Another good review- After trying several saddles with a lack of comfort ‘down there,’ I finally found one which has left me without throbbing after just a 30 minute ride. (And I am not talking about our bums ladies). It’s the ISM Adamo and I highly recommend it!!! My 3rd ride with it last week was 1.5 hours and I had absolutely no pain afterwards…at least not ‘down there.’ That is saying a lot considering I was not able to ride at all from March-last week. (I was on bed-rest and just had twin girls)! My sit-bones were a little sore, but I’ll take the soreness there over the other area any day!
Finding a saddle that works for you is extremely frustrating. Congrats on finding one that works. Congrats too on the twins!! I have 2 kids, but they’re almost 4 years apart - I can’t imagine handling 2 at the same time. Good luck!!
Congrats on the saddle find. The Adamo is the only saddle I’ve ever ridden that caused ZERO discomfort on the front of the saddle, even for long IM training rides. I should note, however, that I am not riding it right now as I could not get over the right sit bone /upper hamstring soreness and ended right back on my Terry Cutback from years past . I rode the Adamo for IMWI 2006 and came out of the bike leg with an injury in this same area (not blaming the saddle). I went as far as to ask Blackwell to cut back the Adamo like it did the Terry (or cut the nose off of it’s Flow). I’ve also called Terry to see if they’d design some ‘rocker’ back in their saddles like they used to - nope.
This came up on a ride last week with the ladies and another petite mom said she couldn’t handle the back of the Adamo saddle (too wide for her and she was getting soreness in the same place) even though the front was very comfortable. Everyone’s butt is different and I don’t expect the saddle industry to design a saddle just for me, but I may hack up a few saddles to find my own solution soon. My stash of JCobb cutbacks are getting OLD.
I use the Terry Butterfly and love it… except for that damn hamstring problem you are talking about! I wish they made a saddle that had a cutout, and the same level of padding, except much thinner in the back.
I started on the regular Terry but went to the cutback due the hamstring impingement. The cutback was awesome, then JC went out of biz… I tried the Flow but it is not as comfortable for me as the old Cutbacks, especially in long rides in aero. It is probably fine for a road bike saddle.
The Adamo is great in aero position for short rides…but anything over 2 hrs or having to sit up for any reason and my right hamsting/sciatic nerve is toast.
My husband stole the Adamo before I could come up with a way to cut it back myself.
I almost bought the Adamo after my “pelvic organ prolapse” surprise in June. For now I have Blackwell’s (ISM’s) other saddle, the Flow, and I THINK I will keep it since I have found a new saddle position that works.
I am curious tho-- the website shows, with a male rider, how “the boys” would be positioned, but where exactly do —um— “the girls” (labia majora) sit?? Are they forward of the nose things like the website pic shows how the testicles are postioned?? We gals don’t have the pudendal nerve issues, but other pain hassles, and in my case, this new anatomical ‘bonus’ (NOT!)
Sorry to be graphic but I really am wanting to understand before I spend the $ (if the Flow gets “fired” after IMW, that is).
Thanks, and I am glad we females are able to talk constructively about our anatomic / saddle worries too.
C
Wow ! I have been riding on the Adamo Road and Racing seats, since they came out. I had to condition my sit bones, because of shifting the weight to my sit bones rather than my crotch (thank goodness). What a difference- no numbness, no soreness, and in fact, at the end of the day, I have to remind myself that I had gone for a bike ride.
What makes these seats different, is that they cut off the front 2 inches of the seat, so if you can see the seat between your legs- you are sitting too far back. This may also be the cause for the discomfort with the width. The back part of the seat is not for sitting on, only to meet UCI regulations. So, move the seat back !
Also, you may want to move the seat slightly to the left or right. My hips are not even ( the majority of us do not have even hips-probably from luggings kids around on one hip too long) so, once I slightly move the seat to the right, I found my “sweet spot”. Also, have someone ride behind you and see if you are rocking at all. You may not feel it, but the slightest rocking will create discomfort.
Just some suggestions that helped me. It was worth it and I would not trade my seats for anything.
Have fun riding and save your crotch- try an ISM Adamo seat.
For those of you looking for a summary of women and saddle woes and solutions, check out my post called “The Vagina and the Saddle”.
My last entry has a summary of the suggestions I recieved back from slowtwitch members. I now have the perfect saddle for me as well.
The bottom line for men and women is what works great for one person doesn’t work for another, you have to try different saddles/shorts/lube combinations.
I wonder if that is the source of my problem on my left side piriformis/hammy. I never even though it could be the saddle. hmmm. I use the Terry Tri Gel.
It also could be my car seats. I have never had trouble until this car…a honda accord. Crappy and uncomfortable seats that would irritate me after long runs, literally driving home with my hand under my left sit bone.
Did your BB to top of seat measurement change with the adamo? A reduction may indicate that seatpost height may have contributed to some of the discomfort.
Did your forward-aft saddle position (on the seat post) change at all with the adamo?
Are you as aerodynamic as posible (using your flexibility and rotating forward from the hips to the utmost, but not to the detriment of power) or are you more upright with the majority of your weight on the sits bones?
Finally, was the discomfort at the perineum, the vulva or labia. Sorry to be so specific, but this may help people in their choice of saddle.
For the first time in my life the stock seat that came on my TT bike actually fit, and I did not have to spend upwards of $500 trying saddles out in an attempt to solve the problem.
Finding this interesting as I also have a piriformis/hamstring issue (being diagnosed piriformis syndrome), but it is wreaking havoc on my rides/runs. I use the Terry Tri Gel. Generally quite comfy compared to others I’ve tried…but wondering if there is a connection now with wider back section of saddle. I may look at the men’s version…hmmmm…
I never made the connection until my MOM actually pointed it out. Then I talked to Paulo about it and he confirmed that the wide seat backs can cause these issues. Terry makes a couple other saddles that are narrower. I’ll let you know if I have any luck!
