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@ta2
I have tried quiet a few saddles in the past, but only one has come close to being pain-free.
San Macro Rolls - 0/10 - Initially extremely comfortable, but after about 5 minutes on the saddle this gets translated into extreme pain, as apparently all the blood going to my private parts gets cut off completely.
**
Charge Spoon - 3/10** - Pretty good fit but a fair amount of pressure. Have only ridden a few miles on it as it was a commuter.
Selle Italia XO - 2/10 - Pretty good fit again, modest amount of pressure, but ultimately I slid around because of the retarded 'gel feature' - this one came with a bike, wouldn't have chosen it myself.
**
Specialized Alias - 6/10 - **As you can see, it's got a fairly generous cutout in the middle. If only the cutout went a little bit further along. :( I have two of these which are supposed to be the same, but one is softer than the other for some reason. This is the one I currently use.
After doing some research, it seems this is a pretty common problem which is ultimately solved by adjusting the saddle. Well obviously I have tried this and not found an acceptable solution. Just had a quick look on Wiggle and a few 'pro' manufacturer websites (Selle Italia, Fizik, Selle San Marco) and not only do none of them have big cutouts, but most of them don't have any cutout at all. This is MADNESS!! :p
So looking at the 'other' manufacturers on Wiggle which I have never heard of, I found 'Selle SMP'. ALL of their saddles have extreme cutouts like this. Whilst they are extremely expensive (starting at £160!! :O), still having full use of my penis in a few years time is worth the cost. That said, obviously I don't want to risk buying one and not have the desired results. Anyone else have this extreme sensitivity to 'perenium' pressure? I'm thinking the cause is that my arse doesn't have enough padding underneath the sit-bones, resulting in the rest of me being significantly lower down and closer to the saddle. I have tried all sorts of tilts of the saddle. I probably have the saddle/seatpost a bit lower than I should, because it does help allieviate problems slightly. I don't ride in a particularly aggressive position and infact still get a lot of pressure when I'm on the hoods. Has anyone tried this specific brand of saddles? Are there any other saddles like this but cheaper?