I have fitted or adjusted almost 1400 hundred saddles over the last 10 years.
I find a key to a great fitting saddle is to have the correct width for the client’s sit bones or ischial tuberosities. If you know the sit bones are being supported the pelvis will have the greatest chance of sitting flat and stable on the saddle.
I stock a great selection of road and mountain bike saddles from SQlab. Their new Ergowave is a flagship worth mentioning. A great feature of the Ergowave saddle is the line up from 120 mm to 150 mm wide. This makes it easy to help my clients choose the right width for them. Width of sit bones, along with a slight adjustment for pelvic tilt and torso angle yields the best place to start with saddle width. We add width to the recommended length for a more up right body position on the bike.
The “Active” feature of the saddle is it’s unique ability to rock slightly. This is done with a tee mount for the saddle rails and the use of an elastomer damper above each rail to dampen the movement downward. The elastomers can be swapped around from soft to hard for rider weight and comfort. This greatly reduces pressure from the saddle onto the sit bones and allows the hips to move slightly and gently. This has a great effect on comfort for riders with less flexibility. And those with good flexibility will just use less of the movement as they do not twist into the stroke to the same degree. Saddle height is important too here; not reaching to the pedal is key.
When I first noticed the movement in the saddle I did not understand what I saw. I now understand, the saddle will drop with the leg that is at the top of the stroke, not the bottom. This is because the saddle is unweighted on the down stroke side. The saddle raises to allow the pressure to reduce on the opposite side of the pelvis. It’s pretty cool.
The final feature I like about this saddle is the dropped nose and huge cut out. SQlab uses pressure mapping technology to show how riders’ bodies’ interact with the saddle. No nose, no pressure. It allows riders to push there aerodynamic limits on the front end of the bike while not putting excessive pressure on the front of the groin. This is a great feature for ladies as well as men. The cut out really emphasises the location of the sit bones on the back of the saddle and gives great relief to the perineum and adjacent soft tissue.
I am on a brand new SQlab 612 R Carbon in a 130 mm and love it.
