Does anyone have a good recommendation for a road bike saddle that a) won't cause my nuts to go numb and b) is still comfortable after 80k or so?
I've been using a Rido saddle for the last year or so, hoping it would stop my balls from disappearing (metaphorically), but it is only slightly better than the Cannondale saddle which came with the bike. In addition, it isn't the most comfortable of saddles and my arse starts to complain after 20k or so. ZJe furthest I've cycled so far is 60k and I feel my discomfort is stopping me from going any further, which is a tragedy in this good weather.
Obviously price is another factor, I don't want to be spending 100.- or more, when I can get almost as good for 50ish.

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Stealing jokes off the internet and passing them off as my own since 1995

Hi,

Personally, I think you should pay the extra and get a Brooks saddle. It will get better with age and will last you a lifetime if you care for it. It will also be something that you can move from bike to bike.

But, you have to be prepared to break it in. It will be a good few hundred before it starts to mold to you backside.

Good luck

No you cant. Sorry.

You can play the lottery and you can win. Yes.
But most of the time - you loose. Do you really want to be doing this to your most sensitive parts???
Seriously, spend some money on a decent saddle. That's one of the bike parts that actually gets better with time. Mine has outlived 2 bikes already

And then again - choosing the right saddle is a whole science.

* If you want to use it for long rides its is extremely important to have that gap in the middle. Improved air and blood flow is everything.

* Measure the distance between your sitting bones. The width of the saddle has to be calculated by sitting angle and that distance.

* It has to be flexible. Not soft with lots of padding.
Anything soft is cheap trick that gives you an illusion of comfort, therefore only suitable for 10min run to the shop or school...

First three days will be a pain with any saddle. Until you brake it in, and your body gets used to it. Don't rush to return it.

I second the brooks, but its a little bit heavy for my taste

Clearly, this saddle has been designed to cater for such requirements . . .

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A mate of mine bought one of these as he has had serious problems in that department in then past. It didn't make the slightest bit of difference.


Funnily enough, I went for a 70k ride on Saturday and I didn't experience nearly as much discomfort as I normally do. The only difference was I was wearing a pair of bib shorts, rather than the ordinary cycling shorts. They are from the same manufacturer and a little more snug fitting, but I can't see why they would make so much difference.

Also, I still use the standard saddle that came with my Scott MTB and I've never had these problems; probably it's the more upright riding position.

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Stealing jokes off the internet and passing them off as my own since 1995

Saddles are one of those things which are part art, part science. It depends on many things including your personal physical make-up (sit bones, soft tissue etc) plus how you like to sit on the bike, plus how much you like to move around, plus how flexible you are...

I second the earlier comment not to get a saddle with lots of padding - for long rides padding makes it worse as it relieves the weight on the sit bones by distributing across all your soft tissue, which is not what you want.

Personally I use the Fizik Antares VS which as mentioned has a channel up the middle to relieve pressure, but I tried a couple of others before that with less success.

This one?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/fizik-antare...th-kium-rails/

I always wondered about the design/shape of the saddle. The long bit that protrudes out: it seems like someone designed that just to stab into your nuts.

Can someone explain, if you are to sit just on your sit bones, why not have a seat that is just a bar that they can rest on?

I find that a quick emptying of the offending bits, before a ride, helps.

I always thought they were longer so you were less likely to miss when you sat down as there was more of a target.

Yep - I have that one with the carbon rails on my nice bike, and the newer version (here) with alloy rails on my commuter. The newer model has a deeper channel, but for the price difference I would go with the one you've linked to.

Have you tried playing with the angle of the seat? On the advice of a physio a few years back I started tilting mine (MTB) a few degrees more forward than they are usually set up at and it makes a big difference both for my back (which was why I tried it) and my gentlemans region.

I did try that, but felt I was slipping forward too far. I might give it another bash though (not literally, that would defeat the object of the exercise )

how about shorts with extra extra padding?

Ive tried SDG saddles and recently a cheap spoon saddle and they are not comfortable. I might try a books b17 i hear only good feedback from brooks

Paddy, are you cycling on the bottom of the drop handlebars most of the time on your long rides?

If you're not then what's the difference in height between the top of the saddle and the handlebars?

Having the handlebars too high puts extra weight over your backside and the seat.
(the seat height is not really adjustable in this case if you've set it up correctly so the only variable is the handlebar height).

Tom, that gives the impression that most road cyclists spend most of their time on the drops, but I would say the opposite is the case with most riders spending most of their time on the hoods. Paddy should be able to find a reasonably comfortable saddle without having to be on the drops permanently (which would kill me and I ride a decent amount...)

Yes, I appreciate that but if his handlebars are too high, and he's not on the drops then he's going to be putting even move weight on his posterior rather than have it spread more evenly.

If he's always on the drops then that's really unlikely as a handlebar stem is rarely long enough to allow that!

I rarely go onto the drops, only on downhills where I need the brakes; my hip geometry won't really let me for long periods of time. I normally cycle on the hoods or top of the handlebar. I can't check the height difference at the moment.

Here's an article I just found which shows what I tried to explain about the handlebars being too high in relation to the saddle:

From here but there are better articles out there.

Actually, while we are on the topic, is there a configurator kind of site where you can enter all your measurements and have it calculate the right dimensions for a bike to suit you?