Ladies Saddle Review

Saddle, which saddle? These days, even for Ladies, the choice is
immense. Saddle choice is a very personal thing and crucial for enjoyment of a ride is a saddle that suits!

There is a balance to be had between comfort and weight. The comfiest gel saddle is not really the thing for zipping nimbly up Mont Cambrai!

Ann Bowditch, a Guernsey rider, certainly goes for the lightweight option and to quote her directly..

"I like the Selle Italia SLR XP – which is unusual I guess for a woman but I find the less saddle the better."

This is a 180g saddle and minimalist is certainly one way to describe it. My own experience with a rather fetching 190g ladies saddle had me grimacing and bad tempered throughout what was otherwise a very pleasant ride!

Having said that persevering with a saddle can sometimes work. I spent a long time searching for a Red ladies saddle (ladies may have a choice of range but generally not of colour – pink, black or white are the stereotypical choice offered). Eventually I found a saddle I could customise to my heart’s content and, when I found it wasn’t initially comfortable, was reluctant to settle for the black, white or pink option. Persevere I did and I found changing the angle of the saddle by a matter of millimeters turned it into the most comfortable saddle experience I have come across. The saddle? The ladies specific Fizik Vitesse HP WingFlex.

Helen Goulding, the TT specialist’s views are as follows:-

"COMFORT first every time - I’ve been known to buy an emergency shopping bike saddle on one mountain holiday - I’d got a new bike and kept the saddle it came with - BIG mistake! My choice? – Easy! TheTerry Liberator or Ti-race."

Mary Crow has undertaken extensive saddle research and her experience is as follows:-

"I have tried the Terry Liberator X TI Race - comfortable but found it a little bulky. Then tried the Selle Italia Lady Geniune Gel for a couple of years - this was fine for an hour and half riding but then started to become uncomfortable. I tried the Selle San Marco Atola and the Fi’zi:k Vitesse Twin Tech but didn’t quite get on with them either.

So I decided to do some more research and found the Terry Firefly over two years ago - I love this saddle! It weighs 258g - not the lightest but long rides are much more comfortable now.

I decided to get the Terry Butterfly for my winter bike and this is just as comfortable. The Terry Zero is a new addition to my TT bike, weight 232g - not quite got the angle right on that one yet but working on it! So if anyone needs a spare saddle.....:)."

Nikki Bardin

"I started with the Selle Italia Lady Trans Am which is good for long distances and winter training. For the summer I am experimenting with the Lady Gel Flow – a much lighter, firmer, racing style saddle which is also remarkably comfortable."

Sarah Smith

I spent the first 2 years riding a bike using a man’s saddle and would sometimes be in agony at the end of a ride! Eventually I found the Selle San Marco Atola Arrowhead saddle and since then riding a bike has been a much more comfortable experience."

Certainly the Selle San Marco Atola saddle is a popular choice – the choice of Sarah, Ruth Bonney, Nikki Faux and myself until colour took precedence.

Want to send me your saddle views? E-mail jedavis@jerseymail.co.uk