Saddle for MTB/Road to battle numbness

[glitchssn]

Hi guys, I have a MTB but do most of my training on the road in the week, so I spend more time in the saddle on the road than on trails. As such, I suffer from numbness in the groin area as early as 45 minutes into my 3-hour long morning ride. I have a 143mm Specialized Henge Comp and have played around with saddle position & angle without much joy. After having my sitbones measured, it turns out that I need a wider (155mm) saddle. Before taking the plunge (which could be significant), does anyone have any saddle suggestions?

[JXV]

Stands to reason if the measurement says you should be on a wider saddle then buy the wider saddle.

I measured 143 so that's what I ride on ...works for me. I actually find the Phenom (which is harder) to be more comfy than the Avatar I used for a few years on my old bike.

It helps to stand up and pedal 10 or 20 strokes every 5min if you're getting numbness

[Pulse]

Look at something that is relatively flat from side to side. This helps to load the sitting bones.

Be careful of saddles with holes cut out. There is some pressure relief in the middle, but tend to increase pressure on the edges of the cutout.

I ride a Prologo Nago for what its worth.

[SimpleDom]

It's not just the saddle. I had numbness on one bike, and not the other. Same saddle. Check setup first.

[Pulse]

It's not just the saddle. I had numbness on one bike, and not the other. Same saddle. Check setup first.

 

Even though I agree with you with regards to bike setup; if glitchssn's saddle is that much to narrow for him, no amount of bike setup will correct the problem.

[Paul Ruinaard]

I saw this topic, and thought I would comment.

 

I have noticed lately that my 143mm saddles are causing me a bit of pain, so have tried a 155mm and it has helped a lot. So width helps. These are of course Specialized saddles. I found a 160mm version and am now trying that out as I am not a small guy.

 

The selle Italian saddles also have a sizing system that you can use to get the right fit.

[Thomo]

Don't forget the value of good shorts, and the combo of saddle/shorts.

[Blackheart]

Correct saddle width is critical for me.

On the advice of a biokenetecist (? spelling) i angled my saddle 5deg nose down, that eased my hip angle and took pressure off my sit bones.

I'm not saying it would definitely work for you, but a proper 'arsessment' and fit sounds in order.

Good luck!

[Martin PJ]

On the MTB you shift your weight a lot, so numbness is not much of a problem. I found on the rollers nearly any saddle makes you numb, this is because you don't move at all in a hour session.

 

There is a saddle brand called the Adamo, really strange shape. This has helped me a lot. I use this on my road bike for long rides. There are some good deals with this saddle on line.

[jcza]

http://www.cyclefit.co.za/

[MaxTBehrens]

Firstly, the width is the ultimate game changer, and makes the most difference. I found that a saddle with a flatter top over a rounder top works much better, as it gives more or less the same effect as the width as it places less pressure on the inside of you sitting bones and more on the bottom, which is where you are meant to sit.

I rode with the selle italia SLR superflow with the Huge piece of the saddle missing in the middle.

http://www.labicicletta.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1293x798/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/e/selle-italia-slr-superflow-1.jpg

After you've chosen the correct width, it is the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden. The large cutout gives better individual wing flex, making your pedal stroke less demanding on you sitting bones.

Tipping the nose down ever so slightly might help with certain backside anatomies, but it pushes the rider slightly forwards and some people don't like that feeling. I personally ride with the nose slightly downward, also in the vicinity of 5deg.

[glitchssn]

So I made the call. 155mm Power Expert ordered. It's a road saddle with cut-out in the middle. The cut-out just makes sense to me (right about in the area where the numbness occurs...). Also comments on saddles & shorts combination & angling of saddles duly noted. I will get the guys from Helderberg Cycles (*plug* who've been of great help until now) to assist with assessment & saddle setup. Finetuning I'll do over the following ride or two. They have a swop-out policy, as long as the equipment is unscathed, in which case I'll opt for the 155mm Henge Expert as they recommended. Thanks for the input fellas!

[oracle911]

On the MTB you shift your weight a lot, so numbness is not much of a problem. I found on the rollers nearly any saddle makes you numb, this is because you don't move at all in a hour session.

 

There is a saddle brand called the Adamo, really strange shape. This has helped me a lot. I use this on my road bike for long rides. There are some good deals with this saddle on line.

Where can I see the deals on the Adamo saddles - I'm looking at one for my road bike.

[Pieterlab1]

I had the same problem with numbness after just a short ride. I changed to a WTB Speed Comp SE saddle bought from buycycle.co.za for just R300. Since then I have done long rides of 4 hours and more, and I have no more numbness in my chommie area! 

Granted, it's not as cool as riding on my old Fizik, but it's so much more comfortable.

[Martin PJ]

Where can I see the deals on the Adamo saddles - I'm looking at one for my road bike.

 

Look on eBay for "PU Leather Saddle", scroll down, there are some.

[Jinga]

On the MTB you shift your weight a lot, so numbness is not much of a problem. I found on the rollers nearly any saddle makes you numb, this is because you don't move at all in a hour session.

 

There is a saddle brand called the Adamo, really strange shape. This has helped me a lot. I use this on my road bike for long rides. There are some good deals with this saddle on line.

I have same sort of problem.

When riding road bike on the road no numbness but as soon as I ride on the indoor trainer half an hour in and the numbness is there.