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Choosing a Seat


AllenH

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Decided to treat the Cheeks and get a new seat.

 

I saw some nice ones for around R500 or so at Cycle Lab with padding and gel and what what,

 

What are the factors to look at when buying a seat, all I know now is that there's seats for Males and Females? And it's R500 a decent enough budget for a weekend warrior just starting out.

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I found to my detriment when trying a gel saddle that soft and gel are very uncomfortable (that was on my roadbike). You get what you pay for and generally a R500 saddle ain't going to be great. For that price you might find a used one. 

Some shops will fit you and have ways of you trying it out.

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I think the best advice is to find a bike shop that have some test saddles that you can try and see what works best for your cheeks...saddle selection is not always about padding. Its more importantly about width, shapes and cut outs

 

Once you find what works for you, you can buy that one from the bike shop or shop around on the hub 

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I hate specialized but their saddle range is just too good. They have a fot for everyone. 

 

Go to your local spez dealer, wear your bike shorts, and sit on their assometer. Once you have the width, they can recommend some shapes to suit your body and riding style, and will generally let you buy the saddle to test and allow refunds for those that don't work. So buy one, try it, bring it back and try a few more. 

They also have trick little saddle attachments so I'm a big fan of their range. Worth the money. 

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IMO, the most importatnt is getting the size right. If on the wrong size, it will hurt no matter what. 

Once you know the correct size for you ass, check out the hub. I sold a brand new Specialized Power saddle for R300. 

Alternatively, if you can find a store that will let you demo saddles, take them up on it.

 

 

 

 

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i'll add...

dont be fooled by saddles with seemingly no padding. I went for a saddle fit at Spez and they told me my size. I bought a power saddle and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then one day i felt the need to scratch my Brooks saddle itch and got a c15 cambium for one of my bikes and it turned out that was even better...and those have absolutely no foam on them. 

moral of the story...more foam does not equal better. i'll say the right width is the most important...then you can go from there in terms of levels of padding.

Edited by MORNE
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Size matters.! And one size definitely doesn't fit all.

Width and shape/curvature are equally important.

Also don't underestimate the value of pairing with a good shorts.

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I have been riding for many years, always 1-2hr rides were okay, never had issues. But as soon as I went to 3-6hr rides my ass would get traumatized. always used fizik, spez and such brands 134mm width. I then got a special on a Fabric 143mm. My life changed. Did DC and Maluti and the least of my problems were my ass. It was a fit and feel al the time. 

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I've tried many many seats. And I have quite a few Sella Italia jobs - at a few grand each. And the most comfortable seat I have found yet? The very inexpensive Ryder saddle I bought about a year. No hassle, no fuss-- it just works. Maybe have a look at them. 

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