After reading many saddle-related topics and would love to hear your suggestions/opinions on the saddle issues I have.
I just got a new tri bike for about 6 weeks (Cervelo P-Series, which is lovely) The only issue I have with the bike is the comfort on the saddle. I started with Selle Italia Watt, which felt uncomfortable after an hour. Then I changed to Specialized Sitero which is better but is still uncomfortable after about 2 hours. First I thought it was the saddle angle that I felt I kept sliding forward so I tilted it up a little, then I found out that I was sliding to relieve the pressure on my soft tissue down there. Now I’m not sure what to do next either to fiddle with saddle angle and height, or go down the cutout saddle route to avoid pressure on the soft tissue (bisaddle is on my list for its adjustability)
For information, I’m on Selle Italia SLR Boost (narrow width) on my road bike and I have no issue with it at all so I guess my sit bone would be on a narrow side of the spectrum. My ride is usually 80-120km (2.30-4 hours, pan flat route)
saddle grip is also important. I made the V8 very grippy so the rider doesn’t slide.
re: your sit bone width on your road saddle. That won’t be a factor on a TT saddle because, if seated properly, your sit bones won’t be in contact with the saddle when in the aerobars; your pubis and ischium ahead of your ischial tuberosity will be in contact with the saddle.
Thank you for the information. I look at the dimension of your saddle and it seems the nose and channel width is quite similar to the Sitero, will this help with pressure on soft tissue?
YES! I can’t recommend this enough! I found my goldilocks, cinderella-slipper of a saddle only after trying several out through this rental program: Bike seat guru rental link
Completely worth the investment, IMO. No COI/stake in the company.
FWIW I also have a selle SLR boost on my road bike that I like, and went with the SMP T4 Triathlon for my tribike. I needed a saddle with a narrower overall width and the right, minimal ‘flare’, which popular saddles like ISMs, dashes, didn’t have.
The Sitero has an immediate flare out to the rear of the saddle, which limits where the rider can sit because the rear of the legs hit this flare. And then the front of the saddle has a slight downward slope and the cover material is slippery. So, the rider often has a hard time finding a place to sit without feeling like they are sliding off the front, or hitting the rear of their legs on the saddle. That specific saddle should have pretty good soft tissue relief, but this need to move around to try to find the perfect place can cause issues for some people.
We have a demo program, and a 30 day no questions asked return policy. The carbon has a lifetime warranty, and the foam last 15,000 miles. It cost $100 to replace.