Help: Bike seats for long distance, for a bigger guy (248lbs)

[TheAnonOne]

Any good recommendations for a new bike seat for a larger guy?

I certainly have lbs to loose, but also generally have a stocky 6ft-0 build. 248lbs (down from 267 this winter! woo!)

When I ride with a group, even with padding in my spandex, my ass just hurts! I like to ride 30-40 miles at a time, but have an event that's back-to-back 75 mile rides in june. Would love to have something more comfortable dialed down.

Bike: 2019 Trek Domane

Any help is appreciated!

[ixtap]

June isn't very far away, but I am assured that every distance biker has several seats., due to trial and error.

There is a bike shop near us with a 30 day return policy on seats. Do you have any of those in your area?

I use a comfort seat, but 20 miles is about my limit, at least in part because I haven't been riding enough.

[kpd905]

What brand shorts are you wearing?  If they are cheap ones, I'd look there instead of the seat.

[lutorm]

Get a recumbent! So much easier on ass, wrists, neck, etc. Plus they're cooler. ;-)

[FLBiker]

I used The Seat for ages and I really liked it.  It's basically like a little bench.

https://www.amazon.com/ERGO-Seat-Classic-Bicycle-Saddle/dp/B000AOA4ZC

I didn't ride for such long distances (just commuting to work ~5 miles each way) but it was very comfortable.  The downside is you lose a little control without the saddle horn, so it's harder to ride with no hands if that's your thing. :)

[shureShote]

How long have you been biking? Your body may still be adjusting.

Also, as you get stronger, there tends to be a bit lower loading on the butt as you push harder.

Oh, a question, what sort of hurt? And have you done some adjusting of the seat and/or position?

[darknight]

I had a similar issue, there is a pain curve that will go down quickly! 75 miles is a lot though.. Definitely look into the shorts. If the bike already has a good seat you won't gain much by purchasing a "high end" one - Speaking from experience. Continue riding, adapting and invest in good comfort shorts. Before you realize it you'll be set to go on long rides no problem.

[roomtempmayo]

I second what @shureShote says above: there's an adjustment/adaptation period.  If what we're talking about is aching sit bones, that eventually gets better.  Fortunately, it also seems to be something you get past and it doesn't come back.

As for seats, most people either like flat (front to back, ala Fizik Arione) or hammock (ala Fizik Aliante).  Shops used to have loaner fleets from Fizik that were odd colors (orange, yellow, purple) to hand out for people to try.  Try calling some shops to track them down.  You're most likely to find them at the sort of place with a $10k Pinarello on the wall.

If you decide to just buy something and try it, the old Selle San Marco Regale is a classic saddle for big guys: https://sellesanmarco.it/en/negozio/approach-en-2/regal-leather-copia/  I'm not saying it's going to work for you, but it might be a decent first effort.

Also, how wide are your tires right now, and what pressure are you running?  If you can fit them in your Domane, going with at least 28mm and running them at 70-80 psi will take a lot of the sting out of the road.

[2Birds1Stone]

I've had the best luck with ISM Adamo saddles, specifically the Prologue.

Any really good bike shop will let you keep swapping saddles till you find "the one". Here in NY we have a shop that will give you store credit for the full value of the saddle so long as the replacements come from them, you can literally try 6+ saddles without being stuck with reselling if they don't work for your geometry.

ETA: congrats on the weightloss! As you ride more frequently/longer your sit bones and muscles in that area get used to it. When I dust off the roadie after 6+ months on the MTB, even a 30-45 min ride leaves me sore, by the fall I can ride 4+ hours without any soreness.