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Road Saddles

Dana BurnsDana Burns
in General Training Discussions

 

 



Hi Everyone,

A few months ago I switched to my road bike which I haven't ridden but maybe 3x in the 5 years.  My road is a Fuji Supreme and was professionally fit for me which has-- what I thought at the time was the right saddle.  I believe it's a Terry saddle (which was the same type saddle I had on my old tri bike).

In early Spring I started riding up GMR, a local ride here in CA known  for challenging climbing.  I switched over to my old road bike and started having left SI joint pirifomis and/or sciatica.  After EN rode the Tour of CA stage up My Baldy, I literally stopped riding due to the pain.

This weekend I pulled out my tri bike with a Cobb V Flow Max saddle and I feel better although off the bike there's what I believe is piriformis syndrome.

I know I need to get back into PT and work my abs and glutes. Also, this saddle needs to go so I am looking for input on saddles.  The Cobb V Flow Max is great on my tri bike, however I am not sure if this is a tri specific saddle.  I see a lot of roads with Selle Italia which has several models.  I realize saddles are a personal choice but looking for advice because I'd like to fix whatever is going on with me, my body and my road bike.

Thanks,

Dana

 

Comments

  • Dino SartiDino Sarti
    Cobb makes some nice road saddles as well. Check out his website. If you like his approach to TT saddles, his road seats may agree as well.
  • brandondubrandondu
    A good bike fitter should be able to help you with saddle selection as well. I previously tried all of the popular Cobb and Fizik saddles (like a large percentage of people use thinking that this would work for me as well) and none of them were ever good for me. My fitter switched me to Specialized saddles (who uses those, right?) and now I am more comfortable than I ever have been on a bike. Especially after switching to a Specialized Sitero on my TT bike. I was apparently not using a saddle that had a wide enough sit area on it. Now that I have that (and my bottom adjusted to it), I feel great.

    I guess my real advice is don't just use what you see other people use. Either get fit for a saddle or go to one of the companies that offer the demo saddles and find the one that really works for you. Who cares what the brand name is!

    Good luck!
  • Scott AlexanderScott Alexander
    I've been lucky that I can use the exact same saddle on my road, tri and mtb...an adamo time trial. ??
  • Dana BurnsDana Burns
    I am so glad I asked, everyone gave information that is already useful. Today I called Cobb and found out my saddle is universal for road and TT use. They also make a Randee saddle more specific for road and offer a 90 day guarantee/ demo.

    Although getting in for another fit is a good idea because my body has changed in 5-7 years!

    Thanks for the input!

    Dana
  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    Posted By Scott Alexander on 13 Jul 2015 03:32 PM


    I've been lucky that I can use the exact same saddle on my road, tri and mtb...an adamo time trial. ??

    Scott: interested in more details here, for my tri bike. I tried an Adamo back in '08 and the width of the nose didn't work for me. Has it changed since then or do they have a narrow version? I'm riding a Cobb tri saddle but I'm also riding crazy, crazy, toes on the nose steep. I'm thinking a noseless saddle may be better for me. 

  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    Adamo Attack is narrower than other saddles, including the Cobbs. I found moving it forward (a lot, like centimeters, not mm), and angling it down a degree or two eliminated any issues with rubbing. It also eliminated saddle sore risk.

  • Phil MillsPhil Mills
    I'll second Al's on the Attack. I took his advise and switched out the Adamo Prologue for the Attack. I have not had any chaffing issues this season, compared to the 4 months of agony I endured last year. The Attack is not only narrower but it has less cushion on nose that can move around.
  • scott dinhoferscott dinhofer
    After TOC I switched my road saddle to a Cobb V-Flow, prior to that I had the standard Specialized saddle that came with the bike. I still have the same, if not worse numbing after 20 or so miles... any recommendations on either saddles or how to approach this? How much riding on the new saddle should I do for body to adjust? should numbness be less throughout that or still present in the beginnning?

    On my Tri RigI ride the standard ISM that came wth my P5 and it works great in that application...
  • Kane MurphyKane Murphy
    I'll second or third the comments on the ISM Attack. After a recent (my first ever) professional fit on a tri bike, I ended up rotated forward a bit and the Cobb V-flow I had been comfortable with for years was no longer comfortable in my newer/steeper position. I got an Attack and rode it for 6 hours this weekend. No issues at all, which may be odd considering I didn't really ease into or transition to a nose less saddle. I did take the advice from the ISM website and lowered the Attack by 0.5 cm and pushed the nose of the saddle back 7 cm (compared to traditional saddle) to keep my position the same on the bike. It felt so good, I ordered another Attack for my road bike Monday morning.
  • Scott AlexanderScott Alexander

    Posted By Coach Rich on 13 Jul 2015 06:16 PM





    Posted By Scott Alexander on 13 Jul 2015 03:32 PM






    I've been lucky that I can use the exact same saddle on my road, tri and mtb...an adamo time trial. ??








    Scott: interested in more details here, for my tri bike. I tried an Adamo back in '08 and the width of the nose didn't work for me. Has it changed since then or do they have a narrow version? I'm riding a Cobb tri saddle but I'm also riding crazy, crazy, toes on the nose steep. I'm thinking a noseless saddle may be better for me. 

    Correction, it's the Adamo Racing, not the Time Trial (similar but the Racing seems a little slimmer).

    I've had an Adamo Racing saddle on my tri/TT bike for quite a while. That was the beginning. If it makes any difference, it's always tri shorts on this bike, which for the last few years are the De Soto brand.




    When I upgraded my road bike frame last year, I tried for an Adamo Attack, and for whatever reason it HURT! So I tried an extra Racing and it worked, so I stuck with it (bought a new white one to match the handle bar tape and be "euro"). I think I found that while the Attack had a narrower nose overall, the middle part - about halfway back - the subtle taper wasn't enough for me. I like the narrow front then almost directly to the fat end (no jokes here, please. haha). Always De Soto cycling bibs here.




    I just got my new MTB and went straight to the ol Racing saddle for it, as opposed to the "normal" single-nose saddle that came with it. For the MTB, it's pretty much slammed all the way back on the rails. Always De Soto cycling bibs here too.

    Just seems to work for me. I've also been lucky enough to never have to deal with chamois cream! I'm weird.









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