Choosing A Road Bike Saddle - Pro Bike Fitters Honest Opinion 

I am deeply upset that you no longer call videos with James "Bike Fit Tuesdays." Otherwise, great video, always happy to see James.

Nice to see James back on the Channel! I would love to see some bike adventures like in the good old days as well ;)

i seem to remember James had a video on how horrible short nosed saddles were. now it's his best selling saddle? curious why the change of opinion. would love a video covering that. ty...entertaining and informative video as always.

Pretty much everything worth learning about saddles and riding position, I learned from watching James’ videos. I’ve gone from numb d*** and sore backside to comfortable 100 mile sportive. Thanks James.

Good to see you Francis, all the best. And James of course. x

Always great seeing James. Also, his appearance is my first viewing of your channel.

Sound advice from James again......Great to see him back on the channel 👏

Each and every video with James is a win.

Agree about using Selle SMPs. I'm using a Composit and it was finicky to setup. It took me almost a few months to trial and error to get into position but once it's 'correct', woah that thing is really comfortable despite any foam padding.

Just switched from a Fabric saddle to the Selle Italia slr boost endurance superflow. It felt incredibly comfortable. My sit bones are now supporting me:)

Nice video as always James!! Thank you !!! Btw noticed you got a serious watch collection!!!! Noticed in some videos Omega etc…. ❤❤❤

Love a video with James. Also interesting to see home revisit brands and mention that his preferences have changed. Appreciate the honesty!

Great info James. My favorite saddles are no longer produced (Astute) which is rather annoying. I also have a Berk saddle which is nice but very delicate, also like the Fabric scoop with the pressure releif channel 👍

Ahh, what a nice confirmation, thanks mate. After trying loads of different saddles, I bought Selle Italia SLR Boost Endurance Superflow S3 for all my bikes :)

Pelvically disoriented. You learn something new with James every time 😂

I'm 2 meters tall (6'7") but have narrow sit bones (measured at 95 mm in a cycling posture). I tried a few different saddles but now use SQLab's 612 in its smallest 12 cm width on my road bike. The best cycling purchase I've ever made. Their design of saddles is quite different from other brands and I'd like to see more channels like this check them out.

Good to see James back!

The bike fit I had done two years back was a mixed bag of success and failure but one good thing that came out of it was the realisation that I needed a much narrower saddle than I had thought based on bike shop measurements. Through the fitter I ended up with an Ergon road saddle and after watching one of James’s videos I also bought the Selle Italia SLR Boost on a hunch. The SLR Boost now lives on my road bike and XC mountain bike and the Ergon on my flat bar gravel.

Would be great to see the bisaddle system be talked about. I’ve struggled massively with saddles, having taken James’ recos for the SLR boost and pro Griffon in the past to no long term luck, even with proper bike fits. The ability to buy a saddle and adjust it to fit your unique anatomy is game changing and shows major gaps in the market in terms of sizing - especially for tri and tt bikes.

Used Toupe for years and years, now SLR Superflow Boost on all bikes. Concave to center, convex as you move further back. Perfect.

Love the way he thinks and talks. Great video.

For me the saddle width has been the most important change, I went from a 140mm saddle to a 130mm (they were about the same shape) and it helped a lot!

More James pls 👌

Issue I've had with available bike fitters is that they all had brand deals so stocked one brand of saddle and ofc always said the last fitter got it wrong and I'll be fine with one of their saddles. And if I wasn't willing to buy one, they would just peg any discomfort i had on my none willingness to buy the saddle rather than their terrible fit. (I say terrible because my last 3 fits caused me terrible injuries)

Would like to see an SQLab saddle on the channel. Many of my friends have very good experience with the 612 and I’m a big fan of their a bit more padded 614.

I've never got on with any pressure relief saddle. Just created extra pressure points and extreme discomfort. Traditional shape and narrow enough not to interfere with the thighs for me.

James named off two of my favorite saddles; Shimano Pro Turnix and the Specialized Toupe. I am currently running a Specialized Romin on my road and it's fantastic. The Turnix is currently on my experimental 26" gravel build.

Hi James, the first saddle I was aware of with a pressure relief channel was the Liberator (named after the bomber built mainly by women). I tried one but it was not enough. I tried the SMP with the curved down nose (looks don't really matter) and it was a revelation. I can now ride all day without the excruciating pain from every other saddle I've tried. The improvement is that the channel is slightly wider but effectively is open to the front so there is nothing there to give that awful pressure.

Nice video! Always interesting videos with James! Where are the differences when it comes to bike fit between different disciplines (e.g. road, gravel, XC, enduro etc.)?

Just to know : I'm more of an out of shape almost 50 year old MTB lover and tell me if I'm wrong, but I almost don't see any difference between a road saddle that fits my rear bumpers and a MTB saddle !? I've been using an Italia Flite titanium for ages (well, not between 2003 and 2020 to be honest) and I still love it. I'm currently using a Terry Arteria and it's also a joy ! None of them are made on purposed for MTB but they fit me. By the way, this video is by far the most interesting one that I've seen about saddles ! Thank you !

SMP TRK works for me as a casual rider. Yes it is a bit finicky to get right but is a big step up in comfort from other saddles I have tried.

Are there differences when considering a saddle for long distance gravelling and touring?

Despite an SLR Boost saddle was recommended to me during a session at James's studio, I eventually ditched that saddle. It's a good saddle, and worked for me quite well but for relatively short rides - after fourth hour of riding I inevitably started feeling discomfort in my groin. Of course, I tried lower the saddle hight and other suggestions. In the end, my culprit is edges of the cut out, that are too sharp in my case. Also, despite a wide stance my thighs were polishing saddle rails and there're distinctive marks from the rails on all my cycling shorts. My point is even if that saddle is sold very successfully doesn't mean that it will fit an individual. Long term testing of a saddle, if a position is dialled in correctly, is the only way to find the saddle fits to an individual. Please don't bind it "blindly". One more moment, seen multiple saddle with manganese rails failed in rear bonding socket, leading to collapsing of a saddle to one side. Mine was replaced by warranty. I'd recommend buying a version with Ti rails.

Interesting. I only seem to be able to get away with either a MTB saddle.... WTB Volt currently or perhaps surprisingly the very traditional Brooks B17. All day comfort with either.

My two most comfortable saddles i own are the Selle SMP Drakon and the Selle Italia SLR Boost.

Welcome back Francis and James. X

Fizik Vento Argo 140mm is my favourite, but I’m pretty comfortable on most saddles. I don’t know if makes sense, but for me there are 2 types: saddles you sit ON and saddles you sit IN (which I prefer).

Love my selle Italia super flow! First saddle I tried that was less than 140mm wide. It’s almost like now the saddle is out of the way and I can really engage glutes for more power.

Selle Italia SLR is my favorite saddle too!

Best thing I’ve ever done, took his advice on the sl-r

Interesting. I have been riding a Spec Romin 155 for years due to their measuring in store. My new bike came with a 143 Power and while I only have about 70 miles on it, I really like it so far and may swap all my bikes to it if it continues to feel this good on some longer rides. I think the comment about the measurement being taken from the wrong point on the sit bones is spot on in my case - although the Romin has overall been a good saddle for me.

My bike came with one of the curvy saddles which was ok and I did a few long rides with it. However, I decided to try the cheapest version of the SLR. It makes long rides even better. I’m a large (2m) and older rider

Thanks for this video,you gave me the answer I needed year's ago,this saddle drives me really NUTS !! 😅

Best saddle I've ever had is the Cadex Amp. Not cheap but comfy oh and so light! 129g 😮

Bontrager Aeolus saddle is if the Selle SMP and Ergon had a baby. Seriously they are amazing saddles!

I have the SLR Boost S3 on my road bike based on an older BFJ video. Interestingly I have an SMP on my gravel bike and on an older bike on my trainer. I can attest to the difficulty getting the SMP dialed in. Both the SLR and SMP good for multi hour rides...did 125 km Zwift endurance ride today on the SMP ... my only pain was from sh*tty socks in my shoes causing a tender spot on top of one my toes. (Note to BFJ i do have the 2620 inserts...gamechanger)

Would be nice to see James opinion on the new 3D printed saddle from various brands, and how they compare to regular saddle paddings. I am currently looking at the Fizik Vento Argo Adaptive R1 (gasping for air) Hoping it will provide a little more cushioning than the Selle Italia SLR Boost that I currently have. Have a little discomfort on the left side, so thinking the pressure relief channel might have something to do with it?

I love James. He’s got a good spirit and I’m thereby inclined to believe whatever he says

Happy to see James again, sad that the women specific saddle part is 20seconds with just one option.

Very helpful, thank you.

I am curious to know your opinon on the Saddle from the German brand SQLab. Many say it is a revolution and very comfortable. Great video as always 👍

no 3D printed saddle opinion?! would love to hear what James' opinion on the 3D printed saddles as i ride the Fizik Antares Vs EVO R3 and love it

I'm glad said that James confirmed sit bone width can result in a saddle that is too wide. It did for me.

I wonder if James ever tried SQLab (they use a raised tail where you sit on, your perineum hovers over the front). Their active version has an elastomer in it so it can move with your hip (?) as you are pedaling. I'm on a Selle SMP VT30c at the moment, saddle pressure mapping showed pressure being almost at the edge, I think I sit fairly wide, but then my legs seem to rub the nose - it's its shiny now

I love my fabric scoop with the cut out. My favorite saddle ever

I have a Pro stealth after a bike fit for a triathlon fit. It has felt a lot better than a traditional one for me.

Great update to your previous videos on the topic but IMHO not a fair assessment/opinion of Specialized when you do not discuss the Power Arc version especially when it can be argued that the Arc is the superior successor model variant.

06:24 is spot on for my Specialized Power sadddle.

After this vid I thought I should try out the SLR Boost. I found a second hand one and rode out to get it and installed it for the ride back. I've never felt so comfortable on a bike, f me! And I had always thought my old Fizik Antares saddle was perfect for me. Now I'm getting one for the Gravel bike pronto

Tuesday already?! Could've sworn it was Saturday when I went to bed yesterday!

Recently gone from 143cm Prologo Dimensions to 150mn Fizik Vento Argo, which appear to fit my sit bones better. Im 77 kg so not massive, so maybe shows width isnt necessarily purely related to size/weight. Also took a punt on a Vento R3 Adaptive, which I don't like as much as the non- 3D variants

Great advice as always ..👌👌👌

My Selle SMP Drakon is amazing! I've ridden the specialized power saddle and Selle Italia SLR boost. Speaking to another fitter they said Selle SMP are not friendly to stock because of the cost. Maybe that's swaying his POV

I love my fabric scoop saddles. I'm also fairly upright. Is that another reason, because I'm absolutely not twisted on the saddle, as you say some ex-rowers are.

It is super important to add that cut outs in some people can put too much pressure on the peudendal nerve. This can in term cause inflammation making it hard to pee or a long time to pee, like for me. It takes 10-15 minutes off the saddle to be relaxed enought to pee. It is quite unfortunate, Never found a saddle to help me. And Ive tried a lot. I am going to explore non-cut out saddles with impressions similar to cut outs to see if that helps. Alao, I found the sepcialized mirror to be even more uncomfortable than the normal foam saddle... Too squishy making for lots of irritation.

James has got me on the boost SLR saddle just got to give him te feedback now I've done a few rides on it.

What’s James’s opinion on “all road/off road/gravel” saddles? Saddles with versions that have softer padding. Some ultra distance riders are using them. But some are saying the softer padding means less support

The variety of bicycle saddles, and opinions, are absolutely mind-boggling. Researching saddles is so confusing and opinionated, I always give up. My decade old Toupe saddle finally gave up, and I was forced to replace it. I was able to try the Fizik Arione and absolutely love the ability to move around effortlessly.

Love the Pro Turnix for XC mountainbiking. Though the current performance version with the pointy carbon 'wing' on the rear really scares me as a mountainbiker. Would definitely not like to crash into that. The chromo version looks way nicer to crash into by accident 😅

I would be interested in James's thoughts on ISM-type saddles (bifurcated saddle noses). They are usually found on tt/triathlon bikes but they might help riders with natural anterior pelvic rotation to get into racing positions on the road.

sold all 3 slr boosts, look out for groin issues, it took a year to develop, they seem to have a sharp edge in the groin area that points up, back to romin evo that doesnt have that sharp edge. im also trying the pro stealth performance, no groin issues but sitbone pain, so experimenting with tilt, ive tried the recommended 1 degree, but just not comfy, but pain is nowhere as bad as the groin pain from slr

Hey there James, great content from you all as always. This is a little off topic, but I just realized that I have some toe overlap on my new bike, I’m a shorter rider. It’s less noticeable with 30mm road tires vs 38mm gravel tires. What are your thoughts? Is this a major issue or should I just live with it? Thanks again for any help you can provide.

I've missed James on the channel, any chance of a epic roadtrip this summer?

Seat bones pressure with cut-out saddles; have found out that proper saddle tilt (level in my case with slr boost kit carbonio) is really critical. Just a little too much nose down, in my case we are talking about ~half degree difference, and boost slr kit carbonio starts irritating my sit bones just after ~70/80kms ride... A little nose down gives that nice seat bones contact feeling at the beginning of the ride, but after those two/three hours results with extensive pressure on sit bones. So saddle TILT seems to be really important, also for seat bones comfort, apparently :)

How would this apply to mountain bikes. Specifically gravity mtb

Question: What do you think of measuring your sitbone width whilst in riding Position (ie. Put aluminium foil over your saddle , get two imprints and measure that way) ?

Very nice video :) i would have loved to hear about the impact, the „gel“ cover on the saddle makes. There are very soft saddles and saddles with nothing than carbon. I would like to hear a professionals opinion about that :)

The "mimic" saddle is so named because the particular foam they use in the middle bit is meant to "mimic" yer ladybits. Thanks specialized. PS i really like that nowt daft t shirt, i want one.

I’ve got 2 Sella Italia saddles (one slr boost) and they both squeak / clunk. The rails aren’t fully bonded to the saddle body. I believe this is to help them flex for comfort or suspension. No, this is not as a result of the BB or anything else. The clunks can be triggered by manipulating the saddles themselves by hand. In fact after a couple of months riding some of the blue plastic at the nose where the rails fix came away. The saddles function as intended, but this is insanely annoying, particularly considering price.

The type of saddle I use isn't really represented here. I use an ISM saddle, which are more for triathletes, but I have one on my road bike and find them really comfortable. Split, short nosed, and really good quality. Plus, if you call ISM saddles in Tampa FL, odds are you're going to speak to the owner of the company who designed/invented all of the saddles they sell and he'll gladly speak to you about them.

Really interesting video ! :) I've got a question : how do you set the saddle tilt, particularly for SLR Boost S3 ? Levelling ? From where ? Feel in line with your argument at 6:20, I've been recommended a Power Arc saddle 155mm width to put pressure on my seatbones, but i'm actually sliding toward the nose of the... noseless saddle because my thighs are not allowing me to get to the actual 155mm width zone... I was considering to switch to SLR boost and your video is very timely ;)

I've watched so many videos on this channel with James talking about bike fit and saddle discomfort. Yet after 3 years of cycling, 5 different saddles tested, a bike fit, a secondary session with the fitter, and some experiments, I still experience discomfort in my posterior (skin pain at the sit bones from the pressure). 120-150 km rides were my weekend routine last year, I even did some 200+ km rides back to back towards the end of the year. I have no back pain, no neck, shoulder or hand pain, no pain at any joints in the legs or feet. The only problem is the bum. Is it still wrong bike fit, or am I just doomed to suffer? Right now I'm using the SLR Boost Superflow S3, the most comfortable saddle I've tried so far. Fun fact, it collapsed without me ever crashing, and the right side is a little lower. Coincidentally, I experience more pain on the right side. And yes, I'm very much asymmetric all over the body because of scoliosis and stuff.

A query but how long do saddles last?? I assume over time the foam will pack down getting thinner? I appreciate this will all depend on how long you spend on the bike but anyway of checking or measuring when to replace your saddle?

I know James recently criticised Brooks leather saddles in one of the videos, but I'd love to hear what he thinks about the Cambium line. A lot of publications focused on bikepacking/ultraendurance hold the Cambium in really high regard.

I like Fabric "LINE-S ELITE FLAT" or "LINE-S RACE FLAT" short Nose Saddle. Btw. i realy like James.

I tried a Boost SLR but felt like my ass was going numb after long rides. The hole is SO big that it felt like sitting on the toilet for too long. What does James think of the differences with padding (eTPU and 3d mesh etc) in saddles?

Something I'd like to know which I don't think you've covered: I have 2 almost identical bikes apart from 1 is road and 1 is gravel. I sit a lot lower on the gravel than the road. But I feel comfortable on both. Is this ok?

Would you recommend the flight over the boost for comfort as it has more padding?

Would have liked to have seen him talk about ism style saddles, I've seen a few riders use them on their road bikes recently

Why are there no flat profile saddles anymore? The Selle Italia SLR had a flat profile 12 years ago, but not anymore....

James, I do have the Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow and I do wonder for measurement purposes - where should ideally be the main contact point on the saddle ( I guess about 13.5cm back from the nose) and in terms of tilt - what would be considered overall flat or better said neutral with this specific saddle (I thought -4deg overall since it is sloping up at the back and it would make it 0 deg in the middle)? Thanks for your help

cool t-shirt Francis

It's always fun to rewatch James' Fitting opinions, but sometimes he is too biased against certain products, which can be a life saviour for some riders.

Anyone switched from Selle Italia Flite to SLR or other way around? I've been pleased with my Flite boost superflow but maybe I should try the SLR too if it's even better. Also what do you think of the endurance / gravel models with more padding?

ISM on TT bikes? Enjoyed my time there. Thx Andy. -U10

I love these videos, and I can’t get enough of them. Does James have any experience with SQ Labs saddles? They’re very different. Also, I wish he’d weigh in on Brooks. Every time I see one on a bike that isn’t a retro cruiser, I wonder why somebody is using it. And people buy them used. Gross.

One of the best saddles I've ever had is a VERTU I got off Aliexpress for less than 10 quid. It's basically a plastic hammock, so there's no padding, but it is surprisingly comfy. And its completely impervious to sweat or rain. And it's also really light. Oh, and it has a small pressure relief channel. My only critique is that it's on the long side, at least compared to the newer short ones. I've got three VERTUs on different bikes, and have given at least 2 to mates. Well worth a try. If it doesn't feel comfy on longer rides, stick it on your commuter or pub bike. At that price, there won't be any tears if it gets nicked! Cheers

this video is most suited to younger riders. As an older rider 70+ our body changes considerably from 60-70 and no one really caters for us. Bike fitting people have their mind set up for slamming and race positions, when all we want is comfort

I just bought a new saddle yesterday, 😮 waiting for it to come in…. Where were you James!?… You could’ve posted this sooner Francis 😅

My bike fitter hates the SLR Boost, since it recently lacks of quality. The rails comes non-symmetric from the factory. Not sure if this is really a bigger thing or just a temporary problem (or even true...). Also other fitters like Neill Stanbury measure your bones sitting and prefer SQ Lab or SMP. Unfortunately there is no common sense in bike bitting world :/ (except of getting a bike fit lol)