# Saddles for commuting...



## mikebordo (Jul 10, 2008)

I'm on the heavier side (6'2" - 260) and am considering a road bike for commuting to work and exercise/pleasure riding. I need to shed the pounds. I'm presently riding a Fuji Crosstown 1.0 and I hate it. I need the drops. It's what I'm used to from my teen days of the 70s.

I've never had a road bike with those little racing saddles. Should I decide on the Fuji Newest 1.0 or Trek 2.1, would I be more comfortable by switching saddles to a Touring bike saddle? The added weight isn't a factor because I'm not racing. I just like to go fast!

Thank you in advance for any replies.

Mike


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

This topic has been discussed at length here at RBR. If you do a search you will likely find many posts about it.

The bottom line is that you need to find a comfortable saddle. The problem is that your anatomy and the anatomy of your friends and neighbors who may be close to your size and weight are not necessarily the same where you make contact with the saddle so asking for advice on a forum is like asking what tennis shoes you should buy. You're going to have tons of answers but ultimately you need to go out and find something that works for you.

Some things to think about:
Some bike shops will loan you saddles until you find something that works for you. They do expect you to buy from them when you do find something that works.
If you haven't ridden in a while then it will take time for your butt to build enough tolerance to sitting on a saddle before you can really figure out what works for you. In the meantime you need to tough it out, shift your position, stand for 15 seconds during a ride to allow blood to flow, etc.
A thickly padded saddle is probably the worst thing you can get for comfort. This is because the deformation of the padding actually will work to cut off circulation to that area, causing even worse pain or other problems. Having said that, I remember, as a kid, having ridden a plastic shell saddle without a chamois nor padding and I don't recall having issues with saddle soreness but all of my saddles these days have padding.

I weigh 145 lbs and I only have Fizik Aliante (road bikes) and Pave (mountain bike) saddles.


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## I3erto (Jul 23, 2007)

get a brooks b17.. but if you want to try a bunch of saddles cant really beat this..

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/road-bikes/demo-saddle


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

+1 on the brooks. Caveat- most folks either love them or hate them. Me, I'm 6'2", 220. I'm not small. It fits me well. Caveat 2- brooks+rain= not so good.

Also consider the Selle San Marco Rolls or Regal- both have a similar shape to the brooks, but lighter and with a wee bit more padding, and a lot more weather-proof.


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## mikebordo (Jul 10, 2008)

As I kind of figured, the right saddle is going to be trial and error. Sounds like Brooks is pretty popular.

Thanks for the help guys. I'm 49 and have ridden since I was 5. I'm just taking an intrest in hard core road bikes. My last one was a 1973 Falcon Cycles. Right now I have a Fuji Crosstown Hybrid. Don't care much for it. I hate the flat bars. Everytime I go test ride a road bike I want one more and more. Love those drop bars. Haven't bought a new one yet, but I really like the Trek 2.1 and the Fuji Newest 1.0.

Mike


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

another B17 user....I wouldn't commute on anything else


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

Brooks saddles require a break-in period for most folks. In theory, the Brooks saddle could be THE universal saddle once it has broken in for the owner because it molds itself to the rider but that process could prove painful to some people. I have yet to try one but probably will get one sooner rather than later.


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## BentChainring (Jun 23, 2005)

+1 on the Brooks B17. I have it on my Road Rig.

My commuter is awaiting a Brooks Flyer (B17 w/ Springs). Gotta wait till August to buy it, my butt is hating me right now.

nK


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

Squidward said:


> Brooks saddles require a break-in period for most folks. In theory, the Brooks saddle could be THE universal saddle once it has broken in for the owner because it molds itself to the rider but that process could prove painful to some people. I have yet to try one but probably will get one sooner rather than later.


For what it's worth, none of mine have required any break in (I've got 3)- they were all pretty much instantly comfortable and have just gotten more comfortable...


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## brianmcg (Oct 12, 2002)

I use the Brooks Champion Flyer. It is basically a B-17 with springs. It is great on my touring bike. It really smooths out the bumps.

I tried the regular B-17 and the Flyer together and I picked the Flyer because of the extra shock absorption. This may be good for a commute over bad roads. 

Go to www.wallbike.com , they have a great return policy on Brooks saddles. You can try out a saddle for six months. If you don't like it return it, no questions asked. You may pay a little more, but if you are searching for the perfect saddle it will save you money in they long run.


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## mikebordo (Jul 10, 2008)

Squidward said:


> Brooks saddles require a break-in period for most folks. In theory, the Brooks saddle could be THE universal saddle once it has broken in for the owner because it molds itself to the rider but that process could prove painful to some people. I have yet to try one but probably will get one sooner rather than later.


This may be one of those questions with many diferent answers but, how many hours is normally required to break in the Brooks B17?


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## BentChainring (Jun 23, 2005)

mikebordo said:


> This may be one of those questions with many diferent answers but, how many hours is normally required to break in the Brooks B17?


The Brooks is very much like Chuck Norris. It breaks you in.

(Ive heard about a month or a few hundred miles. I rode a 65miler on mine a week after installation, and it was beautifully comfortable)

nK


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## brianmcg (Oct 12, 2002)

mikebordo said:


> This may be one of those questions with many diferent answers but, how many hours is normally required to break in the Brooks B17?


Mine was very comfortable right out of the box. If the saddle fits you properly there should not be much of a break in required in order for it to be comfortable. 

However as you put more miles in a Brooks it does get softer and it starts to form to your butt. It is quite nice.


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

I have a Brooks Finesse on my commuter. It's the women's version of the Team Professional.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

No matter how heavy or light you are, your sit bones don't change. They're always the same distance apart. This goes an awful long way in determining what's comfy for you in a saddle. The sit bones are what you sit on. They contact the seat, and support your weight on it. Big, wide, padded seats only support flesh, which doesn't need to be supported. That = pain in pretty short order. The larger & wider the seat, the more likely it is to cause chafing. OUCH! That's why you see seats that are relatively the same size on road bikes. The big seats are standard on lower line, and crossover bikes because the mfgr's assume that those kind of bikes will not be ridden long distances. There are many, many excellent seats out there. Finding one you like is a pain in the ....oh, never mind. If I was planning to buy a new bike with drop bars, I'd wait until I got the bike. You might really like the seat it comes with. If not, try shopping at your local bike shop (LBS). They will often let you try a seat for a couple of days, and if you don't like it, you can exchange it for another. Bike seats are a HIGHLY individual choice. I ride a seat that other people wouldn't ride for 20 miles, and I know plenty of people that have seats that I just roll my eyes at. Nobody's right. Nobody's wrong.

BTW, I commute 36 miles per day, and I use the same seat on my commuter as I do on my race bike.


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## mikebordo (Jul 10, 2008)

Mr. Versatile said:


> No matter how heavy or light you are, your sit bones don't change. They're always the same distance apart. This goes an awful long way in determining what's comfy for you in a saddle. The sit bones are what you sit on. They contact the seat, and support your weight on it. Big, wide, padded seats only support flesh, which doesn't need to be supported. That = pain in pretty short order. The larger & wider the seat, the more likely it is to cause chafing. OUCH! That's why you see seats that are relatively the same size on road bikes. The big seats are standard on lower line, and crossover bikes because the mfgr's assume that those kind of bikes will not be ridden long distances. There are many, many excellent seats out there. Finding one you like is a pain in the ....oh, never mind. If I was planning to buy a new bike with drop bars, I'd wait until I got the bike. You might really like the seat it comes with. If not, try shopping at your local bike shop (LBS). They will often let you try a seat for a couple of days, and if you don't like it, you can exchange it for another. Bike seats are a HIGHLY individual choice. I ride a seat that other people wouldn't ride for 20 miles, and I know plenty of people that have seats that I just roll my eyes at. Nobody's right. Nobody's wrong.
> 
> BTW, I commute 36 miles per day, and I use the same seat on my commuter as I do on my race bike.


Mr. V. (and all who've chimed in here),

Thanks for the thorough reply. The sit bone analogy makes a lot of sense. Also, the wide cushy seat is what I have on my Fuji Crosstown Hybrid. Along with not really liking the bike, the seats has done some damage on me after a few weeks of numerous rides.

What you recommended is what I was planning on doing - get the bike first and see how I like the stock saddle. I'm just asking questions about it because I'm basically a newbie and I have a very inquisitive mind. I also tend to over think things. Plus, last year I got some serious seat rash from overdoing it on my Hybrid.

I still want to kick myself for not buying a road bike to begin with. I guess the good thing is I'm an avid eBay seller and my hybrid is still like new so I shouldn't have any problem selling it.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Any time, Mike. Keep in mind that getting used to ANY seat is going to take a little (ahem) getting -to-know-you period. None of them are what I'd call Barcoloungers. No disrespect intended, but this especially true if you're a newbie to riding. I ride all year, but many riders don't. When the weather gets good they start riding again, and you can bet their butts are going to feel it for awhile. So good luck, and give it some time.


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## Kwikfile (Aug 26, 2009)

I am on the verge of getting a Brooks Champion Flyer (B-17 w springs) from Wallbike. It seems that it is a great saddle. I have read reviews other than Wallbikes blogs that actually seem very honest. Kicking down that kinda dough for a saddle is big for me. I visit the wallbike site every week, I guess you could say I am Jonsing for that saddle...

Peace,

Kiwkfile
Life is Hard, and when your stupid it's harder!


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## TrekJeff (Mar 14, 2007)

Last year I was putting up an offer of trade. A set of my fenders for a Brooks B17....after a few weeks of riding I'm looking to put the offer back on. The stock seat that I rode on last year now has hard spots wear the padding has compressed. SO, there's another vote for a Brooks.


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## Ken2 (Jan 30, 2004)

*Another idea*

I know all the Brooks saddle lovers have chimed in here... but I would respectfully suggest that it's possible you would be happier with a Selle Anatomica. This American company started out doing cutout mods to standard Brooks saddles (they still offer that service), but then started making their own saddles based on a Brooks model.

One clear advantage over Brooks (besides the cutout being more comfortable IMO) is that SA has developed a waterproof leather treatment, plus they offer this laminate in a standard (<180 lbs) or Clyde (>180) versions. AND you can choose among several colors and rivet finishes!

BTW I have no financial or other interest in this company--I just prefer their saddles over Brooks models I've tried. YMMV.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

If you find a saddle that fits you right, it will be perfect for any kind of cycling -- racing, touring, commuting, whatever. The trick is finding one that fits you right, and that unfortunately is a trial-and-error process for most cyclists. I probably tried 15 different saddles (including a B17) before finding one that fit me perfect (Fizik Vitesse), but what fits me might be miserable for you. Bottom line, buy saddles for cheap on eBay or other on-line sources, or buy them from a shop that will let you return/exchange if they don't fit you right.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

I removed the Brooks from my commuter, 

reason, the only place the saddle fit right and I could get comfortable was when sitting on the rear rivets. This gave me a seatbone pain, because my right sitbone was just over a metalic rivet.

If I sat more forward, I had perineum pressure that is not welcome.

I switched back to the Selle Italia XO

cheap, comfortable, good cutout, not much padding, light enough.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

It could be comfortable for you. Try to get one as a demo and see for yourself

My brooks was great, Conquest Model, that is a Team Pro with springs. It has the large copper rivets. and is somewhat shorter than the B17.

In my case I started to develop a seatbone pain. just on the right side.

I discovered that I had to be sitting on the rear rivets for the best riding position and that one of those large rivets was exactly under my seatbone... so my seatbone was sitting on metal not on leather.

YMMV, I see the Flyer is longer on the back so probably could fit me better... But for the moment I put back the Selle Italia XO and it is good now

The Selle Italia works very well and including the suspension seatpost is lighter than the Brooks.


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## jmlapoint (Sep 4, 2008)

Brooks B17


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