Any tips on setting up the Adamo saddle? I have a position (power and aero) that I like alot except for the pain from the saddle on longer TT’s. I am going to give the Adamo a try but want to keep the same position.
If you sit on the nose of your previous saddle, then set the adamo in the same spot as the other one. If you sit on the back of the old saddle then you are going to have to move the adamo back since you sit off the front of it.
I’ll let you know as soon as my Adamo comes in the mail. 
I would say initially you should slide the saddle back along the seat rails. The Adamo saddles are meant to be sat on in a more forward position. Take a tool with you while riding and gradually move the seat forward if needed. This also makes it an incredible TT seat for USCF riders as they have to deal with the UCI 5cm rules (nose must be 5cm behind your B/B). This is why you see many of the Pro Tour riders on the nose of their saddles while in a TT position. I would also suggest starting with the arms level to the ground. If you need to adjust the tilt, then that can be done on the fly. The Adamo saddle eliminates pressure from the crotch and places it more on the “sit bones”. This is actually a muscle group that requires some conditioning. Most riders find this conditioning period to last 7-10 rides. We also suggest lowering the saddle height about an 1/8 of an inch when setting up.
While riding properly on the Adamo seat, one should have approximately 3-4 finger widths of saddle exposed behind their butt. Or in other words, if you look between your legs, you should just barely be able to see the arms. Enjoy the saddle. We have helped tons of riders get more comfortable on our seats. On a side note, the Adamo saddles have been testing in the wind tunnel and typically allow for increased hip rotation, thus increasing rider aerodynamics.
Dave
Since you’re here, can you explain the section in the fit manual about the side-to-side rotation which it says is “very important?” I experimented with it, and any deviation from center just felt “weird” to me, and I never felt my “nerve bundle” either falling into or being pushed out of the trough.
To the original poster, I would add that the Adamo seems more tolerant to slight forward tilts than most saddles. On my road bike I ride it horizontal, but I’ll go with about a 4-5 degree forward tilt on my TT bike which seems really comfortable. You don’t get the “OMG, I’m sliding forward” sensation you can get with other saddles that are tilted forward.
Thanks for your response, Trail. The side to side rotation usually applies to traditional nosed saddles. That’s not to say some don’t use this method for ISM saddles, it’s just not as prevalent. Rotating your seat to the left or right allows the rider to take pressure of the prostate or soft tissue area in ladies. It’s easier to figure this out for men than women. More trial and error for the ladies. But if you are seated properly on an ISM Adamo saddle, you typically don’t have that nose interference and can leave your saddle dead straight. Ride Hard!
Dave
I have Adamos on both road and tri bike and while they are not perfect, they beat anything else I have tried.
Since you are the “horses mouth”, is it correct to say that the nose of Adamo should be at the same relative position as a regular saddle if you ride that saddle on the nose?.
In other words, you did not cut off the nose of the Adamo, you moved the back of a regular saddle forward to where it could provide additional support not provided by a narrow saddle.
PS, I probably have a follow up
That’s a general statement, but yes. The saddle does offer more support for nose riders, but we did eliminate approx. 2.5 inches of nose on the Adamo saddle line to relieve pressure from the pudendal nerve.
I have been riding one on my training bike since the week following IM Hawaii, thanks to Dave and the ITS crew and its been a pleasure since! I was told not do to a major long ride on it the first few times because the pressure points are different but I was able to ride 42 miles daily since day one. Do bring an hex with you to allow you to dial in your position as you ride. Try to stay as far forward as you can; there will be 2 or more inches of saddle sticking out behind you - who cares! It took me about 2 months of fine tuning to find the sweet spot on the saddle where to stay all the time (90%). Remember that you are riding with your sitbones on the rails …
Enjoy the new found comfort!
Any tips on setting up the Adamo saddle? I have a position (power and aero) that I like alot except for the pain from the saddle on longer TT’s. I am going to give the Adamo a try but want to keep the same position.
I have read some reviews that indicate the seat is too wide for some people’s tastes (and I mean the distance across at the front of the saddle where you sit…this is obviously what gives the seat it’s ability to remove pressure from your nads).
One reviewer described a ‘tune’ he did where you grabbed the saddle rails with a hose clamp and was able to tune this width to fit his needs.
It is even easier to use a heavy duty zip tie while pressing the front of the rails together with pliers.
Here is the follow ups:
Are the rails in the same relative position to regular saddles?. Can I use the center of the rails to measure my seat angle?
Is there a typical “rule of thumb” for how much lower ones saddle height would be when using the Adamo vs. other saddles? For example, if my current saddle height is 79cm?
Good question. However saddle height should be adjusted according to the fore/aft position of the seat. As you move the seat back, the seat height distance effectively lengthens. But once fore/aft is determined, some folks find droping their saddle height an 1/8 of an inch helps relieve the pressure on the “sit bones”. Please keep in mind that the conditioning period of the “sit bones” is a process. This muscle group is not use to the pressure, but will adapt. But the good news is the pressure is removed from the pudendal nerve (found in both males and females). Good luck.
I just installed my new ISM saddle yesterday. I set it up very close to how my existing saddle was set and when i rode the nose where my “junk” just hung off the nose, my knees were hitting my arm rests. So I ended up moving the saddle back about two inches before I felt tuned in. So the post looks like it sticks into the seat on the front third instead of the back two thirds like my previous saddle. See my graphic below. The ||||| is the seat post.
Before with old saddle
++++++++++++++++++++
…|||||
After with ISM
+++++++++++++++++
…|||||
I’m about two weeks in with the saddle. My taint hated me before I got the Adamo. The first few rides were slightly uncomfortable on my “sit bones”. I was sore after my first long ride. It was much more comfortable than taint sore though. After that long ride, it has gotten so much better. Two hour sessions this week with no issues.
So comfortable. Love this thing so far.
Thanks! I just picked up an Adamo Racing Saddle to try out. I’m currently using a Selle Italia SLR T1 which is good, but I’m hoping the Adamo will relieve the pressure on the soft tissue area for greater comfort.
With respect to fore/aft adjustment, this seems a little tricky? I just started to play around with the saddle. When sitting in an upright position I can certainly find and feel the pressure on the sit bones, however when in the aero postion I can feel the pressure on the soft tissue. Is the optimal position one in which you should have the same feeling in the aero postion as if you were sitting up on your saddle?
Dave,
Sorry to highjack this thread, but wondered if you could answer a question. I just started using the Adamo last fall - mostly shorter rides (<1hr). I’ve noticed this winter (on trainer) that my arms are getting tired now (on aero bars)? Ride time typically 45min up to 1.5hr. My saddle area feels great, but it feels like my arms are carrying the weight? Any suggestions? THanks.
Have you tried raising or lowering your saddle height? I may be wrong, but perhaps you need to slightly raise your saddle in order to shift a little weight to your other contact point in lieu of your arms/shoulders carrying the weight. Think of it as re-balancing yourself on the bike.
Usually when you feel pressure on your arms, the saddle tilt may be off. This is true for all saddles. If you have the saddle tilted down too far, the rider feels like he is falling off the front of the saddle and is supporting their weight with arms.
Dave