Which saddle for London to Paris

So it looks like I'm doing a London to Paris ride for the Alzheimer's Society in September. Its in 4 days so not quite as hardcore as the official one (which is in 3 days) but still a good challenge.
I haven't ridden my road bike for about a year, and I know I haven't got a decent saddle on it ( and I'm not entirely convinced by the Rolls which I have on my fixed) so I'm looking for some advice from anyone who has done these sort of distances before!
I know its very subjective but I just had a look on parkers and there are shitloads of them, all looking very similar. I'd like to narrow it down before going and trying some!

Trial and error. Your arse is as individual as your fingerprint...

Oh, cack thread.

Is a saddle swap 'try-before-you-buy' sort of thread a good idea then, considering how bloody expensive these things are?

Listing the saddles you have in your possession (not currently in regular use) that you can offer for a week/fortnight and when/where you can meet up with someone to swap...

Personally I love Rolls saddles. I'm a relatively newcomer to them, but I've had one on my commuter for 4-5 months now and IMO it's bloody comfy. I bought a Regal for my older road bike hoping that it'll be a similar sort of ride (while looking better than a rolls IMO).

Oh and fuck Specialized saddles.

^ Not a bad idea.

Specialized saddles on my allez is fecking awful. So don't get a specialized saddle. Changing mine to a Charge Spoon saddle.

I would recommend a Rolls, I really like them. But you appear to have already ruled this out.

The Charge Saddle are very comfortable, and doesn't cost a bomb too, have you tried those out? I bet there's a lots of forumenger here that can lend you one to try out.

I can't seem to get the angle quite right on my Rolls, if I have it on straight it its slightly uncomfortable just below my balls. I heard it helped if you tip it slightly forward, but when I do this I find it just doesn't support my weight enough, and it puts too much pressure on my wrists.

I can't seem to get the angle quite right on my Rolls, if I have it on straight it its slightly uncomfortable just below my balls. I heard it helped if you tip it slightly forward, but when I do this I find it just doesn't support my weight enough, and it puts too much pressure on my wrists.

Might not just be the saddle that's the problem here though. There are a lot of tiny things in the fit of a bike which could explain the problem. I would look at the fore/aft of the saddle. Sounds like it needs to be a bit closer to the stem.

quick question, have you thought about getting a cyclefit? I think it be useful than changing saddle.

quick question, have you thought about getting a cyclefit? I think it be useful than changing saddle.

Very spendy though Ed...

get a couple of pairs of padded shorts, or enven better a pair for each day. This will help a lot if you havent got any already....If you want a comfy saddle id go for one that is designed for xc mtbing as they normallly have a bit more padding, but its all down to what your bum fits best really. padded shorts maybe some 'mintyasslard' assos cream also if your not used to long rides.

For a big trip like that its worth getting the right kit. I did it last year Assos shorts + specialized toupe saddle, (relative) comfort all the way. Get some chamois cream as well.

+1 to all who've said saddles are a personal thing. Toupe looks scarcely padded but has done me many 100+mile trips with no comfort issues.

Hope this helps....

There's a whole thread called which saddle? Read it.

I have a spare Koobi Xenon which you're welcome to try if you like. It's an odd-looking thing; rather flat, with little padding and a big barse-split bit. Much the comfiest thing I've ever ridden though. Bought my first one by accident as they were £15 or something silly cheap in Cycle Surgery a few years back - these days you have to order from Koobi directly in the States I believe, even though they're made in Italy.

spend money on shorts. 90quid or more. cheap ones just do not cut it in my opinion, assos or the like.

then go to a shop where they let you sit on loads of bike seats, i have heard that some places have a gel thingy that you sit on, it does a mould of your crack and bingo they can see which ones will be the best to look at.

The fella who did my fitting said most of his clients use the Arione. I am now one of thsoe people. Super comfy

Although the charge spoon is relatively comfy, I have only just gone back to it (for wet weather duties) after doing a few thousand on a Brooks B17 last year. The brooks is way comfier than the charge once broken in (about 500 miles for me). Before I had the Brooks though, the charge spoon was easily the comfiest cheap saddle I had owned.
If you're doing 4 long days in the saddle, try a few out, pick the best you can afford and break it in well before your long ride.

See if anyone has a spare saddle they can lend you. Ages ago I suggested a saddle library ( http://www.londonfgss.com/thread10273.html )where people post up lists of saddles they have in their spares box. Most of us probably have one or two that we have tried and realised did not work.

Also different saddles are designed for different postures, a specialised toupe is horrible to sit upright on (for me) but if in a more agressive posture it is very comfortable. I loathed the San Marco Rolls but know of lots of people who love them.

Saddles are a bit like sexual partners, what works for one person may not for another, sometimes the ugly ones are more comfortable.

The fella who did my fitting said most of his clients use the Arione. I am now one of thsoe people. Super comfy

I've yet to meet anyone who has tried an Arione and not liked it. I've got one and it's a joy to ride on.

I can't seem to get the angle quite right on my Rolls, if I have it on straight it its slightly uncomfortable just below my balls. I heard it helped if you tip it slightly forward, but when I do this I find it just doesn't support my weight enough, and it puts too much pressure on my wrists.

^is it just me or is there something powerfully sexual about this paragraph? just me? oh.

Saddles are a bit like sexual partners, what works for one person may not for another, sometimes the ugly ones are more comfortable.

god, everyone's at it. very true though.

Random thoughts-

a number of shops do the try before you buy, its worth the try there.

If your arse won't fit a Rolls then try the Turbo, its like an arm chair for the downstairs dept.

The Rolls due is hard to beat. The standard Rolls is good on fixed because you work over its length for differnet tasks- spinning you slide forward, hills are a slide back, etc, but it doesn't mean to say its good on a road bike though.

The shorter length Fizik's are worthy of a try, the longer ones you need to measure a mid point in the saddle and bolt it to the seat post, the tail is very long and not much use really other than to fool you on setting up on the bike- a mid position on the rails is a good starting point, and flat top too.

Specialised have twigged peeps sit bones are different widths, and its worth a try there to see what width will suit you, and work from there.

Peeps are right on making sure your saddle is in the correct place, your arse is unique, your sitting position may need examination. (An Auntie of mine wanted a "bum cast" in plaster of paris so she could get the right shaped saddle, she wasn't wrong in her logic).

Cyclefit- yes its good but.. a woman I was coaching had her bike fitted there, and I can't understand why they failed to tell her that her convex back shape when sitting on a bike would never allow her to realize her full potential.

She did get there by her own means, and her comments on cyclists backs being wrong were retracted with haste.

The tip is to sit on the bike and look in the patio door, shop window etc to see what you you look like side on view, you may get a shock .......

Good thick sponge in the chamois covers a multitude of errors, some may feel more like a nappy though.

Having had an arsenal (pun intended!) of saddles over the years, I can say its not an easy game to find the right saddle.

Ok I'm just off to change the saddle on my latest Track bike yet again......

I tried an Arione and loathed it.

When I had my cyclefit they gave a great deal of feedback about back position, and it is one of the things they paid attention to when fitting me. Having said that there was so much information in the fitting it could be easy to forget or miss some of the things they point out. Myself and Ved were both told to aim for a neutral spine position (will make sense to anyone who does pilates), as this will unlock the glutes, leaving them to fire more easily.

spend money on shorts. 90quid or more. cheap ones just do not cut it in my opinion, assos or the like.

HTFU. No one needs 100quid cycle shorts.

Sandpaper your arse every other day with 60 grit paper and get your mates to kick you in the crack in the inbetween days. Saddles will feel like sofas after a strict HTFU regime.

HTFU. No one needs 100quid cycle shorts.

exactly, its not as if they're gonna be used on a 4 month trip, this is 4 days we're talking about.

£20 endura padded shorts are real fucking comfy.

skimping by buying £7 shorts from decathlon is not recommended. believe me.