# Saddle Sizing



## vonteity (Feb 13, 2005)

The other thread someone posted about finding a saddle to fit his daughter got me to thinking... how are saddles sized anyway? Is my saddle too big?

I measured the distance between my sits bones: 135mm. Specialized (for example) sells saddles in 130, 143, and 155mm... but that is the total width of the entire saddle. So what size saddle would I buy? Where should my bones sit on the saddle? Surely not over the edge, so the 130mm saddle would be out, but is a 143mm saddle reasonable?

I'm thinking about trying a new saddle. I love my Terry Zero X. In fact, I have four of them... one for each of my bikes! But I'm just wondering if there's something better out there... I found the Zero X after the Fizik Aliante kicked me in the crotch for a few weeks, so anything would seem better than that. The Zero X is approx. 152mm wide, so I'm thinking it might actually be too wide for me.

I googled saddle sizing but came up with pretty much nothing. Any ideas?


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## tcruse11 (Jun 9, 2006)

If you got to a specialized dealer they have a gel gad that you can sit on. Your sit bones leave an imprint and you can measure the width of your sit bones.


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## SadieKate (Feb 22, 2006)

vonteity, I feel your pain. I've actually had to call the company because I've wanted to know the width of the saddle where my sitbones are supposed to go. I really don't care about the width of the back half of the saddle otherwise. I want to know the width of the nose side to side but the back half? No. Well, except for my mtb saddles. I wish they would provide the measurements where they intend your sit bones go. The only company that I know that does this is Selle Anatomica but it isn't clear on their very odd web site, and I ended up having to call anyway.

Good news for me is that I've heard the Avocet Air 02 Ti is available again so I can rebuild my stockpile. Once you find the perfect saddle, buy a couple extra (if you can afford it, of course) and set them aside.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

How do you measure your sit bones? Is the Specialized imprint thingy the only way to do it?


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## SadieKate (Feb 22, 2006)

Are you asking me? I've been riding that saddle (or versions of it) for umpty-bazillion years so I did it the old-fashioned way. Plopped my butt on it and rode. My LBS (a Specialized dealer) doesn't use the A$$-o-meter because they have found that it doesn't work most of the time. The shape of the saddle is as crucial as the width and the A$$-o-meter doesn't evaluate this.

I _have_ gone through several saddles on my mtbikes which helped me recognize the characteristics I like. Wide in the back but it has to be FLAT. If you look at some saddles from the back, they look like this /\. This splits me in half and it feels like my pelvis is being spread as my sit bones slide off the saddle side to side. The width could be the same but the shape is excruciating.

Also, I like a saddle from the top that looks like this _||_ and the Avocet is the closest. It's the angle of the saddle directly behind your butt crease at the top of your hamstrings. That sharp angle gets the saddle out of the way of the back of my generous :cryin: thighs. The saddle then decreases rapidly to a narrow nose so the insides of my generous :cryin: thighs don't get chafed. I also have found that too much padding can be painful. 

These are just my experiences for my own posterior.

One last note, I've seen many saddles that women "hated" but were obviously worn in the wrong spot. They were always sitting way too far forward on the saddle. I've seen several Terry Butterfly saddles where the worn spot was forward of the cutout and yet the women all complained about soft tissue chafing. Well, sit on the saddle where Georgena intended you to sit, for gosh sakes.

I've also heard of women measuring their sit bones using playdough. Whatever works, just pay attention to the shape of the saddle also.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

I was asking Von but I'll take any answer!


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## vonteity (Feb 13, 2005)

tcruse11 said:


> If you got to a specialized dealer they have a gel gad that you can sit on. Your sit bones leave an imprint and you can measure the width of your sit bones.


Thanks, I have already measured the width. I have no idea how wide the saddle should be in relation to this measurement, however!


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## vonteity (Feb 13, 2005)

il sogno said:


> I was asking Von but I'll take any answer!


I just measured them with a measuring tape. If you sit on a hard surface, you can feel where your sits bones are. Measure from one to the other and there you have it. There's lots online for how to measure them, but NOTHING regarding what that measurement means.

If your measurement is 135mm, do you ride a 135mm saddle, a 143mm, a 155mm...? Where are your sits bones supposed to sit on the saddle? Within ~5mm on either side? 1mm? 10mm? I have no idea. But apparently neither does anybody else...


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

The Specialzed dealer had me lean over to approximate the cycling position. I've read that the sitbones squeeze together as the rider leans over, and that's why Specialized offers only narrower saddles in their lines aimed at racers.

The dealer measured my sit bones at 140mm and suggested the 143mm Toupe. I tried it and it was too wide, so I traded it in for a 130mm.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

il sogno said:


> I was asking Von but I'll take any answer!


ANY ANSWER??????????...heheheheheeh..very, very evil grin..........

Naw.....my daughter, after 25 miles on the wrong saddle knew EXACTLY where her bones hit the saddle...I used a set of digital calipers. To ericm979: I'd be a little leary when the guy in the shop said turn around and bend over.......

Von see on a brooks, since there is only a minimal frame with leather riveted you can see where you need to sit and on a broken in saddle, there a dents built in to the leather. Tomorrow I'll see if I can get a good pic of a well broken brooks.


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## kaotikgrl (Dec 14, 2006)

.....


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## JayTee (Feb 3, 2004)

A digression but the gals will probably feel my pain. All this talk about sit bones measurement and pelvic width got me thinking. 

You know how when you are young and perky you can sit on a surface in a wet bathing suit and when you get up, there are two little perky side by side circles? Do you remember the first time you look down and it was just one giant oval? Sad.

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled programming.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

kaotikgrl said:


> You can lie on a hard floor, bring your knees up and have husband measure. Or a foam mat that retains its compressed shape for a few minutes on a chair and with you feet on something like a box to raise your legs. The first one is more fun


Ya know, my husband keeps volunteering to "measure" me.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

perverts.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

*here's a plan*

this works too, with no husbands, wives, significant or insignificant others involved....LOL

sorry, kinda hard to read the calipers, actually reads 77.73 mm on a 155 mm seat.....It is an absolute perfect fit to my taste.....have ridden many centuries, on consecutive days and never been sore. (that is AFTER the break in period)


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## SadieKate (Feb 22, 2006)

Wow, you mean they make devices to measure distance with? Really? Who knew?  

It doesn't work if you don't have access to the saddle. Bike shops are notorious for not carrying a large selection of high end women's saddles. Your method only works if you have access to the saddle.

Plus, it really only works if you know what measurement you need, and as said above, the width of your sit bones doesn't necessarily translate easily to a saddle width.

And, personally, I don't care to break-in a saddle with my soft tissue.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

SadieKate said:


> And, personally, I don't care to break-in a saddle with my soft tissue.


Oh come on...where is your sense of adventure....

besides......with a brooks...trust me you ain't using your SOFT tissue to break it in...gotta use your BONES...(through soft stuff, but that is a minor technicality)


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## Keeping up with Junior (Feb 27, 2003)

*Scale*



il sogno said:


> Ya know, my husband keeps volunteering to "measure" me.


Trouble is that men usually end up getting confused whether they are referring to Centimeters or Inches.


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## vonteity (Feb 13, 2005)

Touch0Gray said:


> Von see on a brooks, since there is only a minimal frame with leather riveted you can see where you need to sit and on a broken in saddle, there a dents built in to the leather. Tomorrow I'll see if I can get a good pic of a well broken brooks.


Ah, no... I can't ride a Brooks. I think they are hideously ugly. I have too much pride for that. I'd rather suffer a sore tush! Fortunately I don't have to... my saddle seems to fit just fine. I still haven't gotten an answer as to how the measurement of the sits bones correlates to saddle width, but at this point I'm doubting I'll ever get one.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Touch0Gray said:


> this works too, with no husbands, wives, significant or insignificant others involved....LOL
> 
> sorry, kinda hard to read the calipers, actually reads 77.73 mm on a 155 mm seat.....It is an absolute perfect fit to my taste.....have ridden many centuries, on consecutive days and never been sore. (that is AFTER the break in period)


But how do you know precisely where in the indentation to place the caliper points? Do you just do it in the center?


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## Keeping up with Junior (Feb 27, 2003)

*Lawn Chairs and Yard Sticks*



vonteity said:


> Ah, no... I can't ride a Brooks. I think they are hideously ugly. I have too much pride for that. I'd rather suffer a sore tush!...


Almost as bad as riding a recumbant. At least my big butt would hide an ugly Brooks saddle. I am not sure I could grow a long enough beard to hide the fact that I was riding a recumbant.



vonteity said:


> ...I still haven't gotten an answer as to how the measurement of the sits bones correlates to saddle width, but at this point I'm doubting I'll ever get one.


Sitbone measurement was discussed in the current weeks newsletter from Road Bike Rider. Scroll down to item 7. Gives a little measuring information and a tease to buy a book. Follow the link below before Thursday when next weeks (copyrighted) issue comes out. A good, free weekly newsletter to sign up for.

http://www.roadbikerider.com/currentissue.htm


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## vonteity (Feb 13, 2005)

RBR Newsletter said:


> A seat slightly wider than this distance will be able to distribute the pressure over a larger area and minimize any hot spots.


Yes, I saw the newsletter... but how much wider is "slightly wider"?


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

vonteity said:


> Ah, no... I can't ride a Brooks. I think they are hideously ugly. I have too much pride for that. I'd rather suffer a sore tush! Fortunately I don't have to... my saddle seems to fit just fine. I still haven't gotten an answer as to how the measurement of the sits bones correlates to saddle width, but at this point I'm doubting I'll ever get one.



GASP..............heresy I say...Brooks....ugly..... why I've never heard anything so ludicrous!

even IF it where so......and it is SO not......no one see's it when you are sitting on it...they are looking at YOUR butt.....
so there.

ugly.....hmphhhhhhhh


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## orbit (Feb 7, 2007)

Touch0Gray said:


> this works too, with no husbands, wives, significant or insignificant others involved....LOL
> 
> sorry, kinda hard to read the calipers, actually reads 77.73 mm on a 155 mm seat.....It is an absolute perfect fit to my taste.....have ridden many centuries, on consecutive days and never been sore. (that is AFTER the break in period)


From where and how I sit, that saddle looks like some gothic instrument of torture.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

il sogno said:


> But how do you know precisely where in the indentation to place the caliper points? Do you just do it in the center?


Yup, I just measured center to center and it appears to be the deepest spot in the dent...I figured as long as I do it the same every time.....

I've got a pretty small skeleton with very little upholstery, (5 foot 6, 130 # ....) It isn't that hard to measure my bones....


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## Spinfinity (Feb 3, 2004)

*You may be asking a question that has no answer.*



vonteity said:


> Yes, I saw the newsletter... but how much wider is "slightly wider"?


Or different answers for different riders. I would think there are too many variables to come up with a number that works for most riders much less everybody.


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## MaestroXC (Sep 15, 2005)

Here's an answer, Von.

You know about the Specialized measuring thingy; sitbone distance 100-130, in a moderately aggressive to aggressive position, means a 143 saddle. Wider than 130, or even 130 in a more upright position, means 155. 

Por ejemplo, my sitbone distance is 110. I ride a Toupe in 143, and find it comfy, as far as support goes. Never had any perineal or genital numbness, and since that's my overriding comfort concern on the bike, I ride that saddle. If I get the chance, I'm going to try out a 130 though, because the 143 seems to chafe my legs a little bit.


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