I just cannot find a saddle I can stand

Triathlon Forum
1

I’m sure this subject has been beat to death, but unfortunately fit is such an individualized thing that a common thread just doesn’t cover everyone.

So I signed up for IMAZ in November and I have increased my training rides to raise my endurance. What I’m finding is my limiting factor on how long I can stay on the bike is seat comfort. Prior to this, my longest training rides were in the 30-35 mile range, but now I’m routinely riding 40-50 miles with some 60+ mile rides here and there. Since I’ve increased the distance I have discovered that my 30-35 mile rides were, without me realizing it at the time, right about the point at which I began to have serious comfort issues on my bike. The comfort issues ultimately result in increased fatigue, but everything revolves around that seat comfort.

I’ve tried several different types and brands of saddles so far. Some tri specific, some more road bike endurance types, and of the saddles I’ve tried the one I found the most tolerable is a Bontrager Aeolous Comp. I believe it’s more of a road bike saddle, but it’s fairly aggressive and I can generally ride 40-50 miles before I really start to get pain.

Another thing I’ve discovered in my various experiments is I tend to ride with a pretty aggressively nose up angle. I had a bike fitter look at it and she thought it was particularly odd, but I’ve found that the angle increases my tolerance as when I’m down on the aero bars, I can rest my pubic bone on the nose of the saddle. Of course for this, the saddle has to have a pretty aggressive channel to avoid “soft tissue” pain. I find that with a more neutral or even negative seat angle, I tend to slide forward. Then I’m in this awkward and tiresome routine of sliding forward, then shifting back, slide forward, shift back. Rinse and repeat.

I really don’t want to go with a big old “mom” saddle but if that’s the only way I can make 112 miles, then that’s what I’ll do. Of course, the problem is that saddles are simply cost prohibitive to buy one, ride it for a couple hundred miles, and if it doesn’t work out, buy another one, and so on and so forth.

So is there a saddle exchange program I don’t know about (but should)? Anybody here that does fittings, particularly in regard to saddles, located in the southwest? I am absolutely willing to drive to Phoenix or SoCal if I can find the magic saddle that will allow me to be on the bike for 6 or 7 hours without wanting to shoot myself to end the misery.

2

I used to be the same way, but over time I brought my saddle height down by 7mm and now pretty well every saddle is tolerable.

3

That would be nice if that was my solution but I can’t go much lower on any of my bikes. Even on small frames, I have short legs. Most of my bikes, the seat post is already slammed. It’s all I can do not to have to drop down to a frame and run 650c wheels.

4

You posted at the perfect time for this Escape Collective podcast that addresses the nose up position: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Utnw02dGH0vJZcJABGDCd?si=HmkLkoPiRPejfYVLjbkWdg

I don’t know a damn thing about bike fits or saddles, but this counter prospective to all the previous performance process podcasts was music to my ears.

5

If you have short legs you may want to consider shorter cranks. Doing so would also effectively lower your seat, which is generally a first place to look to address saddle discomfort. If your seat is slammed already your bikes may be a size too big. I’ve no advise on fitters. I’ve spent a lot and ended up fitting myself through YouTube videos. Cobb saddles have a good staff of knowledgeable riders that may help. I’m on a Bontrager Hilo Comp. Low end saddle but solved a lot of problems, for me anyway. Saddle discomfort is almost always a fit issue though. Good luck!

6

My Shiv is already an XS frame. Only way for me to go any shorter is to go to a frame with 650 wheels, which I am desperately trying to avoid. The Shiv has 165 crank arms, which I do tend to think are a tad too long, but I’ve tried much shorter (150mm) and I really don’t care for that. I find I’m naturally more of a grinder than a spinner so I prefer a slightly longer crank arm than what might normally be ideal. I think 165 is a good length for me on a road bike. I would like to try 160 on the Shiv but they’re difficult to come by.

As it is now, I do have some small amount of downward travel available on the Shiv seat post, and I’ve tried that, but I find it closes up my hip angle too much for comfort. But again, that’s with the 165 cranks. 160s might be just right. Don’t know since they’re hard to find, particularly with the Specialized bottom bracket.

I don’t really think I’m rocking in the saddle, which I know can be a source of sit bone pain. I’m just really struggling to find something comfortable though. I do have a more padded “mom” seat on my Roubiax, which I find pretty comfortable. I may swap it over to the Shiv just to see, appearances be damned.

7

You posted at the perfect time for this Escape Collective podcast that addresses the nose up position: https://open.spotify.com/...kLkoPiRPejfYVLjbkWdg

I don’t know a damn thing about bike fits or saddles, but this counter prospective to all the previous performance process podcasts was music to my ears.I just tried the link and no workie. Can you give me a summary?

8

What will be happening is that your hips rock upwards at the top of the pedal stroke as your cranks are much too long. So you’re getting extra friction on the saddle.
Plus you may not have been able to try some tall stack saddles like the Jcob Delta38 which is by far the no.1 choice for my clients.
The Specialized BB is not a hard problem to solve.
You need 140 or 145mm cranks - that will help a huge amount in becoming more stable on the saddle.
Being more stable will give you more saddle options. Additionally you’ll have space to try some higher stack saddles.
If your fitter doesn’t let you try out saddles, Jcob have a 30day return policy https://speedandcomfort.com/

Is your seatpost in the forward position?
Is the length of your aerobars such that your elbows are on the pads while your hands are comfortably at the shifters?

9

When you start to get discomfort on longer rides, where and what kind? For some folks it’s pressure, some it’s friction, etc. Knowing this will help folks give you recommendations.

Given that you are tilting the saddle up so the nose prevents you from sliding forward, I’d hypothesize that the issue is more with the fit than the saddle. A slight uptilt to your aerobars/pads may help reduce the need for the saddle to hold you in place.

10

What will be happening is that your hips rock upwards at the top of the pedal stroke as your cranks are much too long. So you’re getting extra friction on the saddle.
Plus you may not have been able to try some tall stack saddles like the Jcob Delta38 which is by far the no.1 choice for my clients.
The Specialized BB is not a hard problem to solve.
You need 140 or 145mm cranks - that will help a huge amount in becoming more stable on the saddle.
Being more stable will give you more saddle options. Additionally you’ll have space to try some higher stack saddles.
If your fitter doesn’t let you try out saddles, Jcob have a 30day return policy https://speedandcomfort.com/

Is your seatpost in the forward position?
Is the length of your aerobars such that your elbows are on the pads while your hands are comfortably at the shifters?I have 150mm crank arms on my Ridley and I really don’t like them. It makes me want to spin a faster cadence than is comfortable for me. I just don’t feel like I can put any power into the 150s. It’s actually more exhausting with the 150mm crank arms because I’m spinning and spinning and spinning, but it doesn’t feel like I’m really going anywhere.

I’ve been riding that bike in that configuration now for about 300 miles and I actually want to switch back to the old 170s. Neither is really comfortable, but I’m more comfortable with the 170s than I am with the 150s, that’s why I’m thinking 160mm might be a good compromise length for me.

Yes, my seatpost is in the forward position. The way I have my aerobars set up is that my arms rest on the pads just forward of the elbows (olcranon) with my hands comfortably on the shifters.

I did have a fit a couple months ago and the fitter did let me try out the saddle she recommended. I don’t recall the brand off hand but it was a tri specific saddle. I put about 50 miles on it and that’s all it took for me to know it wasn’t the one for me.

Since I already have 150mm crank arms in my Ridley, I would be very interested in finding something to “solve” the Specialized bottom bracket. At least try the 150s in the Shiv and see if I have the same issue with the Shiv as I do with the Ridley.

11

When you start to get discomfort on longer rides, where and what kind? For some folks it’s pressure, some it’s friction, etc. Knowing this will help folks give you recommendations.

Given that you are tilting the saddle up so the nose prevents you from sliding forward, I’d hypothesize that the issue is more with the fit than the saddle. A slight uptilt to your aerobars/pads may help reduce the need for the saddle to hold you in place.It’s definitely more pressure than friction. I almost never have any chafing, at least not in the last few saddle iterations. The last time I had any chafing was with an ISP 1.0 saddle that almost made me want to abandon the bike on the side of the road. That saddle has been buried at the very bottom of my spare parts bin, never again to see the light of day.

I’ve tried a little up tilt to the bars in the past, but it’s been a while. I may give it another try now since I’ve made other changes since that last time.

12

Which brand are the 150 cranks and is your shiv an S-works?

13

Crank is Sram, the crank arms have been shortened. It’s an older Shiv from 2015, so I don’t think it’s an S-works.

14

That means the Shiv will have a BB30 format frame. Either a thread together BB or some shims will allow the other crank to fit (assuming it is GXP, if it is it will say it somewhere).
https://wheelsmfg.com/bottom-brackets/bb30/bb30-adapters/bb-pf30-universal-adapter-for-22-24mm-spindle-cranks-sram-truvativ.html
TBH, hadn’t looked at the price of those lately - quite a lot for a couple of bits of plastic but still an easy way to try the cranks.
If you want clearer confirmation - pics of cranks and of the frame around the BB

15

Have you tried sitting?

My suggestions without seeing the fit, usual disclaimers etc.

Nose up is likely the problem. Make it level, possibly very slightly lower seat height to reduce some pressure and reduce sliding feeling and raise the height of your aero bars to support your body and again reduce falling feeling.

Also use 2 tablespoons of chammy buttr per ride.

16

Thanks. I will try to post up some pics tomorrow.

As it is now, doing a back-to-back comparison (ride the Ridley, then jump on the Shiv) I am much more comfortable on the Shiv. Not so much as far as the seating position, which is the subject of this thread, but as far as being able to put power into the bike at a cadence I’m comfortable with.

17

You considered a Bisaddle? It has the advantage of adjustability. It’s like getting 5 different saddles and picking one without having to send back the others. I have a big ass for a dude; I spread the split nose as wide apart as was possible and achieved a level of stability I didn’t know existed.

18

Another vote for bisaddle! I’ve spent God knows how much on saddles, the bisaddle is a no brainier.

Its pretty crazy to expect a normal ‘one size fits all saddle’ to be comfortable when the margins are so small e.g how many times do you read fitting advice of raising,lowering and moving saddles a mere matter of millimetres.

And yet they then expect a fixed width to fit everyone? Bisaddle just works.

19

“I have 150mm crank arms on my Ridley and I really don’t like them. It makes me want to spin a faster cadence than is comfortable for me. I just don’t feel like I can put any power into the 150s. It’s actually more exhausting with the 150mm crank arms because I’m spinning and spinning and spinning, but it doesn’t feel like I’m really going anywhere”.

Change to a different gear.

20

have you ever seen a doc or physical therapist for possible pelvic floor problems? This might make it hard to find any comfortable saddle.