It may seem obvious but I sit down on my saddle.
I recently got a new bike and the fitter put me on a specialized mimic. It has a short nose, minimal padding, and a flatter profile than most saddles. Due to the way I’m shaped, the fitter told me that while I measure 143, that will only work for me with a flatter profile saddle. He said if I went with a more typical rounded saddle, to move up to a 153. Interesting. Probably explains why I had to twist my old saddle about 5 degrees clockwise (yes—it doesn’t point quite forward). That has the effect of widening the back of the saddle where my sit bones are.
I agree with others that padding just creates more opportunities to get your skin pinched. Fine for a cruiser bike, but not so much for performance.
Makes sense.
Yeah @AkaPete I tried out a Brooks Cambium C13 a couple years ago, interested in the concept. Was the 130mm I think, which should’ve been ok for my measurements, but had a very rounded, sloped profile that I found a little too narrow - probably for exactly the reason you’re describing. I’m looking at the 145mm as an option now. Oh, and the carved versions were too “hammock-y”, so I’m considering the non-carved this time around.
The Prologo Nago Evo 134 mm works for me. It’s not their flattest saddle, nor their roundest. Once I discovered it, I did what @SirAlexanderLee suggested:
I have the Ti rail version on most bikes, based on the theory that titanium gives a little bit of extra vibration absorption.
Yeah, I was snapping carbon rails on my MTBs, so went Ti rails on everything but the Sworks and no issue since. For whatever reason, the Sworks is easier on this particular saddles carbon rail. Carbon rail on the road bike.
Slapped a Power Mirror one on my KICKR Bike in November and it’s been well worth it. I haven’t gone longer than 1h45 on it yet but even so the comfort difference is notable.
I’ve heard lots of great things about the Mimic saddles from both men and women so that might be a slightly cheaper “splurge” to consider.
Good ole Bontrager VERSEcomp carbon. Fits my bones pretty well.
I have a Specialized Phenom on all of my bikes. After suffering with my old stock saddle forever I found this one on a used bike I bought and didn’t know that I could ride without saddle pain. Very easy to find used for a deal versus new.
I had a super kaz power. I currently trying out a SMP well saddle. Ugly As sin but I am liking it. It keeps me in the spot I want to be in. There is extra cushion on the sit bones so that makes my bum bum happy.
SMP’s are the ugliest with that hook but people absolutely swear by them from what I’ve seen
Fit check is always key. I always had the default saddle on my road bikes (143ish) and suffered from numbness starting at the perineum and spreading out after about an hour. Got a Spesh Toupe 155 on my road and track bikes, and a power 168mm on my TT bike.
I run a Brooks B17 on my trainer and my Long Haul Trucker. I love a leather saddle because once its broken in, it fits like a comfy old boot.
But does it also smell like one?
Ha ha no one can tell while you shell them out the back
Sadly watching your wheel disappear in the distance
Interesting - I don’t see many folks going towards a wider saddle, it’s usually the reverse.
Wow, the old B17! That I would like to see!
Spesh power all the way. Level 2 padding 155mm on my road bikes and level 3 padding 143mm on my gravel bike (that’s what it came with). All good but weirdly couldn’t get away with the 143 on my Spesh Tarmac. So maybe the bike and position are also a factor.
Some of the spesh saddles curve down more and some are flatter. For me, a 155 in a curved one is about the same as a 143 in a flat one.
Yeh the Toupe is pan flat. The Power comes in a number of variants including power arc where the sides drop more smoothly than the standard power.