Women's vs. men's saddles

I happen to live in an area where there are no bike shops with a good
selection of saddles nearby. What they have is little more than what you'll
find at Dunham's.

I need a new saddle as the "C9" saddle that I bought at one of the local
shops a couple of years ago is wearing out (the lycra is wearing through - I
ride almost 20 miles a day in good weather). I don't want another lycra
saddle for this reason and I am not crazy about vinyl (no breathability). I
think I want leather which no local shop sells at all. Been looking at the
Terry Liberators on-line at Performance and Nashbar. Also read reviews at
MtbReview. Seem like a good choice.

In my on-line shopping I noticed that sometimes Performance or Nashbar will
have the woman's version of a saddle on sale for about 1/3 less than the
men's version. Far as I can tell, the women's saddles are slightly shorter
and slightly wider. Supposedly the width is to accomodate the wider
hip-bones of women vs. men. Problem with that is that I'm sure men and women
hip-bone widths overlap since there humans have an enormous range of body
sizes within each sex. Makes me think that this men's vs. women's saddle
thing is more marketing than anything else and I should just buy whatever is
cheaper in a given line. (Hell, we neanthertal men are supposed to get in
touch with their "feminine side" anyway, right?)

What say you all?

- nopcbs

My wife just bought a new bicycle about a month ago. She loved everything
but the saddle. I bought her a Terry saddle and she likes it lot better.
Not so much for the bone fit, but the center cut out rather than a shallow
depression of the original saddle.

Now if I would notice the difference I do not know, and you may not either,
but she is a satisfied customer. That's about everything I know about
saddles, I am sure there are more posts with real information on the way.
Have fun!

On my bikes (three) all have female specific saddles. My favs are the two Terry
Saddles. On one I've got a Terry's Liberator TiLite and on the other a Terry's
racing thing. Both very, very comfortable for extended periods.

Cheers, helen s



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(...) Makes me think that this men's vs.
women's saddle thing is more marketing than anything else and I should
just buy whatever is cheaper in a given line. (Hell, we neanthertal men
are supposed to get in touch with their "feminine side" anyway, right?)

What say you all?

- nopcbs

As a man, I have tried 2-3 times to sit on a women's saddle. Just
wondering, as you did, whether it would make a real difference. The
answer was: Yes, it does ! I felt instantaneously awful on these odd
seats. I wonder if it is that uncomfortable for women to sit on men's
saddles, but if it is, then I must express all my sympathy to women who
had to endure this before specific women's saddle became more common.

I wonder if it is that uncomfortable for women to sit on men's
saddles, but if it is, then I must express all my sympathy to women who
had to endure this before specific women's saddle became more common.

To !!XXX!! right it is!

Gino, my Bianchi San Remo came with a men's saddle on it. All I am going to say
is OUCH... to the power of 100. Childbirth was a doddle compared to pain
inflicted by that saddle. Changing the saddle to a Terry's Liberator TiLite is
AAAAHHHH... to the power of 100. As soon as I got Luigi, my Bianchi ML3, I
swapped the saddle for a Terry's - AAAHHHHH

Cheers, helen s



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On Thu, 20 May 2004 22:51:58 -0400, "nopcbs"
wrote:
Makes me think that this men's vs. women's saddle
thing is more marketing than anything else

It is.

and I should just buy whatever is
cheaper in a given line.

No, you should probably buy whatever you think will fit better.
--
Rick Onanian

It is.

Sadly Rick, you aren't a woman on a saddle designed for a man that causes
injury and pain-levels that make childbirth seem a doddle ;-)

On a more serious note, as a woman, I really have found that a woman specific
saddle (Terry's in my case) has made cycling enjoyable as opposed to outright
excruciating... literally. When I first got Gino, the saddle it came with was a
men's one. After 10 miles I was in total agony, where it was difficult to walk.
No fun at all. Swapping the saddle for a Terry's was instant bliss.

Cheers, helen s



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Jacques Moser writes:

(...) Makes me think that this men's vs. women's saddle thing is
more marketing than anything else and I should just buy whatever is
cheaper in a given line. (Hell, we Neanderthal men are supposed to
get in touch with their "feminine side" anyway, right?)

As a man, I have tried 2-3 times to sit on a women's saddle. Just
wondering, as you did, whether it would make a real difference. The
answer was: Yes, it does ! I felt instantaneously awful on these odd
seats. I wonder if it is that uncomfortable for women to sit on
men's saddles, but if it is, then I must express all my sympathy to
women who had to endure this before specific women's saddle became
more common.

I'm not sure whose saddle you tried but the original womens saddles
for athletic women were designed by Avocet because the boss's wife was
both a rider and MD who was aware that many women's pelvises were
wider than men's. That is, the protuberances (sit bones) are more
widely spaced such that they rested on the outer edge of the wide part
of men's saddles. The wider saddle accommodated that but not all
manufacturers who made these saddles understood the need and
dimensions. They have a useful function for women in general.

Jacques, so where in CH are you riding?

Jobst Brandt

I wrote:
It is.
On 21 May 2004 19:25:05 GMT, omcom
(dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) wrote:
Sadly Rick, you aren't a woman on a saddle designed for a man that causes
injury and pain-levels that make childbirth seem a doddle ;-)

I am male and rode a Trico gel saddle designed for a woman, and it
didn't cause any injury or pain; it was comfortable for the two
years I rode it. This, in response to the OP who asked if he, as a
male, should feel ok to try a female saddle.

It's possible that you simply rode a saddle that wasn't right for
you, not necessarily one that was wrong for all women.
--
Rick Onanian

On Fri, 21 May 2004 20:08:58 +0000, jobst.brand wrote:


I'm not sure whose saddle you tried but the original womens saddles for
athletic women were designed by Avocet because the boss's wife was both a
rider and MD who was aware that many women's pelvises were wider than
men's. That is, the protuberances (sit bones) are more widely spaced such
that they rested on the outer edge of the wide part of men's saddles. The
wider saddle accommodated that but not all manufacturers who made these
saddles understood the need and dimensions. They have a useful function
for women in general.

I tried my wife's own saddle (made for Veloplus - www.veloplus.ch), and
also, at the shop, a Brooks and a Selle Italia. I don't think these last 2
saddles were necessarily too wide, but they felt definitely too short.


Jacques, so where in CH are you riding?

Neuchâtel


Jobst Brandt