Starting to research my first saddle.

[Porknz]

I am just starting to look for a new saddle. I have a salsa journeyman. I just started riding about three years ago and ride mostly country roads with lots of rolling hills.

I looked at my local shop today, and they said to bring my bike down and they'd put a couple of seats on for me to try. I don't know if I should try a cutout. My stock journeyman saddle doesn't have one. I'm not sure if I should look for a wider saddle, slimmer saddle, longer, shorter, brands. I can use any education.

Thanks.

 

[JayKosta]

From the online images that I found, it appears to me that the saddle is likely designed for fairly aggressive riding - not as a 'comfortable saddle' for 'pleasure riding'. Is there a particular problem with the current saddle, and what style of riding do you expect to be doing. And what is your preferred riding position - upright, some forward leaning, down-low aero, etc. Do you want to do 'hard exercise riding' , 'social riding and talking' with a group, etc.

 

[Porknz]

Good questions. The markings on the seat tell me it's a WTB Volt 142.

I find that at about 35-45 miles I start to get tailbone pain. When I'm doing a century ride, I eventually get the feeling I'm sitting on bleacher right across where my hams and glutes meet. I don't know mileage, but find that every once in a while I am off my seat when I'm coasting to get better blood flow where a cutout might land.

I ride almost completely alone. I haven't found a group in my area I guess. I'm more of a push myself hard rider anyway. I don't really have experience riding socially. I honestly forget about the drops. I'm usually on the gears, and then inside of the flat of the bar for a change, so not super low, but not upright. Hard exercise riding it probably the best description. I watch my times on similar routes and expect to be pretty tired when I get back home.

 

[jmdirt]

I am just starting to look for a new saddle. I have a salsa journeyman. I just started riding about three years ago and ride mostly country roads with lots of rolling hills.

I looked at my local shop today, and they said to bring my bike down and they'd put a couple of seats on for me to try. I don't know if I should try a cutout. My stock journeyman saddle doesn't have one. I'm not sure if I should look for a wider saddle, slimmer saddle, longer, shorter, brands. I can use any education.

Thanks.

Take them up on their offer to try several! A cutout is only good if it, and the rest of the saddle fit your body, but I do think that reducing the pressure on the soft bits is important to comfort.

The 'downside' to testing several seats is that each one likely needs to be positioned differently so it takes a little time with each one.

 

[JayKosta]

A lot of 'saddle comfort and support' depends on how the saddle supports your 'sit bones' . The contact area of the saddle and your sit bones should provide a lot of support.

saddle sit bones - Google Suche

For the type of riding pace and position that you described, I suggest a saddle that would be for 'fast touring', as opposed to a real 'race saddle'.

 

[Porknz]

Fast touring. I'll google that and see what saddles I find. Thanks for the help with the cycling terminology.

 

[jmdirt]

Good questions. The markings on the seat tell me it's a WTB Volt 142.

I find that at about 35-45 miles I start to get tailbone pain. When I'm doing a century ride, I eventually get the feeling I'm sitting on bleacher right across where my hams and glutes meet. I don't know mileage, but find that every once in a while I am off my seat when I'm coasting to get better blood flow where a cutout might land.

I ride almost completely alone. I haven't found a group in my area I guess. I'm more of a push myself hard rider anyway. I don't really have experience riding socially. I honestly forget about the drops. I'm usually on the gears, and then inside of the flat of the bar for a change, so not super low, but not upright. Hard exercise riding it probably the best description. I watch my times on similar routes and expect to be pretty tired when I get back home.

I hesitate to make fit assumptions without seeing you on the bike, but the ham/glute discomfort makes me think that your seat is too high. Your seat being too high would also put more pressure on the soft bits around your pubic bone. If the seat being too high is the cause of your discomfort, changing saddles likely won't help.

EDIT: the Volt doesn't have a full cut out but it does have a relief channel in the foam, and a cutout in the shell.

 

[Porknz]

I'll keep seat height in mind. Last time it was at the LBS to help me transition to clipless pedals, they lowered my seat a little too.

 

[jmdirt]

Maybe helpful:

https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/best-mountain-bike-saddles