Finding a More Comfortable Bike Saddle

In many ways this search for a better bike saddle is a do-over. About a year ago I walked into a local bike shop looking for a more comfortable bike saddle. The bike shop guy saw me checking out his selection of bike saddles then he came over and asked me, “well what do you like in a saddle?” So then wide or narrow, firm or cushioned, flat or curved, cutout or no cutout, leather or synthetic leather or Lycra, then there’s saddle shape. I had no idea.

Between the sea of choices that were short circuiting my brain and my reluctance to spend $100 to $200 on a saddle that might actually be less comfortable than mine, I punted. This year I’m hoping to complete a metric century, which at the speed I ride is going to take a long time. So I’m taking another crack at the bike saddle problem.

Timmy at Rocky Top Bicycles checking Fore/Aft Saddle Position. — Timmy at Rocky Top Bicycles checking fore/aft saddle position with a plumb bob.

I did some research on the web. I looked at YouTube videos, checked out some blogs and read some forums. The consensus seemed to be everyone is different or as one forum poster put it: “One person’s dream saddle is another person’s a** hatchet.” Colorful but hardly optimistic. I decided that my best bet was to try out some saddles and basically answer the LBS guy’s question: well what do I like in a saddle?

My current saddle is a 143 mm Selle Royal Seta saddle. It came on the Masi road bike I bought used last year and was more comfortable than the Planet Bike Men’s A.R.S. saddle I had been trying on my old Trek 470. The first contender in this year’s search for a more comfortable bike saddle is a 143 mm Specialized Toupe Expert loaned to me by a friend. Thanks Vic. I plan to test this saddle for a couple weeks, and then I am considering trying the Cobb Plus. It’s supposed to be good for 200 plus pound riders like me. I’m also considering the Performance Bike Forté Pro SL saddle. It gets a lot of good reviews and is reasonably priced. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.