This is a category I’m quite interested in. I’ve never really gotten along with many of the “sport” saddles. I’ve been on an ISM PR 2.0 for a few seasons and while it was super comfortable at first, it’s not so much anymore and I’m not sure if that’s because it’s getting worn out or if it’s just not as comfy as I first thought. I’m surprised no one has mentioned ISM yet.
I’ve also seen a lot of talk in the ultra space of Infinity saddles, especially around RAAM, but have never tried one.
I’ve also seen mention of Bisaddle a bunch recently. I thought it was a gimmick at first, but Christie Tracy (prolific long distance racer from TX) uses them. Anyone ever try them out?
I’ve seen these ads show up on my social feeds. Curious but since they largely appear untested/unreviewed, I’m waiting for some real world reports. The concept seems interesting. 3D printing is bringing all kinds of customization.
Thanks, all for all the ideas and feedback. Really helpful! It seems like Specialized 3D saddles (one of which I’ve used and has been the most comfortable/manageable I’ve tried for longer rides up to 100 miles) and Selle SMP saddles are consensus picks. I’ve been testing the Selle SMP Avant but have given up on it – it gets uncomfortable (soft tissue pressure) after about 35 miles for me.
I saw this deal from Pro Closet and decided to grab the Specialized Power Pro Mirror for $30 off, since it rarely gets a discount. Hopefully this will be comfortable/manageable over 200 miles.
Yeah it’s my least favorite saddle of those I’ve used. I can tolerate most of the common ones to some degree, that one feels horribly uncomfortable to me. I honestly would rather sit on a block of wood.
I’d say that for many people, the main issue with lots of saddles is that the wings are just too wide at their widest point. This is something that makes a whole range of saddle like the Specialized Power, the Prologo Dimension, even the Pro Stealth a problem eventually. 10mm removed from the wings would make any of them fine long term. I’ve used them all and find them comfy at first, but legs rubbing the wings becomes a stopper eventually.
Wings too wide, or edges too sharp (i.e. the saddle “deck” doesn’t wrap smoothly around but rather ends in a sharpish edge) can definitely irritate the upper hamstring tendons in my experience.
IME though, width at widest point is less important to than width at the “waist” and how the saddle tapers. I personally don’t much like triangular saddles like the Spesh Power, which have a quite wide waist and a fairly straight taper from wings to nose. More T-shaped saddles work better for me. YMMV of course.
I’ve been interested in ISM for a little. I think I just have to get over the funky aesthetics of them first.
But I race crits and have a pretty aggressive fit and when I try to get lower for longer I get numbness where you don’t want numbness. And I think it has to do with when I roll forward my soft tissue is then resting on the more solid part of the nose of a traditional saddle and not actually in the cut out anymore. So the slightly wider nose couples with the continuous gap has always looked like a good option
Hi, I’ve been using ISM saddles for the past 18 months. 1.1 model on my TT bike and Adamo (Road saddle) for road and CX/Gravel bike.
Most of the time is spent sitting forward on the sit bones, regardless of whether I’m adopting an aero position or not.
Did a 180km/5:30 Ironman ride in a tri-suit with zero discomfort, so I would put more emphasis on the saddle and comfortable positioning than the knicks, assuming you already have a brand that anatomically fits you well.
Also did an Evererst Roam (36hrs, 507km and 10,000 vertical metres) over the Easter weekend and experienced no saddle sores or soft tissue problems.
Next challenges will be a 4.5hr 115km and 9.5hr 240km gravel race, so I’m looking forward to testing my limits on those with the same setup on my CX/gravel bike.
When road racing, saving watts is everything, so by being able to adopt a more aero position, makes me a little more slippery by being able to get my body lower.
There’s always a few floating around on FB Market place, so not a bad way to experiment with one. The ISM website should provide enough direction on which model would suit you best.
I’ve been on ISM for a few years after having severe numbness issues when getting low for long periods of time in fast groups. I’m won over for anything drop bar/aero. I used the PL for Lotoja and just put their ‘Gravel’ version on my gravel bike with the same fit.
The gravel saddle is noticeable softer. I don’t have major long rides on it yet, but I’m curious how it’ll go after a bunch of hours. The PL has a little more room to shift aft and have a more upright/climbing position. The Gravel and Narrow saddles are more limited in seating position.
For MTB I literally don’t care what saddle I’ve got, but for trying to get low/aero I can’t deal with a traditional saddle any longer.
My understanding (and what several of you have mentioned) about ISM saddles is that they’re designed for aero/aggressive positions. I wonder how that works for double centuries or other extra-long events with big changes in terrain – I would imagine that for many, an aggressive position wouldn’t be great for climbing.
The PL series feel fairly traditional in an upright position to me. The smaller saddles (my experience being on the P1) seem a little more ‘locked in’ to one spot. I can move a little, but it doesn’t have the bigger tail of the PL or a more traditional saddle.
They do take some getting used to, as they definitely hit your sit bones differently. The last 20mi of Lotoja was rough on the sit bones, but my longest ride for the year prior was 4h so that’s on me.
Yeah, the Antares is my saddle on all my bikes. I found the Adaptive eventually gets compressed on the pressure points over time though, unlike the normal saddles
I don’t know how you manage more than 2 hours on rapha cargo bibs. I find the pad so big it moves around constsntly and sweat makes it even worse.
I know my post doesn’t contribute one bit since you find those comfortable but even the basic specialized bib would be a superior option for me.
I am too looking for a better saddle and not sold on SMPs.
Good luck!
I’ve ridden double centuries on a Selle SMP Dynamic, 1,000km on a Fizik Arione VS R1 and 600km on a Prologo Dimension Nack.
I have Prologo Dimensions on all my bikes at the moment.
I would happily ride Selle SMPs again, I only swapped it out as it was well worn and in need of replacing. The cost to weight ratio wasn’t right for me at the time so ended up picking up the Arione. That was comfy until the shell started to crack which, I believe, is/was a common occurrence with Fizik. Happy with the Prologo Dimension now.
Thanks for sharing. The Fizik Vento Argo R5 was awful for me and gave me a saddle sore for the first time ever. I had another Fizik (I think it was the Arione) some years ago and that was a struggle for me too.
To be honest, I’ve not found a bib that’s been perfect for me. The best I had was a bunch of years ago by Garneau. The Rapha Core is tolerable for me, but like you, I find them a bit bulky. I’ve tried the Assos Mille GT bibs and those are even bulkier but not more comfortable for me (and, actually, I think compresses my bits more).
The Rapha is serviceable at least and I’m looking to use cargo bibs for this long ride for the convenient carrying capacity. I also have a pair of Pactimo cargo bibs with their “12-hour” bibs but I haven’t tested that out on a long ride yet – seems a rather bold branding.
Selle Italia SLR Kit Carbonio Boost. It’s not the padding for me that makes for a comfortable saddle. It’s the width and shape. My sit bones measure 100mm apart and I’ve found the 130mm width and shape of the SLR Boost model works great.