Saddle upgrade

User avatar
wombatK
Posts: 5612
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:08 pm
Location: Yagoona, AU

Re: Saddle upgrade

Postby wombatK » Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:37 pm

snedden9485 wrote:Is there a way of measuring your sit bones?
Method 1)
El Cheapo Ass-O-Meter

Get a 2 kg bag of rice, empty into a large plastic bag (tie a knot in the top of bag). Then spread the bag out (so rice is about 1 cm or so deep) on a low seat or stool (low enough to get an angle typical of what your thigh makes to your torso when riding on drops). The pad of rice needs to be more tan 25 cm wide and 20 cm long. Sit in the bag. Find the two lowest points, and measure the distance between them.

Method 2)
Pine Ass Guages

Buy a length of pine timber around 1 to 1.2 m long, 100 wide x 20 to 25 mm thick. Cut into lengths from about 120 mm to 160 mm, in 1 cm increments (make sure cuts are square). Sit on each one from smallest up until you find the first that is fully supporting your sit bones - i.e. not hanging over the side of the block of wood if you slightly shift your weight from side to side (replicate angle as per Method 1). Then take this block of wood to bike shop and check it against each saddle - need a bit of a margin, 1 to 2 cm around the edges of the sit bone to get good support with normal riding movements. If you're really fussy, you could make the blocks in 0.5 cm increments around what you measure with the 1 cm blocks to get a more precise figure.

Although I'm only 75 kg, and pretty lightly built, I found the ponza too narrow for me - my sit bones are around the 140 mm mark and were hanging off the sides of it.

Cheers
WombatK

Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia

Baalzamon
Posts: 5470
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:23 pm
Location: Yangebup

Re: Saddle upgrade

Postby Baalzamon » Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:58 pm

snedden9485 wrote:Is there a way of measuring your sit bones?
Method 3 Get a Brooks saddle and break it in. You will see where your sit bones are :) I took my mobile phone placed it against my Brooks and discovered it was the distance apart for my sit bones. The San Marco Ponza is wide enough for me, the question is will my butt lke it.
Masi Speciale CX 2008 - Brooks B17 special saddle, Garmin Edge 810
Image

User avatar
wayno
Posts: 608
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 8:59 pm
Location: Drummoyne, Sydney

Re: Saddle upgrade

Postby wayno » Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:23 am

Width of saddle means nothing. Its the shape that matters. I've had (and still do) Flite Gel flow, SLR Gel Flow, SMP Evolution, Arione, Aliante, Charge and even though I have wider sitbones, prefer the SLR. Its flatter and not heavily padded. Arione is too narrow, Flite is to curved across the back (like a speed hump), aliante too padded, smp is like sitting on a lump of wood. The Charge is my second fave...like aliante but less padded.

User avatar
snedden9485
Posts: 1446
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:25 am
Location: Newcastle, NSW, AU

Re: Saddle upgrade

Postby snedden9485 » Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:36 am

Spoke to a few guys this morning and it seems the Selle Italia SLR is a common saddle. Thinking of a SLR team edition saddle....It is a little firmer, but im spending alot of time in the saddle (400 - 500 km per week) so im developing a harder bum
Chris
2011 Giant TCR Advanced SL
2011 Malvern Star Oppy TT9 Time Trial
2011 Giant Omnium Track
2012 Giant XTC Composite 29

waynohh
Posts: 1051
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 9:05 am

Re: Saddle upgrade

Postby waynohh » Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:44 am

Did you try the toupe on the cervelo? If you like it, then just get another one.

othy
Posts: 392
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:29 am
Location: Sydney

Re: Saddle upgrade

Postby othy » Sat Sep 12, 2009 12:08 pm

Baalzamon wrote:I've got a San Marco Ponza on my new roadie. If I don't like it, it is going to Brooks B17 in black :twisted:
Does anyone actually like the Ponza? If you did you would have a lifetime supply of cheap to free saddles. Nearly everyone I know has one lying around. Why do they persist on putting them on bikes - maybe they offer an awesome OEM deal.

Baalzamon
Posts: 5470
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:23 pm
Location: Yangebup

Re: Saddle upgrade

Postby Baalzamon » Sat Sep 12, 2009 5:51 pm

othy wrote:
Baalzamon wrote:I've got a San Marco Ponza on my new roadie. If I don't like it, it is going to Brooks B17 in black :twisted:
Does anyone actually like the Ponza? If you did you would have a lifetime supply of cheap to free saddles. Nearly everyone I know has one lying around. Why do they persist on putting them on bikes - maybe they offer an awesome OEM deal.
So you are saying don't even try it and get the brooks now? :)
Masi Speciale CX 2008 - Brooks B17 special saddle, Garmin Edge 810
Image

User avatar
snedden9485
Posts: 1446
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:25 am
Location: Newcastle, NSW, AU

Re: Saddle upgrade

Postby snedden9485 » Sat Sep 12, 2009 5:57 pm

I have put the specialized saddle onto the cervelo for a few weeks, il see how it pans out.
Chris
2011 Giant TCR Advanced SL
2011 Malvern Star Oppy TT9 Time Trial
2011 Giant Omnium Track
2012 Giant XTC Composite 29

User avatar
Mulger bill
Super Mod
Super Mod
Posts: 29060
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 2:41 pm
Location: Sunbury Vic

Re: Saddle upgrade

Postby Mulger bill » Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:09 pm

othy wrote:
Baalzamon wrote:I've got a San Marco Ponza on my new roadie. If I don't like it, it is going to Brooks B17 in black :twisted:
Does anyone actually like the Ponza? If you did you would have a lifetime supply of cheap to free saddles. Nearly everyone I know has one lying around. Why do they persist on putting them on bikes - maybe they offer an awesome OEM deal.
Dunno, haven't done any distance yet. Do not like the silver tho'. :roll:
Chances are black leather will end up on the new roadie.

Shaun
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
London Boy 29/12/2011

Baalzamon
Posts: 5470
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:23 pm
Location: Yangebup

Re: Saddle upgrade

Postby Baalzamon » Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:14 pm

Went for a ride today, didn't get as far as I liked but I could notice the seat more, a Brooks B17 special is now in my wiggle order. When I get bike fit done, brooks is going on :mrgreen:
Masi Speciale CX 2008 - Brooks B17 special saddle, Garmin Edge 810
Image

Bantam Roosta
Posts: 334
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2009 6:17 pm

Postby Bantam Roosta » Sun Sep 13, 2009 8:13 pm

I've got a Fizik Pave CX. Came with my bike. I wouldn't recommend it. It does the job, but I'm pretty sure there are better ones out there. Next saddle will likely be the Fizik Aliante.

Here is a review of a few Fizik saddles and the Selle Italia SLR.
Image

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users