He is having his best season yet. It perhaps goes without saying that this sort of thing is nothing new to triathletes, who adopted those more forward positions ages ago. And Lotto-Soudal rider Adam Hansen has used this sort of position and unusually narrow handlebars at least as early as Is this the start of a bigger trend? If history is any indication, all it takes for widespread change in those circles is for a handful of key influencers to make the move, and then the rest will follow.
The Specialized Romin is another example. Bradley Wiggins has a very flat back and aggressive position and favours a flat and narrow saddle. A slightly wider saddle with a curved profile, such as this Fabric Scoop, is often the choice of riders who sit more upright. Many bike shops have what we like to call 'bum-ometers' we just made that up.
These are devices that you can sit on and feature a memory foam. Your sit bones leave an impression in foam, the width of which can be measured. Specialized and Bontrager both produce devices like this to measure your sit bones and these are often available to try in your local bike shop.
Alternatively, if you don't have access to a bum-ometer you could always improvise with some Playdoh and a sheet of paper or a piece of cardboard. So you've measured your sit bones, you're happy that your saddle is flat enough and the padding is good, but you still feel discomfort.
The solution? You may need a cut-out. Cut-outs and relief channels come in all shapes and sizes, and the best way to see if you'll benefit is to try one. Cut-outs and channels can relieve stress on soft tissues in your delicate areas. If you repeatedly experience discomfort this might be for you. Some bike saddles feature relief channels.
This is an alternative to a full cut-out and is very popular with some people. Is it bad to have a cut-out if you don't need one? Many people who don't need a cut-out comfortably ride saddles with cut-outs with no problems. However, some people find that cut-outs can increase pressure at the edges, or pinch delicate skin. Riding in a time trial position requires most riders to be 'on the rivet'. This can mean the rider has a forward rotated pelvis, with the sit bones typically up, off the saddle surface.
In this forward position, the pubic bone and other soft tissues become weight-bearing. Triathletes and time trialists tend to favour special saddles that have effectively had the nose chopped off, like the Fizik Tritone. This also enables pro riders to push the saddle further forward on the rails, as there is a current arguably outdated UCIrule that limits how far forward the nose of the saddle can go.
First: try to determine what it is you don't like about an existing saddle - are there key aspects that don't seem right? If so, use those to determine what needs to change. Riders who spend a lot of time in an aggressive position often want a pressure relief channel, while those who desire the freedom to move around a lot will favor a longer nose. Next: shop around, look for models that are suited to your style of riding, level of flexibility and anatomy.
Ideally, seek out brands that offer a proper fitting process such as the Selle Italia 'idmatch' that you'll find in all stores that stock their models. Alternatively, hunt out the brands that offer test saddles from dealers.
Fizik and ISM both provide this service. Any returns policy on offer is important, too - some companies will allow you to buy a saddle to try it out and swap it for another if you are not happy with it within 30 days.
This is very useful for testing a few options. Remember, changing your saddle can change your saddle height. That said, most saddles do incorporate some sort of padding as a method of protecting against vibrations and bumps in the road.
Simon Bromley is a senior technical writer for BikeRadar. Simon joined BikeRadar in , but has been riding bikes all his life, and racing road and time trial bikes for over a decade. As a person of little physical talent, he has a keen interest in any tech which can help him ride faster and is obsessed with the tiniest details. Home Advice Buying Guides The best road bike saddles in When you buy through links on our site we may earn an affiliate commission, but this never influences our opinion.
Latest deals. The carbon composite shell with TiNOX rails keeps the saddle light. Immediate Media. David Caudery. The Aeolus Elite is a short saddle designed for competitive male and female riders. The Fizik Luce R5 was developed after extensive research into the needs of female riders. Tirox is the name Prologo uses for the titanium tubing employed on the Dimension. Despite no pressure-relieving cut-out, this saddle was very comfortable to ride.
Its generous padding and deep centre help to create a supremely comfortable saddle. Available in three shapes dubbed flat, shallow and radius, these suit positions from flat-backed to more upright. Its relatively gentle curvature and medium padding were an instant hit for day-to-day riding. Just as the basic model can be tailored to different ride positions via its profile, so to can each saddle's construction be tailored to the constraints of your wallet. We tried the mid-level titanium-railed Race model.
Latest to come to the line is the stubby Power range, of which the Expert, with its hollow titanium rails, is the cheapest. Shorter and broader than previous offerings, the design is said to concentrate on getting the best possible contact points for the sit bones for long-ride comfort.
The Power Expert sees Body Geometry technology taken to the next level — and at a fair price, too. For a general-use saddle, when first sat upon, it can feel a little under-padded. However, its clever shape and mix of orthopaedic comfort foam with OrthoCell pads soon won us over.
Like many saddles, the SR has a central channel to relieve pressure on the perineal area. Despite low overall weight, both the scales and your eyes will tell you this is no Skinny Minnie saddle.
Compared to flatter and more austere saddles, the generous padding means instant comfort from the off. All considered its Aliante is likely to prove a crowd-pleasing endurance saddle that will sit well with all but the most aggressive riders.
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