After being forced to pull out of Badlands 2023 due to absolutely annihilating my groin (swelling got so bad that I couldn't reach my pedals) I'm making a number of changes to my setup (sorry, there will be more annoying posts incoming)...

First on the list, I want to try a saddle with a relief channel as I'm consistently getting problems with my perineum rather than my sit bones (they get bruised up like other people's, but I can deal with that). I think realistically due to the steepness of the events I take part in, I want to try and have one with as minimally pronounced as nose as possible, as when the trail heads up, I find myself grinding into the nose of the saddle / pulling against my bars.

In reality though, no suggestion on what to try is going to mean much until I've put a solid 12 hour ride into the saddle to actually see how it feels... so (ten paragraphs later), which companies offer "try before you buy" / "return if not fully satisfied"? So far I've found Bontrager / Trek, and they seem to have some good (if stupidly expensive) options. I think Fizik has loaner saddles, but I do wonder if a saddle that might have had a 100kg rider try it out would be broken in in a different way to one that I've ridden from new, so not sure how useful that would be.

Also, does anyone know anywhere that does the "pressure mapping" saddle setup? I feel like my biomechanics have changed significantly since I had my hip rebuilt, so I might need to dig a bit further than the average consumer.

Cheers all.

You won’t need a test saddle for Bontrager, just buy one off the shelf and if you don’t like it, you’ve got 30 days to return it for a full refund (keep packaging). They are confident in the stuff they make (and surprisingly don’t get many returned!) and it obviously means a fairer test too (as you said, no heavier people have sat on it)

I think realistically due to the steepness of the events I take part in, I want to try and have one with as minimally pronounced as nose as possible, as when the trail heads up, I find myself grinding into the nose of the saddle / pulling against my bars.

I used to ride with a woman who was having 'lip issues'. I too put it down to her leaning forward onto the nose of the saddle during prolonged climbs - we dropped the nose of the saddle a couple of degrees and bang, wallop happy flaps

Thanks @voodoo_simon

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 4:13 pm

I think realistically due to the steepness of the events I take part in, I want to try and have one with as minimally pronounced as nose as possible, as when the trail heads up, I find myself grinding into the nose of the saddle / pulling against my bars.

I used to ride with a woman who was having 'lip issues'. I too put it down to her leaning forward onto the nose of the saddle during prolonged climbs - we dropped the nose of the saddle a couple of degrees and bang, wallop happy flaps

Yeah, this is also something I plan on doing some test rides with.

Both these places do that saddle pressure mapping as part of the wider bike fit. Be prepared to dig deep though, not cheap.
https://www.cyclefit.co.uk/
https://www.philburtinnovation.co.uk/

I think Retül based bike fits also do some sort of sit bone mapping, but it's on a tablet like device, rather than a cover over an actual saddle.

Last time I did this, I bought an Ergon and a SQLab saddle and kept all the packaging. Then I tested my arse on both by sitting on them while they were balanced on a bench. I plopped one back onto its packaging and have been happily riding the other since.

Boab wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 6:38 pm Both these places do that saddle pressure mapping as part of the wider bike fit. Be prepared to dig deep though, not cheap.
https://www.cyclefit.co.uk/
https://www.philburtinnovation.co.uk/

I think Retül based bike fits also do some sort of sit bone mapping, but it's on a tablet like device, rather than a cover over an actual saddle.

Last time I did this, I bought an Ergon and a SQLab saddle and kept all the packaging. Then I tested my arse on both by sitting on them while they were balanced on a bench. I plopped one back onto its packaging and have been happily riding the other since.

Cheers, sadly neither are anywhere near to me. Last fit I had was in Bristol, but they didn't have anything beyond some stick on body part sensors.

I've had my sit bones measured before, but obviously that's a bit different.

Rich I had the kind of pain you're describing after a big multiday event that out me off the bike for a while. It was riding a titanium charge spoon where the saddle was old and the base had sagged, which caused the nose to be higher than it should he.
I bought a Selle SMP saddle (massive cut out + dropped nose) and it got me riding again with no pressure on the perineum. I still use cut out saddles, but nothing as extreme as the SMP and tend to go for flat profiles rather than 'scooped'. The Selle SMP was just the ticket while everything 'settled down' again

Al wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 9:46 pm Rich I had the kind of pain you're describing after a big multiday event that out me off the bike for a while. It was riding a titanium charge spoon where the saddle was old and the base had sagged, which caused the nose to be higher than it should he.
I bought a Selle SMP saddle (massive cut out + dropped nose) and it got me riding again with no pressure on the perineum. I still use cut out saddles, but nothing as extreme as the SMP and tend to go for flat profiles rather than 'scooped'. The Selle SMP was just the ticket while everything 'settled down' again

I see the Selle SMP saddles show up quite a bit. They have some fairly extreme options!

https://www.sellesmp.com/eu_en/saddles. ... Cyclocross

I think WTB do 'demo' saddles from their main dealers - maybe worth a try.
I can't see past WTB speeds which have a nice groove under my sensitive bits and quite a soft nose for those long climbs.

Richard G wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 7:33 pm

Boab wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 6:38 pm Both these places do that saddle pressure mapping as part of the wider bike fit. Be prepared to dig deep though, not cheap.
https://www.cyclefit.co.uk/
https://www.philburtinnovation.co.uk/

I think Retül based bike fits also do some sort of sit bone mapping, but it's on a tablet like device, rather than a cover over an actual saddle.

Last time I did this, I bought an Ergon and a SQLab saddle and kept all the packaging. Then I tested my arse on both by sitting on them while they were balanced on a bench. I plopped one back onto its packaging and have been happily riding the other since.

Cheers, sadly neither are anywhere near to me. Last fit I had was in Bristol, but they didn't have anything beyond some stick on body part sensors.

I've had my sit bones measured before, but obviously that's a bit different.

If you're close to Bristol- Jon Wild based at 73 degrees in Keynsham has one of the pressure map saddle things (I don't know what they're called).

rivers wrote: ↑Sun Sep 10, 2023 7:25 am If you're close to Bristol- Jon Wild based at 73 degrees in Keynsham has one of the pressure map saddle things (I don't know what they're called).

Thanks, I'll have a look.

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Sun Sep 10, 2023 12:19 am I think WTB do 'demo' saddles from their main dealers - maybe worth a try.
I can't see past WTB speeds which have a nice groove under my sensitive bits and quite a soft nose for those long climbs.

Sadly I think my arse is too narrow for the Speed.

Selle-SMP have test centres, I think some will do it by mail order https://www.sellesmp.com/en/store-locator

London Bike Kitchen runs a saddle library along with their fit service https://www.lbk.org.uk/saddle-library

I was recommended a Selle SMP TRK - its heavy and looks ugly but was still comfy after 10 hours in the saddle on a hardtail.

Dillglove are the UK distributor for Selle SMP saddles and they have a trial service, for which you pay a fully refundable deposit per saddle.

https://www.dillglove.co.uk/dillglove-e ... in-the-uk/

I'm encouraged by the fact that page describes most of the problems I'm having.

Used to get some saddle discomfort.
Like most it seems

A bikepacking female friend was having serious problems with finding a saddle
My LBS gave me a Spesh Power Expert Mimic 155mm to try
The short-nose helps not having stuff where it shouldn't be
Mimic helped with softness where necessary
Transformed her cycling

Following her experience I bought a Spesh Power Expert Mimic 143mm
Amazingly comfortable
Adjustment needs to be spot-on
And not really suitable for someone who likes to move around on a saddle; there is a small zone of sweet-spot

(my Spesh Epic came fitted with the non-Mimic version of the same saddle, i prefer the mimic version)

Not that it helps you but you may be able to ask around , one of my fairly lbs had a number of loan saddles and I lent a few fizik and a few smp for weeks before I decided, I paid a bit more than I should have but I felt it only right when found the one I liked, I also bought 2 lol

I've just measured my narrow arse, and found that it is, indeed, narrow.

Looks like 130mm saddles are the sweet spot for me, which does limit my choice somewhat... I guess that's a good thing though, there are already way too many choices out there.