# most popular saddle



## jjp (Mar 3, 2005)

Does anyone happen to know what is the most widely used saddle by riders in the Tour? I have noticed that one saddle (by its shape at the back) seems to be used by a lot of riders from a range of teams, but I can't tell what make it is.

jjp


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## j.knight (Dec 14, 2005)

I don't know about now, but a few years ago it was the Selle San Marco Concor light. I think it is still one of the most popular.


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

There are a lot of Fizik Ariones. They sponsor many of the teams.


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## ilan (Nov 27, 2006)

My impression is that it's the Prologo, e.g., Andy Schleck who, if I'm not mistaken can choose whichever one he wants: http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/200...dy_Schlecks_CSC_Cervelo_R3-SL_saddle_and_post

-ilan


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## jjp (Mar 3, 2005)

Hey Iian,

Thanks a lot. I have long wondered. It seems to me that if us mortal, everyday racers/riders are looking for a starting point, hey why not ask the pros? Unfortunately, the coverage never sees to look at the bikes. I find that a little short sighted on their part. Prologo? I'll have to check out the design, I've heard of it, and seen it, but not lately. I'm asking this because I I have had a number of saddles over the years. When I was in my 20's I used the Concor, Rolls and Regal, and I remeber really liking the later two, in particular. I'm in my 40's now, and looking for the Holy Grail of saddles. I started with a Flite Gel Flow (no cut out) and found it to be an instrument of torture. I was told that the Fizik Aliante was the cream de la cream, and while I find it better than the Flite, its still no saving grace (and its twice the price). So, where to go. SMP? Or, maybe Prologo.

Thanks again, Jared Purdy


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

The best is whichever one you forget about when you ride. That will be different for everyone.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Andrea138 said:


> The best is whichever one you forget about when you ride. That will be different for everyone.



word......


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

...also, most sponsors are pretty lenient about what their riders are on since it's such a personal choice. Example- Terry sponsors my team, but they just don't agree with my backside, so I have been trying others. Nothing's wrong with Terry saddles- many women and men swear by them, and they have a great product/return policy/customer service, but they just aren't for me!


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## jjp (Mar 3, 2005)

Ya, I know, I've heard the same arguments for years. I'm 48, use to race, have riden racing bikes for 30 years. But, while saddles are obviously very personal, some are clearly better than others, and some are used by more riders that others. Thats a clue. For sure. especially if you've tried them all and money is no object. There was practically a ticker tape parade in the high end bike shops of toronto over the Aliante. It was under false pretences, as far a as I'm concerned. Do older guys i.e 40 somethings need something different? I don't remember going totally numb around my genitals and overall crotch area when I was in my 20's, after about an hour in the saddle.


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## ilan (Nov 27, 2006)

Andrea138 said:


> The best is whichever one you forget about when you ride. That will be different for everyone.


Yes, I was riding behind a guy doing a training ride with many thousands of dollar deep dish aero tubular wheels, so a poseur , and then I noticed he was using a Corima carbon saddlle which apparently weighs 90g http://www.corima.com/gb/produits/accessoires/default.cfm?family=accessoires_selle so I naturally assumed he was some kind of a weight weenie. I asked him about it and he said that he got it because he finds it most comfortable and uses it on all his bike. I think he was telling the truth because he told me about some pretty bone headed things he had done, like trying to wipe the rear tire of his brand new Cervelo SLC and getting his thumb caught between the tire and frame causing the rear wheel to lock, all this on a 50kph descent. 

-ilan


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

Selle Italia Flite is the most common saddle in the pro peloton is my guess.


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2008)

jjp said:


> Hey Iian,
> 
> Thanks a lot. I have long wondered. It seems to me that if us mortal, everyday racers/riders are looking for a starting point, hey why not ask the pros? Unfortunately, the coverage never sees to look at the bikes. I find that a little short sighted on their part. Prologo? I'll have to check out the design, I've heard of it, and seen it, but not lately. I'm asking this because I I have had a number of saddles over the years. When I was in my 20's I used the Concor, Rolls and Regal, and I remeber really liking the later two, in particular. I'm in my 40's now, and looking for the Holy Grail of saddles. I started with a Flite Gel Flow (no cut out) and found it to be an instrument of torture. I was told that the Fizik Aliante was the cream de la cream, and while I find it better than the Flite, its still no saving grace (and its twice the price). So, where to go. SMP? Or, maybe Prologo.
> 
> Thanks again, Jared Purdy


Still lots of Regals around.

Boonen uses one and I noticed today that McEwen's bike is sporting a white Regal.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*saddles*

whatever fits, whatever is comfortable
one place top pros have little concern over weight


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## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

But white! That really has to be to please the mfr.


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## tour (Jun 4, 2008)

something to think about when getting either the arione, or flite, and many other saddles, they take time to break in. i hated both of them until about 800 or so miles were logged on them. it is a terrible to think you might suffer hundreds of miles, only to find you dont like said saddle, but it happens.

i couldnt stand my flite when i got it, but around 400 miles it got better, and i never thought of it after 700-800 miles again, even all day long. it feels a bit firm for the first half hour or so, but then it goes away.

as for the aliante, i used to have one of those, and 2 things come to mind. one it takes forever to dial in, never had a saddle so hard to get in the exact right place. two it is very comfortable for an hour or two, but after that a firmer saddle suits me better

as a lot of people have mentioned, saddles are subjective, and what works for you wont work for others and vise versa


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## teoteoteo (Sep 8, 2002)

toomanybikes said:


> Still lots of Regals around.
> 
> Boonen uses one and I noticed today that McEwen's bike is sporting a white Regal.



That is a team edition (has the big SSM logo), I've seen a team edition Concor light but today was the first Regal team edition I have seen...


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Regardless of saddle choice, one thing you don't see is a lot of saddles with cut outs....


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## Eric_H (Feb 5, 2004)

*Selle Italia SLR is the winner*

You have to break it down by teams, these are the TdF teams and their saddle sponsors:

Fizik: (5)Saunier Duval, Barloworld, Garmin-Chipotle, Liquigas, Agritubel
Prologo: (4)CSC-Saxo, Rabobank, AG2R, Milram
San Marco: (2)Silence-Lotto, Quick Step (sort of)
Selle Italia: (9)Caisse d'Epargne, Credit Agricole, Gerolsteiner, Bouyges Telecom, FdJ, Cofidis, Euskatel, Columbia, Lampre

Lampre was sponsored by Selle Italia for 2008, but I saw a tech feature on VeloNews that showed Cunego and other team bikes built with plain, unmarked Fizik saddles (their previous sponsor from the Saeco days until this year). And other pictures show Selle Italia. Ditto for Rabobank, they are sponsored by Prologo but I seem to recall Menchov riding a San Marco Concor Lite (his choice last year).

At any rate, Selle Italia has by far the most teams and from what I have seen the SLR is probably the most widely used saddle by these teams, followed by variants of the Flite.

A lot Prologo sponsored riders use the Scratch.

Quick Step riders mostly use San Marco saddles but they are unmarked or have Specialized markings because technically Specialized is the saddle sponsor.

Fizik sponsored teams tend to use the Arione and Aliante, but it seems as though a few on Garmin-Chipotle use the Gobi, Pave, and maybe even some older saddles like the Nisene and Poggio. Pate, Vandevelde, and Julian Dean are on something other than Arione or Aliante.


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