you're happy. Unfortunately Terry's more popular saddles sometimes get backordered and then you have to wait.
> 
> I've been a Terry lover for a while-- Butterfly Tri Gel and Butterfly Ti on my bikes. Awesome saddles. The Ti is slightly firmer than the Tri and a bit "grippy" until the patterned leather wears away. But then they last practically forever. A friend of mine has the Damselfly but I find that one too stumpy/short. I've got a new bike coming soon and I'm thinking of trying the Falcon X. Looks primo.


I have a Falcon X on my mountain bike, and plan to put one on my road bike to replace the Butterfly I currently have. Butterfly is too wide for me, I think. I really like the Falcon. Comfy and easy to move around on.

My BF rides a Terry Fly on his mountain bike. So no, they are not just for road bikes


----------



## LadyDi (Apr 17, 2005)

MtbRN said:


> I have a Falcon X on my mountain bike,...


Back-ordered till Mid-May but my order is in. :thumbsup:


----------



## deanna (Jan 15, 2004)

LadyDi said:


> Back-ordered till Mid-May but my order is in. :thumbsup:


Sounds like the FLX saddle I ordered... My butt wants to try it now!


----------



## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Okay, looked up the specs on the WTB saddle I had on my bike, and it was 130mm wide. Have been looking on eBay and debated between a Terry Falcon X or a Specialized Ariel. The Ariel is 143mm wide and has the cut-out in the middle. I ended up getting the winning bid on that one and got it in the mail this week. Couldn't wait to put it on the bike. Noticed a huge difference right away just sitting on it...like "ahhhhh". Looking forward to getting out on the trails this weekend. Incidentally, I compared the width of the saddle I took off this bike to my other saddles and it is noticeably narrower. I hadn't even thought about it when I ordered it for my build...will definitely be paying attention to dimensions now!


----------



## Severine01 (May 16, 2008)

So glad I came across this! 11 rides in and I thought it was just from not being in the saddle for a while but I have to admit that it's probably the saddle itself. Should probably check out other options.

One word of advice on Terry: if you decide to return something for a refund, it takes a while to get it. I had bought a pair of their cargo bike skorts and it was too big; it was a special sale so I couldn't exchange it for the next size down and ended up waiting about 3 weeks to get my refund. Better to know this ahead of time.


----------

