Saddled

When good saddles go bad.

That’s right, my saddle has turned on me. I rode a thousand miles, including a century, on my Specialized Toupe and then it started to feel uncomfortable. When my bike fitter took a look, he pointed out that I was sitting way off the back of the saddle. My sit bones were clinging to the edge like a nervous sky diver.

Saddle shopping is right up there with finding a new bathing suit or the perfect bra—like shopping for the right bike all over again. Unlike a new pair of jeans, a saddle never shows its true fit when you first try it out. It feels good for the test ride in the parking lot. Then you start dreaming of a long riding life together and contemplate what it would feel like to ditch the chamois cream even. It’s only after you swipe your credit card and go on a nice long ride that the claws come out. This happened to me last weekend. After three hours in the saddle, I was ready to rip that sucker off the post and beat it like they did to the printer in Office Space. Standing by the side of the road, I readjusted my bibs as some parts were going numb and others were on fire.

So it’s back to square one. And with a century fast approaching, my sit bones had better hone in on something good.

First up, the Specialized Ruby.

To be continued…