Today we will look at choosing a good road bike saddle that fits comfortably…
Hi levi! what’s the best road bike saddle in terms of comfort?
thanks!
-Saddled Sam
Hi Sam,
Saddle choice is a personal preference based on sit bone width, size and weight, type of riding, and other factors. There is no best saddle, just the best saddle for you.
I ride a Fizik Aliante, which I find to be very comfy! It’s pretty popular, too.
But some people hate the Aliante and prefer the Fizik Arione or Selle Italia Flite. (I’ve been able to buy some spare saddles on the cheap by finding friends that tried it and didn’t like it.)
Lance Armstrong was always seen riding the Selle San Marco Concor, no matter what the team’s saddle sponsor provided for free.
So you can see, everyone has a different preference.
The best thing you can do is find a bike shop that will let you test ride a few different seats before choosing the right one. That will save you quite a bit of money in the long run. Some shops also have devices to measure your sit bone width (one such tool is Specialized’s Assometer,) and they can recommend a saddle based on that measurement.
If there is no local bike shop offering this, you can also sign-up for a demo online from a few different retailers.
Unfortunately the CompetitiveCyclist.com Saddle Demo program has closed, but I see TriSports.com is doing one now. There could be more if you look around. These services cost about $50 – $75, but you can usually apply that towards the purchase of a new saddle, so you can save you hundreds of dollars that you would have spent on numerous uncomfortable saddles!
Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).
Wow! That looks like a cool service. I just bought new tires (based on your previous article) so I’ll have to wait, but I think I’ll try that out when I go to upgrade my saddle.
@Bryant
Yeah, even if you have to pay for a saddle demo program, it’s worth it. I wish I had known about this before going and buying saddle after saddle in my search for comfort!
Heya! If may put in my opinion, I must say that I really enjoy Brookes saddles. Yes, they are a bit of a drain in terms of money and weight, but my God are they comfortable! Plus, You can’t beat the leather! =)
@Aaron
Indeed. Once broken in, the Brooks could certainly be the most comfortable saddle out there.
Have you heard anything about the Fi’zi:k Aliante Versus? It looks pretty comfortable and my perineum has a tendency to get pretty sore, especially after long rides. I probably just need to go to my LBS and see if I can test it out…
@Andrew
The Aliante Versus looks/sounds pretty cool, although I’ve never seen one in real life or heard first-hand experiences.
Even if you knew you liked the Aliante, I’d suggest testing this new version because it is different enough that it could be great or terrible for you. But still, it looks like it’s worth a shot!
I’ve been using the Aliante Versus for over a month (about 800km). Whilst instantly comfortable and subtly more attuned to us gents’ needs, it’s not a huge improvement on the regular Aliante.
Moreover, I felt that long distance comfort is impaired as that softer padding results in noticeable fatigue as weight is less evenly distributed. That, plus a not great nose riding feel and the more rigid position the Aliante is designed to put you in suggest looking at other options for enthusiasts and ageing, deluded roadies weekend warriors like me.
@BianchiBoy
Thanks for sharing that!