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Seats for road bike
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Hello! I have a road bike, specifically a Specialized. I am a newbie to the sport, but I really like the bike. However, after 1/2 hour on the seat, my butt feels as though it could actually fall off it's so numb. Any seat recommendations?

For reference, my current seat says, "Dolce" on the side and looks similar to this seat from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/...s=gateway&sr=8-5

~ kea
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Re: Seats for road bike [keakathleen] [ In reply to ]
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Saddles are very personal; that said, I'm on a Specialized Oura in 155 on my road bike. I don't know where you're based but some cycle shops allow you to take home different tester saddles to see what works for you. If you search "saddle" in this forum you'll also see a wide range of saddle experiences.
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Re: Seats for road bike [keakathleen] [ In reply to ]
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Hi there!

One of two things is happening:

1. The saddle isn't right for you, and you should probably get a body geometry fit to see what would be the right saddle for you
2. You haven't spent enough time in the saddle to be "conditioned" to it yet.

The Dolce is a sweet bike (pun intended!), and I really like Specialized saddles. But that's me, and everyone's seat profile is going to be different *and* also change over time. I think no matter what, it's worth a trip to a local bike shop after you've put about 100-200 miles of riding in and get the bike looked over once it's "broken in", and also get a fitting done. Specialized's body geometry fit includes a trip to the "ass-o-meter", which measures your sits bone points to see where you should be putting pressure on the saddle.

Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx
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Re: Seats for road bike [Dr_Cupcake] [ In reply to ]
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Ok. I heard the same about the "ass-o-meter" from a guy here at work, so I will see if our local bike shop does such a thing. And I will search for saddle instead of "seat". :)
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Re: Seats for road bike [keakathleen] [ In reply to ]
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Assometers are useless imo.

Saddle height is usually the biggest culprit in saddle discomfort, even if not wearing padded shorts. Have that double checked first. Half a centimeter can make a difference. Yes, getting a fitting is good for you too.

The Specialized Dolce saddle has good padding. There may be a little bit of 'getting used to it', but not after only 30mins of riding. Padded shorts, yes?

It's a 'woman thing', but don't sit too far off the back of the saddle. Saddles have a sweet spot, between supporting the bones as well as relieving soft tissue pressure. The dolce is nice as it has a cutout.

Don't equate larger/more padded saddles with more comfort. 'Too much saddle' is just as bad as not having enough. I'm on the larger size but prefer a saddle width in the nominal range of 139mm. Also, some saddles are 'flat', some are 'rounded' - think about the saddle as a 3d shape. And don't get pigeonholed into "womens' models".

Are you in cycling shoes (clipess best, but even a mtb sport shoe with a more rigid sole is good)? Stabilising the feet also helps with stablilty and comfort at the saddle.

Welcome!

Anne Barnes
ABBikefit, Ltd
FIST/SICI/FIST DOWN DEEP
X/Y Coordinator
abbikefit@gmail.com
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Re: Seats for road bike [keakathleen] [ In reply to ]
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Great comments from ABarnes. Bike fit is extremely important as everything is connected. Usually during a fit you get to try different types of saddles, as this is very individual. Get the fit- it's worth the investment also to avoid other overuse injuries down the road. My soul mate saddle is the Selle Italia- narrow and not a woman-specific saddle. I would never have picked this one myself, as I consider my hips to be wide... but I am not a professional bike fitter!

Theia Friestedt
360 VELO
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Re: Seats for road bike [theia.bike] [ In reply to ]
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These are great comments! No padded bike shorts, so I'm guessing I should invest. And I do feel like I am sitting a bit "off" on the bike, so I am going to get fitted very shortly. It feels like my seat is a bit high, so my lower back also gets a bit tired. And it's my butt that hurts after about 30 so I will keep in mind the comments about where I am sitting on the seat to see if that makes a difference.
Last edited by: keakathleen: Apr 5, 19 9:18
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