# Wife needs a different saddle...suggestions?



## nhluhr (Sep 9, 2010)

My wife has a Cannondale Quick for commuting. It has a Selle Italia Gel Flow saddle with the letters "Ldy" scripted on the side of the nose. She loves it. However, on her Cannondale Synpase, the same saddle is uncomfortable to her.

She complains that it puts too much pressure on her <ahem> undercarraige. We've experimented with saddle tilt to no avail. It seems this saddle just isn't compatible with her underside on the less upright position of her road bike. Which saddles should she try?


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

I used to ride the Selle Italia gel flow. I now ride Specialized Romins. I had always felt that the Gel Flow was too wide for me. When they came up with the idea of making different widths for saddles I went to the LBS and had my sitbones measured. It turned out the Ldy Gel Flow was too wide for me. I tried several saddles out and the Romin worked out best for me. 

If she decides to try Specialized saddles, keep in mind that they will take several rides to mold to her sitbones.


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## Becky (Jun 15, 2004)

Too wide or too padded are the most likely culprits here.

I need a somewhat-wide saddle, but it has to be firm. Currently, my saddle of choice is the Selle Italia SLR Lady Gel Flow. 155mm wide, cutout, and just a touch of very dense padding (nothing squishy). I'm also using a slightly narrower WTB Deva on my commuter, and that's working well for shorter distances. No long rides on the Deva yet, but I'm tempted to try.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Selle SMP. Take your pick from the Selection table.

They said it:


> The central channel in the saddle is an uncommon characteristic because of its size: almost a whole hand can pass through it and it allows anus, prostate, pudendal veins, deep dorsal penis artery and vein, scrotum and testicles for men and small and large lips and clitoris for women, not to be squashed. Air can circulate also around the private parts and this prevents that unpleasant hot sensation.


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

Becky said:


> Too wide or too padded are the most likely culprits here.
> 
> I need a somewhat-wide saddle, but it has to be firm. Currently, my saddle of choice is the Selle Italia SLR Lady Gel Flow. 155mm wide, cutout, and just a touch of very dense padding (nothing squishy). I'm also using a slightly narrower WTB Deva on my commuter, and that's working well for shorter distances. No long rides on the Deva yet, but I'm tempted to try.


I don't like squishy saddles either. I use a Selle San Marco Aspide Glamour, the regular kind not the triathlon one. Seat width is 155mm, as well. Nose is narrow.


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## JayTee (Feb 3, 2004)

I know of no body part called an "undercarriage." Without knowing precisely where the pain is, it is difficult to advise. Not meaning to be harsh, but that's one of the reasons it would be great if she'd get an account and post her own question. If the pain is up in the soft tissue area (clitoris, etc.) then the issue is probably length of saddle plus need for a cutout. If it is slightly further back soft tissue-wise, then it is probably too soft a saddle and potentially too wide of one. If it is sit bones specifically, then she just need to log a few more miles before deciding there's a problem.


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## nhluhr (Sep 9, 2010)

JayTee said:


> I know of no body part called an "undercarriage." Without knowing precisely where the pain is, it is difficult to advise. Not meaning to be harsh, but that's one of the reasons it would be great if she'd get an account and post her own question. If the pain is up in the soft tissue area (clitoris, etc.) then the issue is probably length of saddle plus need for a cutout. If it is slightly further back soft tissue-wise, then it is probably too soft a saddle and potentially too wide of one. If it is sit bones specifically, then she just need to log a few more miles before deciding there's a problem.


Sorry, I actually had a tag in there to highlight my modest euphemism. I am talking about her vulva/labia. At least that's what she says.

I'd love it if she joined and asked these questions herself but she has 0 attention span for a forum. The things we do for love :blush2:


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## Trek2.3 (Sep 13, 2009)

You won't get squished or chaffed with one of these. I have several with about 7000 total pain free, comfortable miles. It comes with a 60 day money back trial. Looks funny but works great.

moonsaddle.com


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## JayTee (Feb 3, 2004)

Is the saddle level and how big of a drop, if any, does she have between the saddle and the bars?


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## nhluhr (Sep 9, 2010)

She had a professional fitting done a couple weeks ago and they ended up correcting for a leg length imbalance with a cleat shim. Prior to this she had a lot of lower back pain that started in the left lumbar area and then radiated. The saddle is just about level. We have tried it slightly nose down, slightly nose up, and still she reports the same issue.

Saddle to bar drop is minimal.


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## allison (Apr 19, 2006)

I'd get anything that does not say "Gel" on it. I've always had issues with gel saddles (unisex, womens, etc.).


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## arman77 (Nov 17, 2009)

*My wife loves her Selle SMP Lite 209 Lady...*

Here is a place you can rent one for a week to try... The Pros Stuff! Good luck finding the right one!

Bruce


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

nhluhr said:


> My wife has a Cannondale Quick for commuting. It has a Selle Italia Gel Flow saddle with the letters "Ldy" scripted on the side of the nose. She loves it. However, on her Cannondale Synpase, the same saddle is uncomfortable to her.
> 
> She complains that it puts too much pressure on her <ahem> undercarraige. We've experimented with saddle tilt to no avail. It seems this saddle just isn't compatible with her underside on the less upright position of her road bike. Which saddles should she try?


Selle Italia has a few very similar names on saddles that mean a lot in terms of size and shape. My wife likes her SLR Lady Gel Flow, but the Ldy Gel Flow is a non-starter for her.

That's not at all a recommendation, but just to say that if you are pursuing the SI range, be careful about the nomenclature.


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## BethLikesBikes (Nov 28, 2010)

Many shops have saddles you can demo. And if you order online, you can return them. It's a pain in the butt to find a new saddle. If she can figure out what shape works for her (T vs. pear shaped), that will help to narrow it down. I found that any saddle with a domed back (such as the Specialized Romin and many Fizik saddles) really hurt my soft tissue. I needed a flat saddle with a cutout. I ride a Specialized Toupe.

With any saddle, give it time to test it for several hours/days. Don't just look at it in the shop, poke it and guess if it's a good fit. You really have to try them first. Good luck!


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## eychow (Jul 8, 2011)

lots of great info here, thanks for sharing


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## hking2389 (Aug 24, 2011)

My wife wanted to use my saddle. She quickly found our we were not built the same.She went and bought another one.


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## SlowJoeCrow (Sep 3, 2009)

Saddles can be very quirky since both body shape and riding position affect comfort. My wife ended up swapping the medium expensive Terry Butterfly Gel on her road bike for a basic Specialized MTB saddle that was our LBS' go to option for women's bike fits. On her actual MTB she uses a WTB Speed She.
I forgot to mention that on her cyclocross bike she still uses the cheap no name saddle it came with, but she rarely rides it for more than an hour at a time.


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## Tobypaw (Nov 4, 2011)

I love my Adamo. It's one of those wider saddles that you either love or hate. I love dit fromt he first time I tried it. I have ridden thousands of miles on mine and I need a new one..


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## JulieD (Oct 15, 2009)

Demo an SMP. It is different than other saddles. I have the Glider model. Find the shape, size and amount of padding that works for you and you will be able to cycle indefinitely, pain-free.


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## lk1965 (Dec 18, 2011)

I've been through a myriad of saddles over the last 4 years. At the current moment, I'm riding on a Specialized Ruby 155. It's not 100% perfect, but it's my best option at the moment...so I'll stick with it until something better comes along. I too, ride a Cannondale Synapse Fem 3. I need a very T-shaped saddle...one that transitions from the wide rear part to the narrow nose part, quickly and sharply...and the Ruby does just that, as do most of the Specialized saddles. Pear-shaped saddles (ones that have a gradual transition) cause way too much chafing for me. This is a very common complaint among women, so it might be worth noting when looking for a saddle.


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## BethLikesBikes (Nov 28, 2010)

I've tried the Ruby, but I actually like a saddle that's a bit more T-shaped, so I use Specialized's Toupe.


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