Women: What's your favorite saddle?

Haha that's very funny :)
And all true :/

Spez makes women models, but if there's that much difference? Some people say an Oura and Romin are pretty much the same.
Selle SMP doesn't think pelvises are male or female, so they just do lots of models. Their LDY models are the exact same, just with pink stitching (sigh).

There's a lot of variation within genders, on average women need slightly wider saddles, but some men have wide hip bones too (Le Manfriend cycles a Brooks, I doubt he'd fit on a 133 saddle...). I guess as a women you start on 155, as a man on 143 but there's a lot of variation possible.

Same with hardness, I don't like soft saddles as they push in the flesh, so I start on a medium padded saddle, but some people really need more padding and others can cycle on granite.

I find the SMP comfier than the Oura BTW, did a 14 mile cycle yesterday. Slight pressure, none on SMP.

Doesn't really end on a good note though? If anything it would put women off riding.

true, and it doesn't suggest many decent "fixes" or alternatives (though one of the comments is positive and helpful) but i wouldn't expect much more from an article on somewhere like mpora. total women's cycling (for whom she also used to work) would be where i would look for something like that. for me the article was a gratuitous lol because it's so exasperating sometimes, ha

Unfortunately saddles are trial and error...

But a good question list would help for people to narrow it down. What width, cutout or not, what shape, what hardness so you can narrow it down a bit :)

My only local saddle fit shop has spez, turns out SMP suits me more but CRC who has SMP has no loan program. My dad went through 10 saddles and is now using my mums old saddle...

yes the comments are mostly the helpful part
(especially on Youtube and the Guardian, lolz)

Youtube comments.

Shudder

:)

Hey @lucyh! You're welcome to try my SMP Avant for a couple of days. It's wide, padded and got a cut out! Would have to be in the week though, as no way I'm riding the weekend track sessions without it! :)

that would be brilliant!!! thank you <3 whenever works for you in the week! see you sunday?

Perfect, can take it off my track bike at the end of Sundays session and you can keep for the week :)

Another saddle that looks interesting is the new Specialized Power Expert, that comes in a 168mm width

http://m.specialized.com/us/en/ftb/saddles/womens-roadtriathlon-saddles/power-expert

I've a small saddle sore from cycling 14 miles on an Oura, same route on SMP no issues.

Perhaps the saddle needs broken in...but I felt some pressure. No pressure at all on SMP. So, aside from the looks and price, SMP wins for me ATM.

ok i don't wanna jinx it but so far it's been AMAZING. so nice to ride a bike and actually forget about your saddle. normally i'm thinking about it pretty much every second, and readjusting every 30.

that Power Expert looks promising too. thank you so, so much @zeez <3

in other news if anyone wants to buy a knockoff adamo hmu. it's in mint condition, ridden once for track. unfortunately not wide enough at the back for me!

:D Butt success!

Yay! :D

That's ace! :)

LadyLiz(non-forumenging other half) has charged me with coming on here to ask for a recommendation for a new saddle.
For years she's been perfectly happy with a Charge Spoon(albeit a touch narrow for all day rides), however she recently had a vch piercing done which bike shorts or not does irritate a tad. Slight change of angle relieves pressure but she's sliding forward and putting pressure on wrists to hold herself back on the saddle.
Sooo, any have a favoured saddle with a cutout to relieve pressure towards the nose of the saddle and a touch wider than a Spoon?
No doubt this has already been answered on here so will now sit and plough through the thread!

Thanks in advance x

Selle SMP lite 209 / pro (I have last one) and spez oura.

I rate SMP highly best support for hips but £££. So borrow or get a used one :)

Woah Cyrill Sneer saddle!
Looks like it'll fit the bill, will hunt down one to borrow and will go from there.
Cheers for the tip.

I have a Bontrager Affinity RL on my road bike, which has a dip rather than a full cut-out, and it's served me well over many miles: http://www.bontrager.com/model/08799

I have heard tell that ISM Adamo saddles (the ones with the forked noses, they don't do women's versions) are well-regarded by female athletes in the comfort stakes, but at 100+ squids, she'd need to give it a bloody good test before buying. And it'd completely change her position. Though it sounds like she's needing to change her position now anyway.

Any and all of the recommendations we give might well end up being complete garbage for her, unfortunately. It might be easier to get a selection of saddles from literally everyone you know and have Liz test them all out, as this can be a bit of a dark art :/

^ this is always the way with such things. Everyone's arse is different after all. £100+ is a big payout to try and get right using internetbikefitz so wasn't expecting a definitive.
Spoon was cheap, cheerful and has done the job for 5+ yrs commuting/weekend rides but her bike is getting an overhaul ready for training for a work charity ride to Brussels next year so a perfect time to dial in the fit.
Will raid every parts bin in town...

I wonder if she might like the Charge Ladle? It's basically just a Spoon but wider and shorter. No cutaway or a dent, but maybe the nose length would make a difference?

Dark arts >>>>>>>>>>

I got numbness on a spoon as the dip isn't deep enough for me. But if she doesn't, the Ladle may fit the bill?

(we should be able to brag about Massive Ladyparts me thinks..."mines so massive I need a massive cutout...) :p

Lack of cutout has never been an issue until piercing but is now 'interesting' on the commute(8mile each way) and uncomfortable beyond that so think anything that's cut away up front will be an improvement. For the record the jewelry is a short flexible bar with tiny balls so as unobtrusive as possible.
Will get a ton of options together and crack on(sniggers...)

Dark arts and size of bits aside I'll step away from the thread now!

Wot she sed, but I have the TRKs and Dynamics and an unused Extra. The TRKs are wider and padded though. Cheaper too.

@edmundro - I'mhappy to loan a TRK and the Extra, if you think that would be useful for research purposes. I'm in Balham and work at London Bridge.

Pm sent. Many thanks.