# What saddles do pros use?



## Argentius

I can't tell much, but I don't see many in the pro peloton equipped with the super-flat-piece-of-carbon / SLR type saddles. 

Does anybody know what any / many professionals run? Are there a few faves, or does it run the gamut? Do they tend to use a sponsor's saddle, or is it a personal enough choice that they use what they like? 



(I know they don't really worry about weight as much any more due to the minimum, and that might affect their choices for some components)


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## atpjunkie

*they ride*

whatever is comfortable to them and doesn't give them saddle sores

some ride what their sponsors supply that fit the above criteria

some ride old school saddles (Boonen) as it's all about FIT

few ride uber light CF saddles. doing the mileage they do you don't weight weenie the one thing you need comfortable


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## torquecal

atpjunkie covered it well. Just like to add that a few riders are also pretty active in saddle design. Fizik likes to point out how much influence Cunego and Simoni have had on their latest designs. A few years back Erik Zabel did at least a little work with Selle Italia.


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## The Flash

I saw a lot of Fizik Ariones in the race....I love mine.....like sitting on a banana seat, cause it is so long. Recognizable by the big stripe in the center....

Flash


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## rocco

Most of Disco and Quickstep use Selle San Marco Concor saddles. 

Many guys use the various Fizik saddles. 

Many guys use the various Selle Italia saddles.

Use what works for you. Do you tend to stay planted in one position on your saddle all day?
If you do you may like a saddle like the Concor. If you shift back when you climb or shift forward when need speed-power say like in solo breakaway then you may like a Fizik Arione or an SLR.


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## peterpen

Interesting to note that Manolo Saiz DS of Liberty Seguros is such a control freak that he specs the saddle all of his riders use - they have no choice in the matter supposedly.


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## rocco

peterpen said:


> Interesting to note that Manolo Saiz DS of Liberty Seguros is such a control freak that he specs the saddle all of his riders use - they have no choice in the matter supposedly.


Saiz says.


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## Argentius

I've heard "use what works for you" constantly; it seems to be the only consistent thing ABOUT saddle advice. My Pave works well for me, though I haven't tried much else, honestly. But I posted this in "Pro cycling," not "components" after curiosity about what tended to work for the big boys, and seeing Boonen's Roubaix (?) ride in a cycling mag, complete with what looked like a Brooks.

Interested to note about Saiz; I've heard he's like that about EVERYTHING; see also the post about "what shifters is Liberty Seguros riding?" I wonder if it ends up helping or hurting them?

Anyhow, anyone know what Lance, Jan, Botero, Vino, Basso, et al use?


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## Szozda

I think Armstrong uses Selle San Marco Concor, and Boonen uses white Selle San Marco Regal.


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## Americano_a_Roma

Szozda said:


> I think Armstrong uses Selle San Marco Concor, and Boonen uses white Selle San Marco Regal.


I read a tech article in an Italian bike mag about the bikes of the Giro; there were a lot of Fiziks (both arione and aliante) and some San Marcos, as noted, but Selle Italias dominated. Of these, there were a great many Flites on the standard bikes, and lots of SLRs on the climbing/TT rigs. My general impression is that the pros use relatively firm saddles without fancy cutaways or contouring. Of course, with the amount of time they spend training, their sitbones will have turned to concrete years ago!


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## Shockee

Argentius said:


> Anyhow, anyone know what Lance, Jan, Botero, Vino, Basso, et al use?


I heard Ullrich was loyal to the Selle Italia Turbomatic, which is kind of a heavy model. I recently picked one up (they are discontinued), and it's great, but not much different that the age-old trusty Turbo (which I've ridden for some 18 years).


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## lawrence

Bicycling Magazine this month says Lance and the Discovery team uses the Selle San Marco Concor saddle.


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## bigpinkt

If you go to a european race you will see many saddles, but one of the most popular is the Rolls. You will even often see them made up with false covers to look like other saddles. yes it is heavy but it is the best saddle ever made if you are going to ride 30 hours a week


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## wzq622

Three examples of the saddles used in a pro peloton:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/newsphotos.php?id=/photos/2007/news/jan07/jan01news/BETTINIQUIK7224

Seems like Quickstep rides Selle Italia and Selle San Marco. I've also seen a few Turbomatics.


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## crumjack

lawrence said:


> Bicycling Magazine this month says Lance and the Discovery team uses the Selle San Marco Concor saddle.


In _Lance Armstrong's War_, it mentions that he would inspect each saddle by hand to ensure they weren't too hard or soft until he found enough for that season.


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## MR_GRUMPY

Back in the 80's and 90's everybody used San Marco Regal and Rolls and S.I. Turbo's and Flite's.


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## MaestroXC

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/#pro

Right side of the page, pictues and specs, even down to personal measurements on many of them, of pro's bikes. 

One interested note; as seen here: Jan Ullrich does use a full-carbon saddle on his TT bike. 

Levi Leipheimer: SI SLR
Floyd Landis: SI Flite Gel Flow
Dave Zabriskie: SI Flite Gel Flow
Chris Wherry: Fizik Aliante
Tony Cruz: SI Flite Gel Flow
Robbie McEwen: SSM Regal
Alejandro Valverde: SI SLR


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## z ken

i think pro used diferrent types and shapes of saddle ( not all butts are created the same. lol ) personally i used selle slr and it's 135 grams light, great for climb and surprisingly confort in a long ride. saddle is always a personal thing. even lance use concord which is $ 40 and weight much heavier than mine SLR.


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## Eric_H

*Sponsorship first*



z ken said:


> i think pro used diferrent types and shapes of saddle ( not all butts are created the same. lol ) personally i used selle slr and it's 135 grams light, great for climb and surprisingly confort in a long ride. saddle is always a personal thing. even lance use concord which is $ 40 and weight much heavier than mine SLR.


As a self-confessed bike junkie, I have a vast knowledge who uses what. And given the cold snowy weather, I have time to write about it.

First and foremost, the pros use saddles provided by the team's saddle sponsor. There are a few cases where this is not true but overall this is the way it is. An example was QuickStep in 2006, they were sponsored by Selle Italia but Boonen was riding his old San Marco Regal with no graphics on it. Another example was back in 2002 and 2003 when Domina Vacanze allegedly was using Specialized Body Geometry saddles, but really they were using whatever saddles they preferred with BG coverings. Cipo used a Regal, Lombardi a Rolls from memory. Discovery is sort of similar - their saddles have Bontrager coverings but they are all various Selle San Marco offerings underneath, as SSM actually makes the Bonty saddles that are sold to the public. Hincapie uses the Strada, Popo uses the Concor Lite, Savoldelli used the Regal. 

In 2006, the Pro Tour teams Liquigas, Ag2R, and Lampre used Fizik. Almost all riders use either the Aliante or Arione, interestingly with Ti rails in both cases. I think I saw Garzelli's Bianchi equipped with a carbon-railed Aliante once. Teams Milram, Rabobank, Discovery, Astana/Liberty, and Davitamon/Lotto used Selle San Marco. Everyone else was on Selle Italia. For 2007, it looks as though QuickStep is back on Selle San Marco but beyond that I haven't seen enough pictures.


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## z ken

who care what the pros ride on. why?? so you can have a surgery so your " buttom " would look like lance or other stud riders?? lol i would rather interested at what kind of wheelsets the pros used like lance or stud riders?? just a thought!!


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## Argentius

Because we are cycling fans you asshat. I don't know how (a search?) my thread from 1.5 years ago got ressurected, but I started it because I'd tried a few "modern" saddles like SLR's and none of 'em really worked for me. Then I picked up a Concour et voila, 5-hour rides became comfortable. So, I heard the concour, often rebadged, was popular with a number of riders and I wondered what else was popular among people who put in the big miles.

So, screw you and anyone else who responds to a thread just to say, "what is the point of this thread?"


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## The Flash

You tell 'em, Argentinius!

The best part of this thread is that it points out that just because it's made and is new, pro's and others do not necessarily move to it or even use it because of contract. You have to determine what works for YOU and go with it....screw everyone else....

The Flash


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## Fignon's Barber

wzq622 said:


> Three examples of the saddles used in a pro peloton:
> 
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/newsphotos.php?id=/photos/2007/news/jan07/jan01news/BETTINIQUIK7224
> 
> Seems like Quickstep rides Selle Italia and Selle San Marco. I've also seen a few Turbomatics.



One thing about bettini. He had always used the san marco concor lite, but If you look at pictures from the second half of last season( easy to see, as he's always out of the saddle attacking), he's using the flite. Now, he seems to have gone back to the tried and true concor lite. 
With boonen, he uses the regal. But when they take promo shots, he switches in the selle italia flite.


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## z ken

argentius: chill down, bro. it's alright i'm also a bike geek ( may be more than you ) hahah personally i use SLR--it's fantastic and great for my climbing rides.


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