Saddles are one of those items on the bike that are so vital to get right, especially when riding for durations of longer than a couple of hours (so, pretty much all my riding).
I’m relatively lucky, in that there are few saddles that I absolutely can’t get on with. The Planet X number that came with the Dirty Harry has done a fine job on some long, rough rides. But it hasn’t been perfect. After a while, it generates pressure at points you don’t really want pressure. The length of faux suede provides some grip which is unnecessary and I think probably contributes to some discomfort as I am less able to micro-adjust my position without slightly lifting my weight.
But, what saddle to choose? From a seemingly unending range of choices. There were two obvious requirements:
-light
-comfortable over long durations
It is possible to read any number of reviews, but, put bluntly my bum isn’t the reviewer’s bum. I could go out and buy lots of saddles and try them out, but given my criteria above, saddles aren’t cheap. Lots of saddles are down right expensive.
Garage Bikes to the rescue. As a Fizik (or should that be Fi’zi:k?) test centre, they will loan out a Fizik saddle for anyone to try out. They have a range of them in store, and some guidance to help you decide which is most likely to fit you. Armed with this, I plumped for the Tundra 2. So, I fitted the saddle and went for a little test ride to see if it suited me. Well, no…
I arrived at Bristol Bikefest late on Friday. It was cold and wet and I couldn’t be bothered with bike tinkering, so 1hr before I was due to start racing I fitted the saddle and had a spin round the camping field. Felt ok… And it continued to feel ok during the race. In fact, it was a bit of a revelation.
I could move fore and aft, and around the saddle more easily. The slightly shorter shape enabled me to drop off the back more comfortably, and the slightly broader nose was infinitely better for steep in the saddle, thrutchy climbing.
After another few rides I’ve fitted a (slightly less garish) saddle to ‘arry for the long term.
projectenduranceracer 