Fanmail!

Squeaking wasn't your saddle after all!

Carol,

Thanks for your offer to give the saddle a “tune-up”.  However, I feel I must decline and offer an explanation as to WHY.

I removed the saddle from the bike a couple of days ago, after trying grease, T-9 lube, loosening, tightening, prayer and also calling it every name I could think of.  I reached my limit!  I put on the old saddle (which kind of feels like riding on a marshmallow) and then took off for a quiet, squeak-free ride.  And it was… for the first couple of miles… and then the squeak came back.  Not quite as loudly as it was previously, but loud enough to both piss me off and to make me realize that I had falsely accused this saddle of a crime it didn’t commit.

It appears that what I thought was a creaking saddle was actually my SPD cleat grating against some part of the pedal.  A guy at a local bike shop listened to my description and then suggested a teflon based lubricant spray… and the 20 mile ride home was pedaled in blissful silence.

So I thank you for your offer of taking care of the saddle — it’s nice to see a company that will REALLY stand behind their product!  But apparently it’s not your product that was giving me all this grief for the past several months!

Now… can anyone explain how a pedal and clip combination can do a ventriloquist act that makes it sound like the squeaking is coming from the saddle instead of the pedal?  Because both my wife and I could have sworn that the sound was coming from the seat area — not from the pedal or crank!

Rich

Okay, so I really did make a good decision

to make the Metric Century my first real ride on the new saddle. I have been searching for the last 5 years to find a comfortable (read not painful) saddle. We (my wife and I) began cycling in 2011 for fitness as our knees wouldn't allow us to run anymore. As we began to ride we found so much enjoyment in it that we began to do longer and longer rides. It was at this point I began to experience saddle problems (my wife had none) and thus the search began. I found myself starting to avoid longer rides because of the saddle issue. A few months back after our local ride group's recovery ride I was explaining my saddle problems to a friend. He told me about how he had had similar problems 3 years earlier before he found this Selle Anatomica saddle. I was a little skeptical to say the least when he stated that the saddle was unbelievably comfortable....RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX! Well, he lent me his old saddle that I mounted on my trainer. After a few training sessions I was impressed enough to order an X series (oh yes, on closeout). I mounted it on my Roubaix last Friday night planning a test at an organized ride on Saturday. Well, as we departed the start line, I was unsure. At 2 hours, it was like I was on my couch. I kept expecting the pain to start. It never did. No pain, no chafing, nothing. 65 miles later, primo! Sold! Just ordered another one for my other bike. Awesome saddle! Thanks SA!

-Ron

Fan Mail

I am 68 and have purchased a number of saddles over the years. Of course all of them claimed to be comfortable. I tried the Sella Anatomica X series, and I remain amazed. I just ordered one for my wife's bike. I couldn't be more pleased.

Coach Darryl Fit of Selle Anatomica

Hi Darryl,

I rode 71 miles on the new saddle last Saturday and was sooooo comfortable.  I always thought that saddles for road bikes are just uncomfortable and that I needed to tough out the discomfort because that is just how it is.  With this leather Selle Anatomica, I now know that I can be comfortable over a long distance now.  

Thanks for your suggestion on the saddle.  What a difference it made for me.  I can't wait to continue to see how it works out over the really long rides.

Feel free to post this on your site as a review if you like.

Chad

NAHBS Feedback from Chad

I'm loving the saddle - took it out on a hilly 70 mile ride the day after we riveted it up at NAHBS, and it was immediately comfortable! I have a few hundred miles on it now and it is just super. Thanks for making a great product, and for bringing it to NAHBS.

I've been racking up miles to get ready for the California Eroica, mostly on my old Bianchi which now sports the Selle Anatomica. It's really comfy, I wish I had had it when I rode RAMROD last July!

Thanks John!

Carol,

Installed the X-series today and rode 25km at the velodrome. It was like sitting on a feather pillow. After trying out several saddles and this one is definitely the most incredible I have ever used. Will put on a couple hundred km more over the next couple of weeks, then write a review on your site. Unless you think there is a better spot?

John

Recommendation

Just a note to tell you our appreciation for your great comfortable saddles. I have had mine on my bike for 3+ months with 1,000+ miles & this past Friday bought my wife one for her bike at the Sacramento bike show, and she is very happy with hers also, after going through at least 4 saddles of various makes it makes us both very happy to finally find a saddle that actually doesn’t offer pain after 30+ miles. We both will highly recommend to all our cycling friends here in Sonoma County.

JackH ?

Happiness

Woah!  Just looked at your address.  San Diego!  I thought the company was located in Wisconsin.  Took some pride in that as I'm from Green Bay.

Anyway, the reason I'm writing is I have to share my happiness.  I purchased a new Trek Domane 6.9 a year ago and have been struggling in finding a comfortable saddle.  I have easily spent over $1000. searching everything from high end Bontrager to Selle Italia.  I've essentially stopped bicycling after going hard for a couple years with a wounded warrior organization (Ride 2 Recovery) following my recovery from Iraqi combat injuries.

My first bike was a Cannondale Synapse and I rode it comfortably for two years with a Sella Anotomica X Series.  I then bought my Trek and gave my son my Cannondale.  I have essentially quit riding, have gained weight and have purchased and tried saddle after saddle trying to eliminate my numbness and soreness.  I completely forgot about my Sella Anatomica.

My son just came to visit me in Florida (with his bike to get me up and moving) and I swapped seats with him on a whim.  I immediately experienced and remembered the comfort and blood flow and was reminded of how fun riding can be when you're not thinking about your backside.  This ride was this morning and I'm pumped and wanted to thank you for my regained sense of wanting to get active again.

Saddle Fit from Gene

Hi Carol,

More feedback.  I have about 250 miles in the new saddle now.  So far so good.  I did tension the saddle to a drop measurement of 7/16” cold and after a ride it measured 1/2” warm.  The next morning it was back to 7/16” and that has remained constant for the last three rides.  The adjusting bolt was almost at the end [touching] the seat frame and I have screwed it out 3/8” applying tension to the leather.  The only other adjustments I have made is to the tilt. Height and set back are as before.  Minor adjustments seem to make a big difference.  The best position for me so far has been a 2 degree up in the front measured with a digital level.  That is almost 3/8” up in the front.  I am still getting used to what I call the “saddle horn” like feel of having the front higher than the back having ridden for the past seven years on the Fizik Arion that was dead level.  Not bad, just different.

I still have a very slight feeling of wanting to slide forward but not enough to tip the front up to compensate.  My only thought was to tension the saddle to a 3/8” hammock measurement to “flatten” it out a bit which may ease the saddle horn and tendency to slide into the hammock.  What do you think?  The narrowest part of the slot is staying at 1/4” or a frog hair less. 

 

X Series Accolades

I have been riding the X Series for over a year and it has been the best saddle, by far, that I have ever had. My first long ride on it was a double century which made me a true believer. I have referred several friends to this saddle and all have been extremely satisfied. I no longer need chamois creme or expensive bibs. I would suggest it to anyone increasing their milage or having any kind of "rear issues".

                                                                                Bob