for ladies-bike seat help

The seat that came with my bike was harsh, even for men (it looks like a man's seat).  It was excrusiating for me.

My BF got me a Terry Butterfly for my birthday, and I love it.  No more complaints.

I know other folks who've gone through a couple of different seats until they found one that worked.  Each seat is different, as is each "seat".   

You might also check the angle of the seat before you completely give up on it.   

I have a Terry Zero X and I really like it.

I suffered through 2000 miles on the original stock saddle before I gave up on it.  I put it on my roadie thinking I wouldn't ride the roadie much.  But now I am and I hadn't ridden that original stock saddle in AGES.  It's KILLING me!  So I just ordered another Zero X for the roadie!

I think the key (for the ladies) is to have enough padding on the sit bones and have the cut out for the girlie parts.  If you have those two features, you should like the saddle.  Remember, different girls have different width sit bones.  Honest injun...not kidding.   Wide ones doesn't mean you have a big arse or anything...it's just anatomy.  So a saddle that might work for one girl might not be wide enough for another....just a thought.

If it's a good LBS they will.

I went through about 5 saddles last time I was looking - and my LBS let me return each and every one.  Ask them their policy and then follow it.  For mine, no marks on the saddle, and the tags still on.

FWIW, I'm in the market again, I had a Serfas, really, really nice.  (It broke on a ride this week.)  I tried the Terry Butterfly last time it was just a little too hard.  The Serfas was just like the Terry, but just a little more padding and wider in the sit bone area.

I have the stock saddle on the Specialized Ruby Comp road bike that I just bought- I believe iit's a Specialized Dolce? This seat is pretty decent- no complaints here- although after reading about all the happy Terry saddle people, I might have to order one soon!

I have a Terry tri gel Butterfly on my old bike...liked it a lot.

When test riding new tri bikes, I liked the harder more narrow seats on them. I opted for a different Terry saddle Zero X with a similar cut out for soft part, but harder overall. I've done a 63 mile ride and love it...it is the saddle they make for their race team.

http://www.terrybicycles.com/detail.html?c=Saddles&sc=Women%27s+Performance&item_no=2164100

Terry offers a 30 day money back policy..so give it a try and return it if you don't like it. Most good LBS will allow you to ride it for couple weeks and if it doesn't work you can return/exchange it.

With my new bike, the tri shop would switch out saddle it came with a different one. I figured I might as well try the different Terry Saddle and if I didn't like it I could go back to my other...no risk...tried it and it worked out well.

You need to be comfortable to find a saddle that works for you. Good Luck!

jeng - 2006-06-29 10:40 AM I have a Selle Italia Lady saddle like this one. http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/ProductDetails/mcs/productID/9955/... The women's bontrager saddle that came with my Trek was terrible, but I got the Selle Italia saddle last July and put in on and rode two century rides, two days in a row. It was that comfortable. Jen

I saw that one as a demo in the store.  I'll keep it in mind if the Terry Butterfly I just bought (my saddle broke) doesn't work out.

This is the saddle I had before.

http://www.serfas.com/performance_saddles/TRCW.shtml

I think maybe I was too heavy for it. (over 250)  It was great saddle though, and I'm really sad about it.

Wow, we should write to Terry. They would love to hear how many of their seats we are riding.

I too have the Terry Butterfly (gel).

Seriously, I never have had a sore butt with it...even just starting out on a season. And, up until this summer that was lots of long miles on a road bike. I definately don't have the miles in the saddle this summer as my tri is off-road, but I do have some damn (can I say that?) bumpy rides on my mountain bike and the seat is great.

The one that was on my bike before I switched it out, was a knife in another life.  The problem was, it still thought it WAS a knife, so we had to part ways.

Wow, I guess I just thought all bike seats were painful.  I'm going shopping to find me a new one.  This has been part of the reason that I'm not on my bike as much as I should be.  It hurts to much.

Thanks...Now I have another new thing I have to buy.  Darn! 

As this has been bumped up, I want to share that my new Terry Zero X that I got on my new bike in mid-June, I just love it. I have probably 5-600 miles on my bike and saddle on it and have no pain.

I think part of it is sitting differently on the saddle as well...which is part a bike fit issue. I find that I can feel my sitz bones on my saddle and depending on my position it just feels perfect and takes all the pressure off my soft tissue. I also have started using body glide on my privates before all my long rides that I think helps as well.

If you buy a Terry remember if you don't like it, you can return it within 30 days. If you like a harder saddle look into the Zero X...it is awesome!