I'm looking for a new saddle for my gravel bike. I didn't get along with the Cambium C15 carved. It caused numbness in the genitalia way too fast. I know these things are very personal but I'd like to hear your thoughts. What would be a good saddle to fix this issue?
the saddle itself is rarely the cause of discomfort, most of the time it's the fit itself (albeit as long as you don't have a saddle that is massively too wide or narrow for you)
agree with the above comment most people run their saddles too high and have excessive reach in the front end of the bike (or even are riding the wrong size frame in alot of cases), which causes discomfort and to remedy this people tilt the nose down which makes the problem worse as you end up sliding down onto the nose of the saddle which causes the type of discomfort you note
without making any changes whatsoever, would be interesting to post a side on photo of the bike to see how it is set up currently
I actually swapped out for a 10mm shorter stem and moved the saddle a few mm's forward. Didn't fix the issue though. I also tried to fix my position on the saddle but didn't feel comfortable. I currently have my saddle set up more or less at 0 degrees. Also my saddle is not too high. I'd rather say it's too low than too high.
I have been wondering if the bike is actually too big for me but haven't bothered or had the money to swap out the frame. And what comes to the saddle choice; there are endless options out there and I don't think it hurts to start with the options someone else with similar problem has found working for them.
I feel like the carved out part of the saddle just doesn't suit me. The shape and size of it don't fit me and creates unnecessary pressure on soft tissue.
You could go for a bike fit. It would provide some reassurance that your frame is the right size and if it's not help you figure out what you should be looking for in future bikes.
In addition, when I went for ond I had the option to try out a number of different saddles to see which one felt best which sounds like a good option for you.
If the bike does fit you properly then I'd say at least give a specialized power a try. They're well liked by a lot of people.
This, but make sure you choose someone with a good reputation
I went to see someone local to me and he was clueless, the changes he made actually gave me alot of pain over time
Since then i've self educated on bike fit to a huge degree and the guy has refunded me as I called him out on how mis-informed he was, and he had no comeback at all
If you can, then film yourself side on with the bike set up on a trainer, should be aiming for circa 140 degree leg angle with a fairly flat foot through the bottom of the stroke as a starting point
since my 'bike fit' i've actually moved my saddle back substantially to relieve alot of pressure from my hands, the fore/aft should be driven by weight distribution, and when riding just above tempo your hands should feel weightless on the bars/hoods as a result
cleat location is another factor that can have a huge influence on saddle interaction
albeit i'm not trying to lecture you at all, bike fitting over the internet is an impossible and pointless task
educate yourself with regards to saddle height / saddle fore/aft / cleat position (mostly the fore/aft, but also consider stance). these are key, and have a play about with your position, you may think your saddle isn't too high, but have you tried lowering it to see what difference it makes? it's all trial and error
I agree that trial and error is the way to go. Small adjustments can go a very long way. Interesting tips about weightlessness at a higher pace. It's interesting that you moved the saddle backwards which took some strain out of your wrists. I associate this relief with a more upright position (shortening your reach by moving the saddle forwards).
Fabric has their new Line S which has a pretty huge cutout and most people really dig their level of padding and shape.
I was about ready to get a Specialized Power, but at $130 for the Comp model I decided I'd save $50 and try something different. The Line S is a little lighter than the Power, too. Provided you don't need the real wide 168 model Specialized, the Fabric is a good option in 142/155 sizes.
I've experimented with these short/wide saddles before, and generally found them pretty comfortable on all my bikes.
I still think a fit from a reputable shop is the best bet. It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out who the top dog fitters are in your area, and then select one who gives you a good vibe. Try and spend a few minutes chatting with the person on the phone or in person while making your inquiries, to gauge their style and knowledge. Might be a challenge in a busy bike shop, but honestly if the fitter isn’t willing to take a few minutes to ‘sell’ their services, I’d look elsewhere.
I know it’s not always a perfect experience, but it’s a good baseline, and at the very least you’ll come out of the fit with more knowledge and another perspective.
Plus realistically it’s only the cost of a few saddles or a saddle and stem. Unless you have a huge stack of cockpit parts sitting at home to experiment with, buying parts to ‘try’ gets expensive faster than you’d expect.
I agree that trial and error is the way to go. Small adjustments can go a very long way. Interesting tips about weightlessness at a higher pace. It's interesting that you moved the saddle backwards which took some strain out of your wrists. I associate this relief with a more upright position (shortening your reach by moving the saddle forwards).
it's pretty common that people will shift their saddle too far forwards to reduce reach, or assume that a long stem and zero setback post is more aggressive/powerful position and upset the handling of the bike as a result - things end up very twitchy with a more forward bias weight distribution!
I agree that trial and error is the way to go. Small adjustments can go a very long way. Interesting tips about weightlessness at a higher pace. It's interesting that you moved the saddle backwards which took some strain out of your wrists. I associate this relief with a more upright position (shortening your reach by moving the saddle forwards).
it's pretty common that people will shift their saddle too far forwards to reduce reach, or assume that a long stem and zero setback post is more aggressive/powerful position and upset the handling of the bike as a result - things end up very twitchy with a more forward bias weight distribution!
Is that true? I think it's actually less twitchy. More weight on the front = more force on the front wheel slowing handling down. Longer stem also slows steering down.
Think about riding up a steep climb as your weight shifts back, the front wheel starts to develop a mind of its own because its got less force on it so can change direction with much less effort.
handling on road bikes, even more so on loose gravel, you want a nice balanced weight distribution for cornering
too far back - front wheel becomes weightless
too far forward - front wheel tends to dive into corners
stem length does slow the steering down, which is nice, although when you are travelling at speed and cornering it is more of a tilt induced cornering technique you use, rather than a turn of the bars - this is where the weight distribution of saddle fore/aft applies
handling on road bikes, even more so on loose gravel, you want a nice balanced weight distribution for cornering
too far back - front wheel becomes weightless
too far forward - front wheel tends to dive into corners
stem length does slow the steering down, which is nice, although when you are travelling at speed and cornering it is more of a tilt induced cornering technique you use, rather than a turn of the bars - this is where the weight distribution of saddle fore/aft applies
I'm not debating any of the above - my comment was nothing to do with optimum positioning or the type of bike, terrain, whatever. I'm not interested in discussing that because it's pretty self explanatory.
I was just pointing out that your comment about front end bias/weight over front end causing twitchiness was incorrect and misleading - and you've just corrected yourself on that in your last sentence.
Very true. How are things over in Finland? From a brief google, it looks like restrictions are starting to open up a bit?
Yes they are. Most restaurants opened up in June but they are limited to half of tables they have. Some bike stores have been open normally the whole time as there were no restrictions in that field of business.
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