# Looking for new saddle



## burrells (Sep 8, 2015)

Any suggestions for saddles?? I recently bought a new bike and am now on my second saddle for it, and my crotch still hurts. I ride with padded shorts, but may need to change those too. I just don't want to keep throwing money into "oh this might work".


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## laine (Oct 4, 2012)

I'm so glad you posted this. I was thinking of asking folks what saddles they use. I have a WTB Deva (not sure they make this one anymore), and I've been thinking about new saddle options. 

Are people using women-specific saddles? I know we all have different sit-bones and sizes, but curious what you all have liked.

-laine


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## ryetoast (Jan 24, 2016)

I got a WTB Deva for 25 bucks on eBay a couple years ago and have been using that ever since. It is women's specific and pretty comfortable. However, I rode a friend's bike equipped with a men's WTB Speed V and liked that even better, probably because I have fairly narrow hips. That said, most men's saddles I've been subjected to on rental and demo bikes have been torture devices as far as I'm concerned


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## sooshee (Jun 16, 2012)

A lot of shops will have an "ass-o-meter" that measures the width of your sit bones. This is a great starting point to making sure you're on the correct saddle. 

I'm a fan of Specialized Jett saddles, which they discontinued. I pick up used ones on Ebay from time to time.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

sooshee said:


> A lot of shops will have an "ass-o-meter" that measures the width of your sit bones. This is a great starting point to making sure you're on the correct saddle.
> 
> I'm a fan of Specialized Jett saddles, which they discontinued. I pick up used ones on Ebay from time to time.


I also recommend the ass-o-meter. I've purchased Specialized Ariel saddles through eBay and liked those a lot. Now I'm riding the Liv Intrigue Contact Forward saddle. They make an "upright" and a "forward" option and also have a way to determine which would suit you better.

Besides saddle - were you fit properly on your bike? I'm assuming the shop did when they sold you the bike, but if not, you might want to do that before buying more saddles. It's amazing what improper saddle height or too long of a reach can do to your girl parts.

I also used to use chamois butter to help with friction issues, but it never seemed to stay on that long. Recently I discovered Gold Bond Friction Defense and put that on before I ride. I can't believe the difference it has made and it lasts throughout my ride - even when hot and sweating.

Happy trails!


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## LadyDi (Apr 17, 2005)

Everyone's needs are so different. The "ass-o-meter" system may work for some, but I personally found it to be worthless hype. I was fitted once using the "ass-o-meter", and the suggested Specialized Ariel was a painful nightmare. Terry has some nice saddles and a liberal "satisfaction guaranteed" return policy. I used to love their Butterfly Gel saddles, but fyi sometimes they get waay back-ordered. Also, they seem to wear out fairly quickly. I keep a couple of squashy old Butterflys in my bike closet as comfy loaners/backups. Eventually I discovered the Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow- it holds up very well and is my perfect saddle for mountain or road.


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

Get sized by the Specialized saddle width tester first. That will establish how wide your sit bones are. You'll be surprised. I have narrow hips....but my sit bones require a 148mm wide saddle. For years, I was using 128mm and always had bad saddle sores after rides.


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## miatagal96 (Jul 5, 2005)

If you can, try before you buy. Otherwise, I'd go with something with a liberal return policy. I don't have problems with saddles on the mtb (I ride a variety of Specilized saddles), but I had a terrible time finding a saddle for road biking that didn't torture me (those same Specialized saddles didn't work - probably because I move around a lot more on the mtb). After testing a number of different saddles (ISM, Selle Italia, Selle Marco), I ended up with a Cobb Randee. It looks ginormous, and I was on the fence for a while, but after 1 month of test-riding one, I bought one. A year later, I still love it and bought a second one.


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## Lucy Juice (Dec 29, 2010)

Definitely try before you buy if you can. I've found, though, that even shops with a demo saddle program rarely have women's saddles included in that. A lot of shops will let you return saddles if there's no visible wear--wrap the rails in electrical tape before installing on your bike for a short test ride. 

As for me, I do find the sit bone width measurement greatly helpful. 

The only saddles I can really stand are Bontrager saddles in my measured width. They are women's specific. I have an Affinity and an Evoke. The Trek store in my area has a "take-off" saddle bin and they usually sell saddles from it for $10. Ask around at shops to see if anyone has this offering. 

I am going to try the latest SQ Labs offerings, though. The science is really interesting. My husband swears by those. 

I agree that everyone is so different, though. Many women swear by Specialized saddles, but I found them to be garbage for me. It's unfortunately a very frustrating case of trial and error.


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## jeepergirl17 (Feb 14, 2012)

Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow and Terry Butterfly Ti are two saddles I have on my bikes. My Terry Butterfly is over 15 years old and still awesome. The Selle Italia is about 4 months old and very comfy. I don't notice any pain or discomfort during or after a ride.

Specialized didn't work for me, nor did WTB.

Check with your LBS, sometimes they have a saddle exchange program so you get the right one.


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## miamia (Sep 6, 2014)

I have had the SDG Allure ti-version about a month now. No complaints yet. At least for me at has been working ok. 
I have the Anka Martin signature version in white and orange, which has nice birds printed on it.


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

More SQ info.
SQlab Active 611 Titube Saddle - Review - Pinkbike
SQ Lab saddles aren't gender specific, available in widths and the padding requires a break-in period. It rocks a little.


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## JCWages (Jan 26, 2015)

Jeni rides an SDG Allure Ti on her Intense Tracer. It's one of the highest rated women's specific saddle I could find and she loves it. The color options are great too.

SDG Allure Ti Alloy Saddle


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## H2oChick (Dec 14, 2006)

Many shops have saddles to demo and not sure if they still offer it but Specialized use to have a 30-day exchange policy.


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## Muirenn (Jun 17, 2013)

I actually do have a lot of saddles I could tentatively recommend. But, I suggest your read this:

Saddle Comfort and Bike Touring

The problem with the ass-o-meter is that it measures the center to center distance of your sitbones, if your outside distance is a lot wider than average (in proportion to center to center), the saddle will be too narrow, if your outside distance is more narrow than average, the saddle will be too wide. The Ass-o-meter puts my center to center at 118 mm, or a 143 mm saddle (from Specialized) at the most. My outside distance is 160 mm. I've been using a 155 mm Specialized saddle successfully since 2010. (Started on a 143 for a few months, never again). Used the Toupe for several years, then switched to the Romin. I use the Expert for my road bikes, and the gel model for my cyclocross. I have a Brooks on my Surly, If I decide to switch that out, I'll use the same saddle that I use on my CX, though I don't need such an extreme cutout on the Krampus as I'm fairly upright compared to my road bikes. You need a saddle as close to your outside distance as possible. The link tells you how to measure, and gives a lot of links, too.


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## supersedona (Dec 17, 2012)

LadyDi said:


> Everyone's needs are so different. The "ass-o-meter" system may work for some, but I personally found it to be worthless hype. I was fitted once using the "ass-o-meter", and the suggested Specialized Ariel was a painful nightmare. Terry has some nice saddles and a liberal "satisfaction guaranteed" return policy. I used to love their Butterfly Gel saddles, but fyi sometimes they get waay back-ordered. Also, they seem to wear out fairly quickly. I keep a couple of squashy old Butterflys in my bike closet as comfy loaners/backups. Eventually I discovered the Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow- it holds up very well and is my perfect saddle for mountain or road.


I'll second that. The butterfly tends to be really stiff when new but breaks in nice and soft. I have had lots of them and recoommend them but on my racy one I use a Luna Pro Team (which is a rebranded Diva Flow) and it is stiff as a rock but rides well.


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## EmmaW (May 9, 2016)

I bought a Charge Ladle and love it. And only $28! The Ladle is the women's version of the Spoon, it is shorter in the nose and slightly wider in the back compared to the Spoon. I have a Terry Butterfly on my road bike - 7 years and I still love it.


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## HotHead (Feb 24, 2015)

sooshee said:


> A lot of shops will have an "ass-o-meter" that measures the width of your sit bones. This is a great starting point to making sure you're on the correct saddle.
> 
> I'm a fan of Specialized Jett saddles, which they discontinued. I pick up used ones on Ebay from time to time.


This.

And why do all (most) MTBs come with WTB saddles? Are they supposed to be the industry standard, or just a starting point?


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

All of my bikes came with a saddle from that brand of bike.


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## laine (Oct 4, 2012)

Demoed a Specialized Power Expert today (https://www.specialized.com/us/en/components/power-expert/105546). I thought I would hate it - it's short 240mm and the demo saddle they had in stock was the 155 width. So it looked really wide and short. (I'm coming from a WTB Deva - 142x257.)

But I didn't hate it. I kind of liked it - it did feel a little short, but it might be something I can get used to. I would like to try the 143 width, which they do demo - but was out with another customer.

So they put on a Specialized Phenom at a 143x265. I did like the open channel on the Power model, but wanted to compare something a bit longer and narrower, also with a channel (albeit a bit smaller).

The store has a bunch of brands, so hoping to try a couple others.

For those folks with the Terry Butterfly and/or the Selle Italia Diva Lady Gel Flow or Lady Small Gel Flow - they had them there, but they seem very padded. Can you tell me your experiences?

Also, anyone ride with a shorter saddle (250mm or less)? Any issues/thoughts there?

Thanks.

-laine


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## Muirenn (Jun 17, 2013)

formica said:


> All of my bikes came with a saddle from that brand of bike.


The WTB saddles are more or less unisex, pretty good in general, and inexpensive. Really good stock saddle. I had one that I gave to an old man in my neighborhood who was riding a hybrid with a broken, sprung, squishy saddle. He says it's the best saddle he ever tried. (Guess he never rode a Brooks. ).


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## jm2e (Mar 26, 2012)

I went through this about a year ago, and the whole process took about 6 months!
To do this right, you need to be patient and plan for some days when seat issues are a constant distraction from the ride. It's about pushing through to the end so that you can find happiness on the other side!

First, find a local bike shop that is ENTHUSIASTIC about their saddle exchange program. Whether it's Bontrager, Specialized or whatever, having a shop that will let you exchange saddle after saddle after saddle without making you feel bad is crucial. And they need to acknowledge that you will be riding on the saddle for more than a few minutes, so there's a chance each saddle will come back in less-than-new condition.

Next, understand that saddles have ZERO to do with gender. Somewhere out there is a saddle that works for your rear end. It doesn't matter if it's white or pink or black or firm or soft. What matters is that you can log the miles without pain and sore spots on your soft tissue parts. 

Finally, try to be patient. These guys are usually just going off whatever the saddle brand taught them to say. I've literally listened to a sales person (man) tell me first that saddles come in widths and everyone needs to measure their own sit bone widths because that will dictate their saddle size. Then when I asked him why there are male and female saddles, he told me it's because women tend to have wider sit bones. Nice cute generic unscientific statement completely nullifying the original concept.

Hope this helps someone. 
mrs jm2e


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

laine said:


> I'm so glad you posted this. I was thinking of asking folks what saddles they use. I have a WTB Deva (not sure they make this one anymore), and I've been thinking about new saddle options.
> 
> Are people using women-specific saddles? I know we all have different sit-bones and sizes, but curious what you all have liked.
> 
> -laine


Performance Bike (performancebike.com) has them -- a friend loves them and was stocking up because WTB will no longer be making the Deva. I used to ride it and can't remember why i stopped.

My problem with saddles currently is that after about 2 hours the point where my sit bones contact the saddle start to really hurt even if the saddle is perfection as far as general comfort. This has been true across several different saddles.

I've used the Selle Italia Lady gel flow -- but about a year ago, they suddenly started being very, very uncomfortable on the lady bits. The central cut out did not help in the least.

I've tried the SQ Lab saddle on the mountain bike, and may try their touring version to see if it helps with the sit bones problem, because in general it's a comfy saddle.

I'm going to go back and try my very old specialized Dolce. I left it behind because it was getting worn out but I don't remember that it was every uncomfortable.

The whole Specialized fitment thing is hit or miss. I tried a pair of their shoes that were designed to correct a problem I did not have, resulting in then having a problem I had to address. I addressed the problem by returning the shoes after about two rides and the problem went away -- no more knee pain.

I think it was some type of varus wedge.


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

June Bug - have you looked into the Liv saddles at all? They vary based on your position on the bike - whether you sit more forward or upright. Seems like if it's your sit bones that hurt after a couple of hours, maybe you tend to sit in a more upright position? Liv has a cool measuring tool that actually shows where you're putting the most pressure on your saddle. Maybe try there?


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## Geargals (Aug 30, 2010)

Hi everyone! I think this is my first post on WL.

Saddle discomfort is my biggest beef with the bike industry. Bike saddles are SO bad. It took years to find a good one, but I finally did: I can't say enough about the ISM saddles. They have changed my life. I will never ride a saddle with a nose ever again. My favorite is the 1.1 but I think everyone should take advantage of the demo program to try the one they like the most.


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## Ann13 (Jan 4, 2017)

I have a LIV connect on my mountain bike and a body geometry on my road bike. Both feel great...but I really think (like so many others replied) that you need to make sure your bike is set up right for you. No saddle will make you feel good if you are not fit properly! I tend to sit back VERY far on my saddle (I like to be almost cheeks off!), so my bike needs to be set up this way! Get a good bike shop or a good rider to help you fine tune everything!


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## MTBR_Saris (Apr 26, 2016)

June Bug said:


> Performance Bike (performancebike.com) has them -- a friend loves them and was stocking up because WTB will no longer be making the Deva. I used to ride it and can't remember why i stopped.


WTB stopped making the Deva a few years ago but it's back due to popular demand. The new one is exactly the same, with updated graphics (that are very understated.)

I have a Ti railed version in for review. The short and sweet version? It's just as good as you remember. I put close to three thousand miles on my first Deva saddle. The thing started to fade from all the dirt miles, so I gave it to a friend. That was five years ago. She's still rocking it on her commuter bike.


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## Rae6503 (Jun 30, 2009)

I am also super glad the Deva is back. It's the only saddle I have ever liked.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## sweetfilly7 (Jul 2, 2008)

Bontrager has a super sweet 30-day Comfort Guarantee. 
Use the ass-o-meter to determine the best saddle for you, buy it, ride it and if you're not happy with it, you have 30 days to return it. Simple as that.

I have their women's specific Evoke saddle. Love it.


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