Female Specific Saddles

[Lucy]

Hi All,

I'm about to get a new saddle and was wondering on peoples (mostly females) thoughts on saddles? What works best cut-outs? No nose? Ect...

Does anyone use the Selle Italia SLK Lady or Selle Italia SLR Lady? What are they like?
Any relevant thoughts are welcome.
Thanks!

[SueP]

Firstly... everbody is different so its really about what works for you. Some females ride male saddles and are fine with them, others try everything and are never happy. best idea is to try a few out before buying... even then you might find that what feels good for 5 mins is crap after a couple of hours. Buying locally - some shops will let you try it out and swap them if you don't like them. Might be worth checking that out first time around.

Personally - I use the Fizik Vitesse HP (http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?cat=Ladies%20Saddles) and love it for normal road riding. Still looking for the 'right' saddle for TT's though - currently using the Vitesse tri version.

[Vanessa]

I have 3 of the Selle Italia SLR saddles (road, TT & track) - one is a XC (my favorite) , one a gel & one a standard. I tried quiet a few (used the test saddles from LBS) & found I preferred the SI SLRs. I find I end up too sore on anything that doesn't have a cut-out but have never gone for a female specific saddle. I think in the end you have to find one that suits you - good luck, it's a VERY important bit of the bike :)

[SimonD]

Saddles are very specific to the individual, Lucy, so make sure you try some out too. What is perfect for one can be agony for another. Some women prefer to use "men's" saddles too, just because the shape fits them better, so don't limit the ones you try.

[Startrek]

Hi Lucy ,for a long time i have tried a lot of different saddles ,but now i have found the best saddle ever . Selle Italia SLR Lady gel flow this is a awesome saddle if has stopped all the pain and back problems i was having .I have now put it on all my bikes including TT . Its light enough to race with , plus its a great price i just picked one up from PBK for $92.00 comes in black or white ,i highly recommend this saddle for any female .

Also having good Knicks helps a lot to with riding comfort.

[libbya]

Both Bontrager and Specialised have womens specific saddles that are made in 3 different widths. The local shops that stock these have a seat that effectively measures the width of your "sit bones" (pelvic bones that support you when you sit) and then you know which width is appropriate - absolutely not necessarily proportional to size of your butt!

I used a Selle Italia womens seat for a long time but have found the Bontrager saddle way better - a couple of my friends dislike the Bontrager one but love the specialised one, so as above - everyone is different!

[SimonD]

The local shops that stock these have a seat that effectively measures the width of your "sit bones" (pelvic bones that support you when you sit) and then you know which width is appropriate - absolutely not necessarily proportional to size of your butt!

Which shops are those Libby? (We can give non-sponsors a plug for good service!)

[Vanessa]

From memory Londsdale have the set up to measure sit bones...

[libbya]

Bike Culture for Bontrager, Lonsdale for Specialised.

Other shops may have them but I dont know...

[Lucy]

Does any one use a Selle SMP?
If so what are they like and what model do you use? I am guessing that once again you need to try to get the right fit though.

[Ross]

Bike Superstore in Mitchell also for Specialized.

[SueP]

Does any one use a Selle SMP?
If so what are they like and what model do you use? I am guessing that once again you need to try to get the right fit though.

I tried one (on someone elses bike) thinking it might be the answer for TT's and hated it - but quite a few of the girls were using them at Ballarat (road champs) and love them. Keep you eyes peeled at the local races as there are a few around - you might be able to take someones bike for a quick ride.