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saddles... what to buy


rudi-h

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I thought Brooks saddles are only used by Hipsters and Postmen. 

Lance also used one...........

Go Fabric it just works. Ask your dealer for a test saddle.

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Been struggling with this myself too lately

 

Are there any LBS's with a wide variety of test saddles in Cape Town? Tried CWC but they have a super limited number available

 

Go to Irma for a proper bike fit - https://www.facebook.com/Irmaflex/

 

 

Getting YOU sorted is the first step ....

 

Much later in your first session do you get to start setting up the bike ...

 

 

Try these setting for a few rides, tweak if\as needed.

 

 

If after all this you have a specific saddle issue, Irma has a drawer full of saddles.  Super nice being able to chose a saddle based on how it "feels" rather than a brand name or price.  

 

 

 

Yes, this process can take a few months .... ideally you should ride your bike with the new setup and tweaks before considering new saddles.  BUT, it still cost a lot less than one expensive saddle ....

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I just got the San Marco Shortfit. (So I'm glad it made this list!) I wanted to check out the new Fabric Line S but as with the rest of the range theres barely a spattering of them in every shop I go to so it was getting a little tiring.

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Again, saddles are personal and no one can give you the answer for what will work for you. You will have to buy and try unfortunately.

 

I have been struggling for years with finding a saddle that works and have gone through quite of lot of variations with some to no success. I have been riding SQ Lab saddles for the last couple of months and have found them to be brilliant. They are quite different in their approach to saddle design and for me, it works better than any other option I have tried.

 

They are note cheap but they have a 30day return policy (if the saddle isn't damaged). They actually suggest ride as much as possible in the first month and see if it works.

 

http://sq-lab.co.za/Saddles/

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Lance also used one...........

Go Fabric it just works. Ask your dealer for a test saddle.

 

 

Pretty sure he used a Selle Royale Concor

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Pretty sure he used a Selle Royale Concor

 

 

From the beginning of his time at US Postal, Lance always used a San Marco Concor Light, both on his road and time trial bikes. I believe he briefly experimented with a San Marco OV in one off-seas

During his early years at Motorola he used a Selle Italia Flite, because they sponsored the team and he didn't yet have the clout to use what he wanted or to force the team to take his preferred supplier as the team's supplier.

 

Edited by TNT1
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I can recommend the Fabric range. They do have test saddles, but it’s a matter of finding a bike shop that have test models. As mentioned earlier in this discussion go for long rides to test, because the real pressure points only come out after 2-3 hours of riding.

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What’s a postman ?

 

It is the dude that rings twice, but a youngster like you would would probably not know that... :D  :D

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Thanks Chris!  I've been doing incremental tinkering on my position over the years and done a lot of research on bike fit.  I agree that most issues are down to the rider position rather than the component itself, but the saddle is more a case of trial and error.

 

I've been riding a old Spez with no issues, but thought I'd try to the Pro Stealth after seeing some amazing reviews...NOPE...doesn't suit me on road or TT position  :mellow:

 

I just wish we had more test saddles available at bike shops 

 

Go to Irma for a proper bike fit - https://www.facebook.com/Irmaflex/

 

 

Getting YOU sorted is the first step ....

 

Much later in your first session do you get to start setting up the bike ...

 

 

Try these setting for a few rides, tweak if\as needed.

 

 

If after all this you have a specific saddle issue, Irma has a drawer full of saddles.  Super nice being able to chose a saddle based on how it "feels" rather than a brand name or price.  

 

 

 

Yes, this process can take a few months .... ideally you should ride your bike with the new setup and tweaks before considering new saddles.  BUT, it still cost a lot less than one expensive saddle ....

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I have just about the same experience as what Philip said. I have also tried a list of saddles in the past. If you buy a Spaz saddle new they normally have like a 1 year warranty on it. I bought one of which the rails made a massive racket, they replaced it after over a month of use

 

Just confirm with the LBS on my above statement

 

Again, saddles are personal and no one can give you the answer for what will work for you. You will have to buy and try unfortunately.

 

I have been struggling for years with finding a saddle that works and have gone through quite of lot of variations with some to no success. I have been riding SQ Lab saddles for the last couple of months and have found them to be brilliant. They are quite different in their approach to saddle design and for me, it works better than any other option I have tried.

 

They are note cheap but they have a 30day return policy (if the saddle isn't damaged). They actually suggest ride as much as possible in the first month and see if it works.

 

http://sq-lab.co.za/Saddles/

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I thought it was just my Specialized saddles that made a racket ^_^

 

Out of the various Specialized I have used (Power, Phenom, Taupe, Romin) the Romin worked the best for me for quite a while.

 

I have just about the same experience as what Philip said. I have also tried a list of saddles in the past. If you buy a Spaz saddle new they normally have like a 1 year warranty on it. I bought one of which the rails made a massive racket, they replaced it after over a month of use

 

Just confirm with the LBS on my above statement

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We have similar experiences then  :thumbup:

 

I have used: Phenom x 5 or possibly 6, Power x 2, Romin x 1. I found the Romin to be quite narrow and fairly hard. The Power hurt me right off the bat, the "lovers-groove" was also too big to my liking. 

The Phenom to me was / is the sweet spot. I bought the one brand new, sold it on for the power and then ended up buying and selling until I got some models in the phenom range I like. Now I just have the same saddle on all the bikes  :)

 

I thought it was just my Specialized saddles that made a racket ^_^

 

Out of the various Specialized I have used (Power, Phenom, Taupe, Romin) the Romin worked the best for me for quite a while.

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Thank you for the responses...

 

Any recommendations for good shops (I live in Rosebank, JHB) that have a good variety of saddles and who can possibly facilitate with some form of measurement / fitment methodology?

Edited by rudi-h
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I would go to Cyclelab in Fourways or if there's a Spaz shop, maybe: https://www.complete-cyclist.com/

 

 

Thank you for the responses...

 

Any recommendations for good shops (I live in Rosebank, JHB) that have a good variety of saddles and who can possibly facilitate with some form of measurement / fitment methodology?

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It is the dude that rings twice, but a youngster like you would would probably not know that... :D  :D

He may have rang twice, but IIRC he knocked more often than that.

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