Recommend a comfy road bike seat

Last fall, I bought a road bike to keep me in shape between mountain bike rides. I only got a few chances to ride it before the snow started falling. The other day, I brought it back out in the sunlight and rode for an hour and a half. I have discovered that I need to replace the medieval torture device that Trek refers to as a "seat". I'm sure that it was the lightest and cheapest thing they could come up with.

I know that racers will suffer through anything to save a few grams, but I don't care about that. I'd like to find something that strikes a reasonable balance between weight and comfort.

I'd try a few more rides before you decide to replace the seat- when you're out of shape, you put more weight on the seat because you aren't pedaling as much.

Most comfortable- Brooks leather saddles. I just bought one for my commuter, and I love it.

Good compromise- find a saddle with almost no padding (less is better) that is the correct width for your sit bones. This coupled with a good pair of bike shorts will be almost as comfortable as the Brooks.

I wear padded shorts. Also, since fitness is the goal, I don't do a lot of coasting. I'm pedaling almost constantly. Generally, I only stand on the steepest hills.

A Brooks saddle may look a tad out of place on your new Trek, (that type of thing matters to most roadies ).

My recommendation would be for a Selle Italia Flite. If only because it's the tried and tested choice. Been around for years, with many a positive review, (amongst both road and mtn bike users.) Of course, you could say exactly the same for the Brooks.

What are you using on your MTB? Maybe give that a go on the road bike first.

Depending on where your discomfort is, you may also need to reposition the saddle. A common complaint is pressure from the nose of the saddle, and people will try anything to relieve the pain and numbness including tilting the nose of the saddle down, which makes it worse. The widest part of the saddle should support you at the sit bones, so if your pain was coming from the "nose" of the saddle then try shifting the saddle forward on it's rails while keeping it level. Mark your original position with a marker so you can gauge how much you are moving it. Make small changes, 1/4" or less and try it out. Make sure your saddle is also at the right height while you're at it, you want a little bend in the leg to that you are not stretching to reach the pedal at the bottom of the stroke, but not so low that you can sit on the seat with your foot flat on the ground (beach cruiser style).

If these changes don't improve things significantly then a trip to the bike shop with your bike to test ride some new shapes would be the next step. You want to try them on your bike because a bike in their shop may not have you in the same rider position, which may change the pressure points on the saddle.

Also, stand over any rough stuff like railroad tracks, brickwork or any other bumpy bits. You don't have to pedal, just coast with the pedals level and hover over the saddle, keeping the nose of the saddle in contact with your inner thigh for stability. Takes a lot of hits off your butt and keeps your center of gravity lower by shifting your weight closer to the axle line, making the bike more stable to boot. Pedal on the down hill, pedal when it's smooth, stand when it's rough.

I have a split, gel seat on the MTB (I forget the brand name). It wouldn't be an easy swap, though, as the seat tube is a different size.

The saddle detaches very easily from the post. Usually just a single allen bolt.

...so with what ECM said, I use a WTB Speed V and a WTB Pure on my bikes. I did (and will do again) the MS150 on the bike w/ the Speed V on it and I had Zero saddle sores. The Pure is a pinch wider and is also quite comfy. Both have a relief channel built into them to spare your taint and keep you more potent.

Also--if you're wearing cycling shorts, DO NOT wear underwear with them. The seams will shred you.

For me, if I'm going over 25 miles, I put chammois butter in my shorts to ease chafing. Having something to lubricate your skin on a long ride is very helpful.

Between seat height/position, saddle choice, shorts and chamois dressing, I sorted everything out on my bike.

gamby wrote: ...a relief channel built into them to spare your taint and keep you more potent.

They ought to put that on the box! .

gamby wrote: I put chammois butter in my shorts

There's a magazine worthy quote!

I've been a roadie forever and state with authority that a proper road saddle, even with pro-quality shorts and the most awesome chamois lube:

DZ nuts

The first 6 rides are of decreasing pain. I worked in the industry for many years and frequently had to address the customer complaint "this road bike isn't comfortable".

Yes, it's not. Once you're a fit, regular rider it becomes "not uncomfortable" at best. Pretty much anything made to be raced is optimized for speed, light weight and biomechanical efficiency.

That said - the right seat - and a cushy seat is not comfortable in the long run - good shorts, chamois butter, proper height, setback and tilt - are the first step. Then, ride your bike and keep riding your bike. It gets better.

SVreX wrote:

gamby wrote: I put chammois butter in my shorts

There's a magazine worthy quote!

Not really- "chamois butt'r" is the actual brand name of the stuff. Spend enough time on a road bike and it becomes a neccessity imho.

Changed to this Forte Classic on my Trek and used it for the first time today. Much more comfortable even though it is a slightly smaller saddle. The cutout was the biggest difference as I was going numb from stem to stern within the first ten miles with my OEM trek saddle.

I just use stick deodorant for running and biking chafe and it seems to work pretty well. May run my own "1 man marathon" using whatever stick I have.

Gel (seat) or no gel?

no gel... just deforms and creates more area for friction :(...

as I recall most specialized stores have a fit system for saddles... could check if your local shop has that...

I ran a fairly small seat (very small considering i'm a 6'4 300# guy)... all about the width of your sit bones...

also a few MM of any adjustment can make a huge difference both road or mtb... a raise of the bars 5mm made all the difference in the world for me... work in small changes and they can make all the difference in the world...

Also--if you're wearing cycling shorts, DO NOT wear underwear with them.

Who said that I ever wear underwear?

I've actually been very happy with Trek inForm RL saddles. The dealer makes you sit on a measuring board to measure your sit bone width, then picks out a sized saddle to match. I actually run them on every bike I own.

No saddle will be "comfy." As you spend more time on the bike you build calluses in your deep tissue that make it a non-issue, but on longer rides there's always some discomfort.

+eleventbillion on Chamois Butt'r or similar products.

If I haven't been on a saddle in awhile, it will always hurt like hell after the first ride. This is one reason why all of my bikes have the same saddle. From my road bike to the DH bike to my BMX bike. They all have one of the many Flite variations.

do they still make banana seats?

novaderrik wrote: do they still make banana seats?

Yes.

LOOK NO FURTHER THAN BROOKS...

Leather - very comfy, and will break in to conform to you better than most saddles ...bonus that its super baller with bronze rivets.

The Brooks is the way to go. With the big copper rivets.

Downside is you do need to store the bike out of the rain. Wet leather is not happy leather.

Upside will be obvious once it breaks in. I don't know anyone who has ever switched back after riding a Brooks for a while.

I haven't found the perfect seat for me, but I'm pretty sure at this point that it's very much an individual thing.

For instance, I'm pretty sure at this point that for me, having a fairly narrow nose and a relatively flat (not a big arc across the top when viewed from the rear) rear section are good things (for me) because a wide nose and curved top seem to apply pressure in places that increase numbness.

With respect to weight on the saddle, it's not just a matter of coasting or not; as you get fitter, you 'hover' just a bit more. Nobody pedals in perfect circles, and I'm pretty convinced at this point that you have a net reduction in weight on the saddle as you get fitter/go harder. More immediately, I notice the difference in weight on the saddle when I go for an easy ride.

So, if you like your mountain bike saddle, I'd take a good, hard look at its actual shape, and look for something similar for your road bike.

FWIW, after 25 years of not quite right yet, I think a Brooks is the next thing I'll try.

Something like this?