Which saddle should I choose?

Hi,

I'm thinking of buying a replacement saddle and was wondering if
anyone could give me any advice.

The only supplier in the town where I live is 'Argos' and they sell
only two types - which can be seen at this url:

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/st...&go.x=0&go.y=0

The first is the "Bell Maximum Comfort Suspension Saddle" which has
the following description:

"Dual spring suspension absorbs road shock.

3in supersoft padding for extra comfort.

Ergonomic shape relieves pressure."

And the second is the "Raleigh 'Selle Royale' Sprung Gel Saddle" and
is described as:

"Italian unisex design.

2 coil springs and gel properties ensure cycling comfort by moulding
to the body contours.

Smooth synthetic cover.

Suitable for all adult cycles.

Length 27.5cm."

Has anyone got any experience of either of these saddles or any
general comments to make?

Thanks in advance,

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech

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"John Latter" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I'm thinking of buying a replacement saddle and was wondering if
anyone could give me any advice.

The only supplier in the town where I live is 'Argos' and they sell
only two types - which can be seen at this url:


http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/st...d=10001&catalo
gId=1001&langId=-1&searchTerms=saddle&go.x=0&go.y=0

The first is the "Bell Maximum Comfort Suspension Saddle" which has
the following description:

"Dual spring suspension absorbs road shock.

3in supersoft padding for extra comfort.

Ergonomic shape relieves pressure."

And the second is the "Raleigh 'Selle Royale' Sprung Gel Saddle" and
is described as:

"Italian unisex design.

2 coil springs and gel properties ensure cycling comfort by moulding
to the body contours.

Smooth synthetic cover.

Suitable for all adult cycles.

Length 27.5cm."

Has anyone got any experience of either of these saddles or any
general comments to make?

Thanks in advance,

--

John Latter


Both of these are saddles for the "haven't-ridden-a-bike-in
years-and-only-ride-10-minutes-per-month-on-bike-paths-at-walking-pace" set.
You'll find with longer rides (even an hour) these seats will be too big and
bulky and the soft padding will spread your bum flesh (no nice way of
putting it!), putting extra pressure on your sit bones and causing a lot of
saddle pain. That's a sure-fire way of keeping you off the bike for another
month. As Sheldon Brown writes in his article on saddles
(http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html):
"When a cyclist finds a saddle uncomfortable, the first impulse is often to
look for a soft one. This is often a mistake. Just as the softest mattress
is not necessarily the most comfortable to sleep on, the softest saddle is
not the most comfortable to cycle on."

If you're intending to ride off-road (this IS rec.bicycles.off-road) you'll
find those big soft saddles unbearable for both the comfort mentioned above
and the fact that it's bloody hard to drop off the back off the seat when
you need to (and you'll need to no matter how mild your off-roading is).

Have a read of Sheldon's article to get a better idea of what kind of saddle
to look for. At the end, it's a personal preference thing and you could find
the saddle you find most comfortable is quite unexpected. For instance, I
have a big bum (both flesh- and bone-wise) and my comfiest saddles are the
skinny, hard Flite seats. They just seem to fit me, despite all the
measurements.

Good luck! Those knights searching for the Holy Grail had it easy. They
should try finding the right saddle!

Cheers,

Frank


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On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 22:41:21 CST, "Frank Palermo"
wrote:


"John Latter" wrote in message
.. .
Hi,

I'm thinking of buying a replacement saddle and was wondering if
anyone could give me any advice.

The only supplier in the town where I live is 'Argos' and they sell
only two types - which can be seen at this url:


http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/st...d=10001&catalo
gId=1001&langId=-1&searchTerms=saddle&go.x=0&go.y=0

The first is the "Bell Maximum Comfort Suspension Saddle" which has
the following description:

"Dual spring suspension absorbs road shock.

3in supersoft padding for extra comfort.

Ergonomic shape relieves pressure."

And the second is the "Raleigh 'Selle Royale' Sprung Gel Saddle" and
is described as:

"Italian unisex design.

2 coil springs and gel properties ensure cycling comfort by moulding
to the body contours.

Smooth synthetic cover.

Suitable for all adult cycles.

Length 27.5cm."

Has anyone got any experience of either of these saddles or any
general comments to make?

Thanks in advance,

--

John Latter


Both of these are saddles for the "haven't-ridden-a-bike-in
years-and-only-ride-10-minutes-per-month-on-bike-paths-at-walking-pace" set.
You'll find with longer rides (even an hour) these seats will be too big and
bulky and the soft padding will spread your bum flesh (no nice way of
putting it!), putting extra pressure on your sit bones and causing a lot of
saddle pain. That's a sure-fire way of keeping you off the bike for another
month. As Sheldon Brown writes in his article on saddles
(http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html):
"When a cyclist finds a saddle uncomfortable, the first impulse is often to
look for a soft one. This is often a mistake. Just as the softest mattress
is not necessarily the most comfortable to sleep on, the softest saddle is
not the most comfortable to cycle on."

If you're intending to ride off-road (this IS rec.bicycles.off-road) you'll
find those big soft saddles unbearable for both the comfort mentioned above
and the fact that it's bloody hard to drop off the back off the seat when
you need to (and you'll need to no matter how mild your off-roading is).

Have a read of Sheldon's article to get a better idea of what kind of saddle
to look for. At the end, it's a personal preference thing and you could find
the saddle you find most comfortable is quite unexpected. For instance, I
have a big bum (both flesh- and bone-wise) and my comfiest saddles are the
skinny, hard Flite seats. They just seem to fit me, despite all the
measurements.

Good luck! Those knights searching for the Holy Grail had it easy. They
should try finding the right saddle!

Cheers,

Frank

Thank you Frank - I was just going to dive in and buy the first saddle
that seemed ok but there's obviously a lot more to it than I thought!

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech

--
rec.bicycles.off-road is moderated by volunteers. To find help solving
posting problems, or contact the moderators, please see http://rbor.org/
Please read the charter before posting: http://rbor.org/rbor_charter.txt

"John Latter" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I'm thinking of buying a replacement saddle and was wondering if
anyone could give me any advice.

The only supplier in the town where I live is 'Argos' and they sell
only two types - which can be seen at this url:


http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/st...&go.x=0&go.y=0

The first is the "Bell Maximum Comfort Suspension Saddle" which has
the following description:

"Dual spring suspension absorbs road shock.

3in supersoft padding for extra comfort.

Ergonomic shape relieves pressure."

And the second is the "Raleigh 'Selle Royale' Sprung Gel Saddle" and
is described as:

"Italian unisex design.

2 coil springs and gel properties ensure cycling comfort by moulding
to the body contours.

Smooth synthetic cover.

Suitable for all adult cycles.

Length 27.5cm."

Has anyone got any experience of either of these saddles or any
general comments to make?

Thanks in advance,

--

John Latter


Personally, I consider the Flite to be the ideal saddle. Notice how many
saddles try to mimic it's shape, but wind up looking like cheap copies. It's
the concorde of saddles, design perfection, period the end. Oh, and it looks
cool as hell on your bike :-)

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to
homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech

--
rec.bicycles.off-road is moderated by volunteers. To find help solving
posting problems, or contact the moderators, please see http://rbor.org/
Please read the charter before posting: http://rbor.org/rbor_charter.txt



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rec.bicycles.off-road is moderated by volunteers. To find help solving
posting problems, or contact the moderators, please see http://rbor.org/
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