Saddles
Thread started by
trekkie at 10.22.07 - 4:39 pm
What's a good shop to go check out some saddles at? I'm looking for a road/race saddle for long distances, like the AIDS ride.
I've been looking at Selle Italia and Fizik online but the few shops I've been to generally have jack shit to choose from.
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you may look at a Selle Strike SMP
but I would recomend... by popular demand for "touring" a Brooks b17
franz10.22.07 - 5:04 pm
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yo the brooks for sure ,,but you gotta for sure break that ish in,nawmean....dude try orange 20 or hollywood pro call ahead nawmean,, 323 66bikes for orange
skano10.22.07 - 5:12 pm
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Another reco for the Brooks B17. That seat is just fucking amazing. See Jim at Orange 20 for the particulars...and make sure you get yourself some Prooftide....they sell that there as well.
Best saddle I've ever owned.
Richard_Colossus10.22.07 - 6:04 pm
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if the "where you at" was for me - live in east hollywood, work in burbank
trekkie10.22.07 - 6:34 pm
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check out your LBS, any big established shop usually have a stock of saddles you can try out. Unfortunately I cannot recommend any in your area since I don't live there.
It is not uncommon for shops to have a library of sorts for saddles. You can usually try them for a ride or so and return them, as long as they are in great condition. Saddle selection is such a personal choice that it is hard to recommend one.
Check out Orange 20, they just got a shipment of reasonably priced saddles. But don't knoe if they have any loaners.
sc_nomad10.22.07 - 8:21 pm
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BTW I have the Fizik Aireone and the length of the saddle makes for a longer 'sweet spot'.
sc_nomad10.22.07 - 8:24 pm
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Yes, another vote here for the Brooks; I have them on both of my bikes and my wife has the B17 women's model, which is a little wider.
I think this break in thing is over rated and scares some people off. In my case I had no problems at all, the saddle was comfortable right from the get go. As with any saddle, getting the angle adjusted so that it feels right is important.
Just one word of warning: try not to get it wet, like in a big rain storm. They do make a cover for it if you plan to do a lot of foul weather riding.
As usual Sheldon Brown has a good and informative article:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/leather.html
mr rollers10.22.07 - 8:28 pm
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Brooks all the way!! I've met a bunch on the ride that also have the Brooks saddles and they love it. I've met one that wasn't happy with it but I don't think it was broken in much. It was hard like a rock compared to mine. I'm heavier so I think I've beat it up a bit. But yeah.. once your ass bones shape out the saddle... you are in store for years of comfort. Just take care of it and you'll be good.
I had a previous post that we talk about the Brooks for a bit...
http://midnightridazz.com/forums.php?searchType=title&showThreads=1&keyword=saddle+sores&topicId=386
You can also click below for reviews on MTBR.com
http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Saddle/product_22663.shtml
MTBR's sister site... roadbikereview.com has some reviews on saddles... like the Selle mentioned above.
I love my Brooks saddle... Oh.. Richard_Collosus... I finally got the proofhide from O20. Thanks man!!
Al
digablesoul10.22.07 - 9:18 pm
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Selle Italia SLR. A saddle for real men.
It will make you fast.
PC10.23.07 - 3:16 am
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cool, thanks for all the input - mostly i just want to see a bunch of them in a shop. i've been to bicycle john's in burbank, o20, glendale cyclery, budget pro in eagle rock and so far it seems noone really has a good variety of race/performance saddles to look at.
the folks at bicycle john's will order any saddle, and then let you keep exchanging until you find the right one, which is totally nice of them. i might just do that.
PC - i don't know about being fast, just want to be ok for distances
trekkie10.23.07 - 10:23 am
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a little thing to consider is the weight of the saddle, that Itilia will make you faster cause it weighs 250 g. less
dannyzuko10.23.07 - 11:41 am
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I've been really happy with the Alias (143 width) from Specialized for my road bike. It weighs nothing and it offers perfect contact on your sit bones and nowhere else -- which is what you want.
And since there's been so much gushing praise for Brooks saddles, I've gotta say they're heavy and over-rated. They're just the "cool" saddle to have these days. They've gotten so "cool" they're lame now. They're fine for an urban cruiser or a rebuilt vintage bike but they certainly wouldn't be seen on any serious road bike.
0gravity10.23.07 - 11:49 am
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Oh oh . . . are you calling me some kind of "elitist hipster" because I have a Brooks saddle? It's OK, I can take it ;)
But seriously, I find it comfortable (if a little heavy) and I like knowing it will last for many years if taken care of.
mr rollers10.23.07 - 1:38 pm
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"[Brooks are] fine for an urban cruiser or a rebuilt vintage bike but they certainly wouldn't be seen on any serious road bike."
Yeah, but serious road bikes are lame.
City Hobgoblin10.23.07 - 2:29 pm
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Brooks saddles are rightfully popular — they are the prettiest and most comfortable. I've never had any kind of pain with them whatsoever, even with brand new ones. They've been on bikes of all kinds for over 100 years, so if you're going to call them "trendy" you might as well call my Levis 501 jeans "trendy."
They don't look quite right on a new carbon bike, for sure. But that 250 grams is extremely insignificant compared to the beer bellies that many y'all are sporting, especially since it's not rotating weight. Unless you're like 4 percent body fat and need every bit of advantage in your Cat 1 race, 250 grams won't matter a bit.
Heck, if you ride in the city chances are you are probably pushing around a 700-gram pound filled water bottle and a 1000-gram U-lock anyway.
cabhauler10.23.07 - 4:09 pm
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call me a style/fashion queen but i think a brooks would look totally funny on my trek 2100.
that said, i'm sure they are popular for a reason - i don't doubt their quality and comfort and will probably consider getting one when i have a second bike that's not so "serious road bike"-ish.
trekkie10.23.07 - 4:21 pm
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The SLR doesn't make you fast because it's light. The SLR makes you fast because it's
tiny.
On a bitsy little saddle like that, with minimal padding, you won't feel like dawdling around and primping your hair and shit. Your body will want to pedal, and it will.
Put an SLR on your fast bike, and a Brooks on your smell-the-roses bike. Problem solved.
PC10.23.07 - 4:30 pm
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PC's got it right!
SLR for the real men...
Brooks for the pansies that like to smell flowers!
User110.23.07 - 4:35 pm
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Brooks may be 'spensive, but I'd buy one for my tushie if I could.
I'm just anotha' victim!
Joe Borfo10.23.07 - 4:44 pm
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I am a pasny because I love to smell the flowers as well as ride Brooks saddles...It makes me giggle.
Richard_Colossus10.23.07 - 5:14 pm
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Less is more... expensive?
I'm considering getting one of these Soma saddles - seems like they might be a good compromise between the wider, heavier Brooks and those little, teeny racing saddles.
http://www.somafab.com/saddles.html
angle10.24.07 - 3:12 am
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I've found that the B17 is actually as cheap, if not cheaper, than other popular saddles. I like mine.
Rivendell sells a alternate to Proofhide, you get more for less, has anyone tried this stuff? I think I'll get a tin of this next time instead of proofhide.
dave10.24.07 - 8:09 am
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when danny said "less is more" i totally thought he was talking about the photo borfo posted...
trekkie10.24.07 - 10:44 am
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