Selle SMP Saddles / Crotch Pressure

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?

saddles are a very personal thing. What is comfortable for one person might be horrible for everyone else. If you like a saddle with a cut out then stick with it.
Tilting your saddle forward very slightly will relieve some of the pressure from the perenium as well.

saddles are a very personal thing. What is comfortable for one person might be horrible for everyone else. If you like a saddle with a cut out then stick with it.
Tilting your saddle forward very slightly will relieve some of the pressure from the perenium as well.
Yup of course, but unfortunately they are also something which you can't just try out and then send back, because you'll have marked the rails when you attach it to your bike. I have my saddle tilted slightly forward, which helps slightly but doesn't solve the issue.

Have you tried the XO with the cut out? I had that for a while and it was pretty good.

You could try one of these...?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SELLE-SMP-TRK-MAN-SADDLE-BLACK-or-BROWN_W0QQitemZ180533098199QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=&rvr_id=&cguid=de0f20421260a0aad4e45864fffc21df

Have you tried the XO with the cut out? I had that for a while and it was pretty good.

Looks pretty much the same as the Specialized one I have at the moment.

You could try one of these...?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SELLE-SMP-TRK-MAN-SADDLE-BLACK-or-BROWN_W0QQitemZ180533098199QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=&rvr_id=&cguid=de0f20421260a0aad4e45864fffc21df

Awesome, didn't think they did any cheap ones. Think I will try one of these to see if they work. If it does I can stick it on my beater and get a lighter one for my best bike.

Cheers guys

I have an SLR Gel Flow you can try out.

^ Large cutout and available in varying widths, which is probably the problem. Specifically try out some wider saddles.

ta2, have you actually spend a lots of time adjusting the saddle position? sometime the most uncomfortable saddle ever end up being very comfortable with a slight change.

rise stem a bit, rise/lower saddle a bit, set it back a bit, angle it slightly, etc.

one last thing, go to an Evans shop and ask them if they have those Specialized sit-bones measurment tools, and find out your sit bones width.

Try a Selle Anatomica, looks quite nice also!

The Selle Anatomica is awesome, much much better than a Brooks, think of it as a modern day equation.

the missus love her, she love the fact she doesn't need to 'break' it in as the leather is laminated already.

TokyoFixedGear sell them after Max discovered just how comfortable they are (gave him one to try out).

ta2, have you actually spend a lots of time adjusting the saddle position? sometime the most uncomfortable saddle ever end up being very comfortable with a slight change.

rise stem a bit, rise/lower saddle a bit, set it back a bit, angle it slightly, etc.

one last thing, go to an Evans shop and ask them if they have those Specialized sit-bones measurment tools, and find out your sit bones width.
Yes, I have spent ages with different saddles on different bikes with different stems etc, always the same problem to varying degree.

That saddle above is the ugliest looking saddle I have ever seen, lol.

I have similar issue as your, but with sit bones width.

already booked myself for the Bike Whisperer to talk to them about saddle.

might be worth doing in your case.

I have similar issue as your, but with sit bones width.

already booked myself for the Bike Whisperer to talk to them about saddle.

might be worth doing in your case.
Ah, I'm from Bournemouth so that wouldn't be suitable.

In your case though, Specialized do ALL of their saddles in 130mm, 143mm and 155mm widths:

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/popups/MoreViews_10Romin2.jpg

Specialized Toupe was recommended to me as decent cut-out saddle. Most comfortable saddle I've used - can ride all day on it and don't really feel any pressure where it shouldn't be.

You say you have a slightly lower saddle position. That might result in more of your weight actually going down into the saddle, as opposed to through your hands and feet. That's what I've found before.

My gf recently got a Selle SMP as a cure for a similar problem and loves it. Looks a really good design and I'm tempted to try one too. They have cheaper ones too - the TRK and the Hybrid - so you don't need to shell out 150 notes for one of their road models. Well worth a try i think.

Otherwise SLR Gel Flow for me, I've had numbness issues in the past too.

My gf recently got a Selle SMP as a cure for a similar problem and loves it. Looks a really good design and I'm tempted to try one too. They have cheaper ones too - the TRK and the Hybrid - so you don't need to shell out 150 notes for one of their road models. Well worth a try i think.

Otherwise SLR Gel Flow for me, I've had numbness issues in the past too.
Ah awesome, that's what I wanted to hear - that the saddle does actually work. The Hybrid looks a lot less crap than the TRK, so I will probably give that one a go first.

Cheers!

Koobi

I have the AU Enduro. Solved all my problems.

Yeah, the hybrid is the best budget bet, trk is well padded and a bit portly. Be aware that the width of the saddle goes up with the amount of padding. E.g. if your sitbones are particularly narrow, you might find the hybrid too wide and would be better off with a road model. I wonder if there is a SMP dealer in London who does trial saddles...? worth finding out!

I have the Specialized Romin SL - it's got the massive cut-out and is very good. I bought it to replace a Selle Italia C2 which left my... you know... totally numb.

The Romin saddle is very hard though - fine with well padded shorts but I'm wondering what a slightly more padded saddle would be like.