In the sixteen years I've been bike fitting, there have been many changes in the bike industry. Some technological advancements are a bane for bike fitters. Integrated seatposts, integrated handlebars, internal cable routing, varying standards of steerer tubes and countless saddle clamping mechanisms can improve aesthetics and performance. However, they can make life tedious when trying to refine a rider's position.
Despite this, other advancements have made bike fitting a lot easier. Improved handlebar and brake hood design ergonomics have been considerable improvements. But the one standout for me is improved saddle design.
A decade ago, many of the most popular bike saddle brands produced seats contributing to unnecessary pain and discomfort for many riders.
Genital numbness, saddle sores, urethral strictures, prostatitis, urinary tract infections and neurovascular compression are all problems affected by saddle design. Saddle-related complaints are typical for males and females. It is one of the most common reasons people seek professional bike fits.
I have some personal experience dealing with "saddle issues". As a junior cyclist, I would sometimes pass blood when urinating. I spent years holding my breath in the toilet, attempting to pee at half-pace to reduce the intensity of the pain I experienced. These were the days when most riders raced on older style Selle Italia SLR or Fizik Arione saddles. Both had traditional shapes with the highest point in the saddle's centre.
This "classic" design concept suits some riders and is designed to evenly distribute pressure across the saddle. But the perineal pressure causes a lot of grief for riders spending long hours in the saddle. If I didn't find a well-designed saddle from overseas, I would have had to stop cycling completely.
Fast forward to 2022, and most bike brands will manufacture a good range of saddle designs to suit different body types and riding styles.
Here are some of my favourite designs that I regularly recommend to road cyclists experiencing fit issues.
6 Great Road Saddles
Selle SMP Evolution.
This is a sentimental favourite for me; after prolonged bouts of pissing blood, I spotted a picture of an SMP in a bike magazine. I looked at the shape and thought a seat with a large central cutout might help my issues.
Unavailable in Australia, I got my coach at the time to pick an SMP up from Italy. It cost me $400, which was expensive twenty years ago. After riding the Evolution for a few k's, I quickly justified investing in a couple more for my second road bike and MTB. The large central cutout of the SMP reduces central pressure no matter where you sit on the saddle and allowed me to keep racing competitively. I've also so far avoided the prostate surgery my urologist had threatened.
The unique curved design also offers riders a sweet spot to sit on, preventing the rider from sliding onto the nose.
The SMP also has long saddle rails, allowing for more fore/aft adjustment than most saddles on the market. A bike fitter's delight. www.selesmp.com
Selle San Marco Shortfit Superlegerra
This is one of my favourite modern saddle designs. The short nose allows the saddle to be positioned further forward than traditional saddles and remain UCI compliant.
The Shortfit still has a slightly curved profile but not to the extent of the SMP. The slight curve creates a stable pedalling platform that allows riders to move forward in the saddle slightly when riding an aggressive position at high intensity.
The wings of the saddle also curve down slightly. This generally leads to less pressure on the ischial tuberosities compared to saddles with a flat profile (think, Specialized Toupe etc.)
www.sellesanmarco.it
Selle SLR Superflow.
As mentioned earlier, the original Selle Italia SLR design was one that created discomfort issues for myself and many other cyclists. This reworked version flipped the design brief significantly. Instead of the highest point being in the midsection, Selle Italia has reworked the design, introducing a large central cutout.
This is not a short nose saddle, so it suits more traditional riding positions, not the super aggressive head down, bum up position many track or criterium riders strive for these days. The Boost Superflow from Selle Italia is a similarly good design that suits more aggressive riding positions.
www.selleitalia.com
Fizik Antares,
A decade ago, I'd walk into a bike shop, and there would invariably be a cardboard box in the workshop full of discarded Fizik Arione and Aliante saddles, seats that were too soft or too narrow for the average customer.
The current Antares holds onto the traditional "put a bit of pressure everywhere design. However, the Antares has a flatter profile and good foam density, which prevents riders from sinking into the saddle too much, one of the leading causes of central perineal pressure.
If you don't get genital numbness or pain and hate feeling too much pressure on your sit-bones, this design works reasonably well and suits traditional riding positions.
www.fizik.com
Prologo Scratch M5
Like Fizik, Prologo is a brand that refused to make a saddle with a central cutout for a long time.
The original Scratch and Nago designs were both saddles that would give a lot of riders central pressure issues. If riders were susceptible to excessive perineal pressure, the original Prologos would end up in a pile with all the discarded Fizik Ariones.
The new M5 Scratch design is a vast improvement from the early models. The high central section of the saddle has been replaced with a moderate-sized cutout, and Prologo has put some thought into regional foam densities to improve comfort.
The Scratch M5 has a curved wing profile which is great for larger riders who sometimes have chaffing issues on the edges of flat saddles.
I think this is an excellent all-around design that is a good starting point for many riders. However, the central cutout is still too small for riders who experience significant issues related to perineal pressure. Still, for the average rider, this design will reduce some of the general pressure without loading up the sit bones too much.
PRO Stealth
The PRO stealth has been around for a few years now.
One of the issues with many central cutout saddles is, that manufacturers don't adequately reinforce the saddle's shell strength. This leads to saddles flexing in the middle, forcing the rider onto the nose of the seat. This can cause just as much perineal pressure as they would with a seat with no cutout.
PRO made a concerted effort to design the shell to maintain its structural integrity. The large cutout suits riders in a traditional or aggressive road position, the profile allowing some movement fore and aft on the saddle
www.pro-bikegear.com
This is by all means not an exclusive list of well-designed saddles. There are plenty of other brands that my clients swear by, but these six are current standouts.
There is no perfect way to size a rider to a saddle. Saddle width is often an overemphasised metric in the bike industry. But ultimately, a rider suited to a 143mm saddle in one brand will often need a 155mm saddle in another. Shape matters, position matters, padding and riding styles matter.
Arbitrary measurements of sit bones can be helpful to establish if a rider has a particularly wide or narrow pelvis, but it's not the be-all and end-all to help people choose the correct saddle.
Most good bike shops should be able to guide you on saddle choice. If the sales assistant tries to sell you a gel seat cover, run the other way. Book yourself a professional bike fit if you have tried multiple saddles and still can't get comfortable.
When you finally find the perfect saddle, buy one for each of your road bikes.