# should i stick with the stock saddle on my bike ?



## vicbal (Jan 14, 2014)

I ride a scott speedster s50 and was wondering if I should upgraded the saddle or maybe use the money towards something else ?This I my first roadbike btw
thanks


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## Sundog (Sep 25, 2013)

Spend your spare money on a professional fitting session - with a good fitter. That person will tell you if you need a new saddle or not. Assuming your butt has not already told you, of course.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

vicbal said:


> I ride a scott speedster s50 and was wondering if I should upgraded the saddle or maybe use the money towards something else ?This I my first roadbike btw


Is the saddle giving you problems? If yes, have you taken steps (see below) to deal with it? Otherwise, there is no reason to buy a new saddle.

==============================

Saddle comfort and adjustment:

There are 7 factors in preventing saddle numbness and pain:

1) saddle adjustment - tilt angle is very important and very small changes are noticeable

2) sitting properly - a lot of people ride too far forward on the saddle. Your "sit bones" should be perched on the rear, wide part of the saddle

3) standing up - you should never let things go numb or get painful. At the first sign of any lack of feeling or pain, pedal standing up for a short distance and repeat as necessary to bring the feeling back and prevent further numbness

4) easing up - you want to lift your rear end off the saddle any time you are going to hit a bump or sharp edge. It's easier on your anatomy, your wheels, your tires, and the rest of your bike.

5) bike fit: in addition to saddle height and tilt, there is fore/aft adjustment, reach and drop to the bars, and cleat position.

6) tires: proper width with the right PSI for your weight and roads so you don't feel every single road imperfection.

7) saddle - there are some people who can ride most any saddle if it is properly adjusted (see #1) and there are some people who have problems with nearly any saddle. It's hard to predict which type you are. Work on 1-6 and if that doesn't help, THEN consider a new saddle. 

When choosing a new saddle, width is important but so are a number of other things and it really is not possible to recommend a saddle that works based on width alone. The shape of the saddle butt, width of the nose, thickness and density of padding, etc. all factor in.


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## nsfbr (May 23, 2014)

vicbal said:


> I ride a scott speedster s50 and was wondering if I should upgraded the saddle or maybe use the money towards something else ?This I my first roadbike btw
> thanks





Sundog said:


> Spend your spare money on a professional fitting session - with a good fitter. That person will tell you if you need a new saddle or not. Assuming your butt has not already told you, of course.


I have a Speedster 20 and hated, I mean hated the saddle. I finally went to the LBS on the trail that I take to commute to work and back on (19 miles each way) and asked to have a saddle fitting so that I could not only get a new saddle, but make sure that it fit me. Saturday morning I showed up ready to do this and instead of doing what I had originally intended, got talked into an actual real fitting. Done the right way, by a real bike fitter. Cost me over $100, I forget how much exactly. I know it wasn't cheap. 

Anyway, I still have the stock saddle, but my bike fits. It fits me like a glove and I've never had an issue with the saddle since that day. 

Get fit. The reason I went in for the saddle was that by the very end of my morning commute I was feeling it, and by the end of the return commute I was in pain. Since then I've done my first century, and regularly ride 40, 50, 60 miles in an outing. I may be fried at the end, but my saddle isn't the reason. 

So, maybe you need a saddle. Maybe you do not. But what I know you need, if you are having saddle issues and haven't had one is a proper, professional fitting.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Just listen to Kerry. You didn't say you are having any issues, but if you are, try to fix them with the adjustments he suggests. If that don't work, look for a different saddle. 

Saddles are very individual. The stock saddle may work for you, and may not. And some expensive saddle recommended by somebody here may be great, and may be terrible for you. Depends on your butt and your riding style.


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## obed (Jan 12, 2014)

I have 4 bikes, each still has the stock saddle, each a bit different, but each the same size...all work just fine, they happen to be the right size for my sit bones....but then again I have had each bike to a fitter and everything tweaked to fit me....I guess I am just one of those lucky folks that can ride any saddle as long as the rest of the bike fits properly....


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Not enough info. How long have you been riding? Upped the distance/ duration recently? Experiencing any discomfort? If so, where, exactly.

Ever been fitted? 

Once we have some additional info, I think your best options will become a bit clearer.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

It's hard to give a definite answer. Others have said make sure you are in the correct riding position. The bike shop you got the bike from should have given you a fit. If not, go in at a non busy time and ask someone to "eyeball" your position.

Everyone is different on saddles. I have a Spec Toupe pro. People look at that thing and wonder how I can ride 100 miles on it. When I got on the Toupe, it just felt good.

I really recommend you find a shop that does a saddle demo program. I also recommend a seat post that has a micro adjust tilt. 2 examples from FSA and Williams Cycling.


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## vicbal (Jan 14, 2014)

thanks for all the suggestions. I wont be able to try Kerry's advice right now as we are dealing with a sick 2 yr old but as soon as she is better Ill try those adjustments and see if that helps any. I got the bike off CL so it was never fitted but I did go to different bike shops and test ride to see what size I needed.


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## vicbal (Jan 14, 2014)

all ive done so far is adjust the height but still hurts after 15-20 miles.


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## Sundog (Sep 25, 2013)

vicbal said:


> thanks for all the suggestions. I wont be able to try Kerry's advice right now as we are dealing with a sick 2 yr old but as soon as she is better Ill try those adjustments and see if that helps any. I got the bike off CL so it was never fitted but I did go to different bike shops and test ride to see what size I needed.


Don't confuse sizing yourself to a bike with fitting yourself to a bike. Two different things. Do a little reading on the latter - and you will see what we all mean.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

vicbal said:


> thanks for all the suggestions. I wont be able to try Kerry's advice right now as we are dealing with a sick 2 yr old but as soon as she is better Ill try those adjustments and see if that helps any. *I got the bike off CL so it was never fitted but I did go to different bike shops and test ride to see what size I needed*.


Assuming you got sizing right (which any competent fitter can tell you when they see you on the bike), my advice is to opt for a standard fitting from a reputable fitter. 

Should run you less than a decent saddle and will likely correct many more potential fit issues in the process.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

vicbal said:


> thanks for all the suggestions. I wont be able to try Kerry's advice right now as we are dealing with a sick 2 yr old but as soon as she is better Ill try those adjustments and see if that helps any. I got the bike off CL so it was never fitted but I did go to different bike shops and test ride to see what size I needed.


Hopefully you told the sales people that you had no interest in actually buying a bike from them and were just 'show rooming'. It's rude to go into a shop and just use them for information so you can then go buy something cheaper elsewhere.


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## Sully00 (Dec 29, 2012)

My stock saddle works for me so I use it. if it bothered me I would have changed it out. The last thing I want to do is switch it out only to have the new saddle be a pain in the ass.

+1 on the fit session


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

vicbal said:


> all ive done so far is adjust the height but still hurts after 15-20 miles.


Sounds like you haven't been riding that long.

It takes a lot of people a couple weeks to get accustomed to sitting on bicycle saddles. That can happen both to new riders and to people coming back from a long break, like an offseason to a few years.


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## D&MsDad (Jul 17, 2007)

I agree with what others have posted above. For me, the position of the saddle is FAR more important than the saddle itself. I've ridden many different saddles with no problems, including inexpensive stock saddles, but the one time I made a mistake and put the saddle too high led to saddle sores. Note that this is me, I've heard others complain of long searches for the right saddle. Everyone is different, as someone above already said.

The correct position is not obvious if you're just starting out. Newbies tend to have their saddle too high, or sometimes far too low (they want to be able to put their feet flat on the ground). This is why people above are recommending a fitting, or at the least having someone who knows what they're doing take a look at your riding position (spending $100+ if you're only riding a couple hours a week is probably overkill). 

If you're just starting out, some soreness after an hour or two in the saddle is to be expected, it will go away over time. If your skin is getting abraded, however, or if there is true pain or numbness, you would want to take that more seriously.


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## Winn (Feb 15, 2013)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Sounds like you haven't been riding that long.
> 
> It takes a lot of people a couple weeks to get accustomed to sitting on bicycle saddles. That can happen both to new riders and to people coming back from a long break, like an offseason to a few years.


This ^^ You don't know if the saddle is an issue until you have been punished by it for a while. Sometimes the saddle is fine and you just need a better chamois in your shorts. Are you using cycling specific shorts with a nice pad?? Maybe try a different pair from a different brand before you pony up the money for a new saddle...


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