General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Latest thinking in tri saddles? Rss Feed  
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2021-07-29 10:53 AM

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Master
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Columbus, Ohio
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Subject: Latest thinking in tri saddles?
OK, so I set up a crappy old bike in my basement using a Cervelo tribike frame I bought on eBay, just for trainer rides. When I went to get a saddle, I looked for one like I've always had for triathlon - thin, very long nose. It was really hard to find one!
Now my primary saddle is showing a lot of wear, and I was thinking of replacing it.

Has the thinking changed on tri bike saddles? Or is it just hard to find them in mainstream bike stores?

I've not been watching the pros lately and I don't know what people are using these days.


2021-08-19 4:52 PM
in reply to: 0

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Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Latest thinking in tri saddles?

My first bike has a thin long nose to it. I got it used and my bike mechanic told me it was a $350 saddle and that if I sell the bike to swap out the saddle and keep it. It was something like this.

 

My second bike also had a narrow long-nosed saddle but was the split design. Something like this. It was soft and deformed quite a bit when I would sit on it.  Especially the narrow sliver on each side of the split when my sit bones anchored to the saddle.  I felt I could get more power out of a saddle that wasn't deforming when I was pushing on it so I put the original saddle on the 2nd bike.

 

The split saddle seems to be a more tri-specific saddle.  It is supposed to reduce fatigue by tacking pressure off sit areas that don't contribute to power generation.  My bike mechanic had something like the following on his tri bike with the split design and a huge dip on the front of the nose.  He said that with the dipped nose he could tip forward on the saddle to get extra power. 

 

So I thought that a split saddle might be a step in the right direction for me.  My 3rd bike came with a wider saddle that was noseless and split.  It was very Tri-specific and I was excited to test it out.  It was an epic failure for me.  I felt like I was riding in wet mud for several weeks.  My FTP dropped by about 50 watts and nothing I could do seemed to help me get back to where I had been.  Finally, I decided to take ALL the accessories off my 2nd bike and put them on the 3rd bike, and put the bike geometry in the exact same position to see if I could get my bike grove back.  Well, the attachment for the seat bolted down between the split in the seat so I couldn't mount my original ridged no split long-nosed narrow seat.  So I put the split narrow nosed that deformed a lot on and it was night and day.  Immediately I felt my pedal stroke come back and I shed that riding-in mud feeling.  I think the last saddle was just too wide for me and I was rubbing my thighs on the outside of the nose.   So getting the right saddle comes down to fit and ridding style but overall I see older style saddles being solid (no splits, dips, etc.) and long-nosed (no shorten or noseless options).  The newer saddles cut weight with the split design, noseless options, etc. while fully supporting the sit bones and eliminating contact with non-contributing sit areas.  



Edited by BlueBoy26 2021-08-19 4:56 PM
2021-08-26 3:53 PM
in reply to: alicefoeller

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Franklin, TN
Subject: RE: Latest thinking in tri saddles?

This was posted over on SlowTwitch.  I noticed it doesn't include Dash saddles...they have a decent following too.  I'm on an ISM.
https://www.sportfit-lab.com/bike-seat-demo.html



2021-08-30 4:35 PM
in reply to: JoelO

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1508
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Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Latest thinking in tri saddles?

QUOTE]Originally posted by JoelO

This was posted over on SlowTwitch.  I noticed it doesn't include Dash saddles...they have a decent following too.  I'm on an ISM.
https://www.sportfit-lab.com/bike-seat-demo.html 

 

It looks like I went from the narrowest Stelle saddle to the widest ISM saddle when I got my 3rd bike.  I didn't even know I had jumped from one end of the spectrum to the other.  I felt something different but I didn't suspect the seat at all.  Instead, I played with the hip and knee angle of my bike fit for more than a month thinking the new bike just didn't fit the same. The whole time it was just the width of the saddle.  :-)

2021-08-30 7:25 PM
in reply to: BlueBoy26

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Middle River, Maryland
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Subject: RE: Latest thinking in tri saddles?

I also have a new tri bike and am running with the Adamo saddle.  Really weird for me too, as I had originally tried it on my road bike when I was having some saddle issues (which probably weren't, as I'm pretty indifferent to saddles after adjusting).

I just don't feel "anchored" on the split, no-nose saddle.  Like I'm spending energy just staying seated and not sliding all over the place, if that makes sense.  I'm going to give it a bit more of a go as I understand there is a acclimation process and I'm still figuring out my fit, too, but I'm near ready to put my old Forte (Performance Bike junk) tri saddle on it and call it a day. 

 

2021-10-13 10:51 AM
in reply to: jmhpsu93

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Master
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Columbus, Ohio
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Subject: RE: Latest thinking in tri saddles?
Thanks, this is really helpful.
The width chart is great and also that feeling of spending energy just to stay on the bike - I felt this in my arms and shoulders, bracing myself hard in aero to stay on the saddle. Interesting.


2021-10-13 11:01 AM
in reply to: alicefoeller

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Franklin, TN
Subject: RE: Latest thinking in tri saddles?

The saddle drop required to sit on the nose of the ISM and similar saddles can cause you to slide forward.  You might find that more tilt in your aerobars help you to stay braced in.

2021-11-03 11:18 PM
in reply to: jmhpsu93

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Master
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Columbus, Ohio
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Subject: RE: Latest thinking in tri saddles?
Originally posted by jmhpsu93

I also have a new tri bike and am running with the Adamo saddle.  Really weird for me too, as I had originally tried it on my road bike when I was having some saddle issues (which probably weren't, as I'm pretty indifferent to saddles after adjusting).

I just don't feel "anchored" on the split, no-nose saddle.  Like I'm spending energy just staying seated and not sliding all over the place, if that makes sense.  I'm going to give it a bit more of a go as I understand there is a acclimation process and I'm still figuring out my fit, too, but I'm near ready to put my old Forte (Performance Bike junk) tri saddle on it and call it a day. 

 




I miss the Performance Bike cheap gear back before they had brick & mortar stores and all of their money could go into products. I had a Forte saddle, too. A gloves that I still wear 15 years later. That stuff was solid.
2021-11-05 3:03 AM
in reply to: alicefoeller


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Subject: RE: Latest thinking in tri saddles?
Great Information I read here
2021-11-05 1:42 PM
in reply to: alicefoeller

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Middle River, Maryland
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Subject: RE: Latest thinking in tri saddles?

Originally posted by alicefoeller
Originally posted by jmhpsu93

I also have a new tri bike and am running with the Adamo saddle.  Really weird for me too, as I had originally tried it on my road bike when I was having some saddle issues (which probably weren't, as I'm pretty indifferent to saddles after adjusting).

I just don't feel "anchored" on the split, no-nose saddle.  Like I'm spending energy just staying seated and not sliding all over the place, if that makes sense.  I'm going to give it a bit more of a go as I understand there is a acclimation process and I'm still figuring out my fit, too, but I'm near ready to put my old Forte (Performance Bike junk) tri saddle on it and call it a day. 

 

I miss the Performance Bike cheap gear back before they had brick & mortar stores and all of their money could go into products. I had a Forte saddle, too. A gloves that I still wear 15 years later. That stuff was solid.

They were actually an LBS to me...there were two around me in Baltimore that closed down a couple of years ago with the bankruptcy.  I knew all of the guys there and they did a lot of "last minute can you please check this out pretty please" work on my bike so I miss that.  Now I've gone the other way and use a one-man operation shop for everything service-related.

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