# Flat v Round Saddle



## biscut (Dec 15, 2016)

I'm wondering....

I have a saddle that I feel fits me but I still get some numbness in my ass. My junk has never gotten "sleepy" or sore. It's just me ass. Not painful but a little numb. Not comfortable. 

I am a spinner and I tend not to get out of the saddle enough. Maybe it's just cause my ass is 2 big! But I got to thinking I've never tried a rounded saddle. I currently have an ERGON SRX3. I run ERGON on mtb and never an issue but mtb I'm also up out of the saddle very often. 

What are the differences between rounded and flat saddled for a road bike? I'm all good with my saddle for 2hr nonstop and up to 3hr but after that its a little numb. I'd like to find the right saddle for 4 to 5 hr rides.


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## rtalain (Dec 29, 2009)

I just changed saddles, and during my research, I found that in general, flat saddles are for people that may have a need to change seat positions while riding. For example, sliding to the front while climbing, or sliding back while descending. These actions are easier on a flatter saddle. The rounded saddles tend to favor those riders that stay seated in one position.

Perhaps the more important factor in saddle selection is that you choose one in the correct saddle width for your sit bones. This will likely influence comfort more than the issue of flat vs. curved. Most bike shops have some sort of way to measure your sit bones, but sitting on a piece of cardboard while on a hard surface should give you a sufficient indentation to measure the width of your sit bones. Add 20-25mm to this in order to choose your saddle width.

Hope this helps, but know that finding a comfortable saddle may require a bit of trial and error.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

biscut said:


> What are the differences between rounded and flat saddled for a road bike? I'm all good with my saddle for 2hr nonstop and up to 3hr but after that its a little numb. I'd like to find the right saddle for 4 to 5 hr rides.


Have you tried swapping your MTB saddle onto your road bike? The short answer is that there is no "best" saddle design. The differences between people are a bigger determinant as are how you have the saddle adjusted (fore/aft, tilt, height) and how you sit on it. Two riding buddies of mine had saddles that they didn't like. They swapped saddles and both rode away happy.

You should give more details on what part of your body goes numb and how fast it "wakes up" after you get off the saddle.


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## biscut (Dec 15, 2016)

Kerry,

The hotdog and beans are good to go. My ass (both cheecks) falls asleep and causes discomfort. More like a fatigue. It's gone as soon as I walk for 15 seconds. It's symmetrical and not 1 sides. My saddle is pretty level and I don't think it is too far fore or aft. I played with it a lot and I think I have it in the right spot. I work on keeping my ass back when on the flats and I'm off and back on the steep down. Uphill I'm still a spinner but I'm up on the nose and engaging the hands, arms, shoulders, and back. 

I'm thinking may ass is 2 fat and I need more time out of the saddle (I am a pure spinner).


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

biscut said:


> Kerry,
> 
> The hotdog and beans are good to go. My ass (both cheecks) falls asleep and causes discomfort. More like a fatigue. It's gone as soon as I walk for 15 seconds. It's symmetrical and not 1 sides. My saddle is pretty level and I don't think it is too far fore or aft. I played with it a lot and I think I have it in the right spot. I work on keeping my ass back when on the flats and I'm off and back on the steep down. Uphill I'm still a spinner but I'm up on the nose and engaging the hands, arms, shoulders, and back.
> 
> I'm thinking may ass is 2 fat and I need more time out of the saddle (I am a pure spinner).


Getting forward on the saddle probably does not help this. Think of "perching" on the saddle where your sit bones are on the rear of the saddle. Plus, you might just set a timer on your watch to ping on a regular basis as a reminder to stand up and pedal. That might be all that is needed. As to whether a flatter or rounder saddle profile would help, only trial and error will tell you that.


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## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

How much padding does your current saddle have?

Too much padding is a problem, especially on longer rides. You sink into it, locking you into a spot on the seat, and causing bruising of the tissue around your sit bones.


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## biscut (Dec 15, 2016)

Padding is there but it's not anything soft or squishy. The seat is Ergon.


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

Just a wag...Too narrow. Ergon gives you two sizes in the srx3. Small and medium which are 131 and 140mm respectively. My guess is your mountain saddle is wider so check the width and go from there...


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