How to Choose the Correct Saddle Width 

Man, I love Neil. Could listen to him forever. This is a wise, knowledgeable, strong, kind and humours gentleman. Expert in what he does. Big role model. Thanks for this content Cam.

A while back I found my ideal saddle that I couldn't be happier with. But I still clicked on this video and watched it just to hear Neill.

Great video, as all of these are. Very thankful for that. One other thing that I've learned while dealing with the whole saddle width thing is that not all saddles with a specific width number to them are necessarily the same thing. I've had some in hand that roll off quite quickly to the sides and are therefore a much more narrow fit than you'd expect by the number. Others tho, like the SQ Labs one mentioned, have a quit flat back and are therefore effectively the same width as they are labeled.

Thanks a million. Was going to start looking for yet another seat to try as I kept having pain in the sit bone area. But this video helped me confirm the seat I have is the right width. Found your other video for adjusting the seat. And finally found comfort with adjusting my seat forward and minor adjustment to the angle.

Great video. I think one point that should have been discussed is that front, middle, and wing widths are all important. Just because a saddle is 132mm wide at the wings, doesn't necessarily mean the middle is narrow. I personally struggled with finding the appropriate saddle because I did not realize how many cutout saddles are actually very wide in the middle. In other words, I also suggest examining how the saddle shape tapers from the tip to the wings. For me, if the middle is too wide, I end up moving towards the nose of the saddle which affects saddle height and pelvic stability.

These videos are invaluable for any cyclist interested in getting a correct fit that cannot afford an actual professional fitting. Excellent information and thanks very much for taking the time to makes these fitment videos!

I bought the sqlab 612 last year, after your recommendation. My measured width of sit bones is 13 cm and I bought the size 15 saddle. Should have gone with the size 14, because I roll the pelvis quite forwards, to get my lower back straight. Since I bought the saddle, a new version came out. I will buy this new saddle in size 14 and will use the current one on my upcoming MTB.

Excellent vid, thanks!

Another great instructional video. Please keep these coming. I used your method of the tin foil to check my width and got a measurement that was almost spot on to the Specialized instore seat measurement they use when I last bought my Ronin saddle. Oh I like that bike model in the background on the wooden stand. Good choice.

I used silly puddy/play doh in a zip lock bag to check my sit bones. Sit the same way in the video, 2nd step up, lift your heels up and the cool part is the clay holds your indentations. Easy to measure. Pack it super hard before you sit.

Will share my opinion as a guy who is much older and been at this for decades. Neill Stanbury is the smartest bike fitter on the web. All said, there are a plethora of contributors to choosing seat width. Yes, you can parameterize as Neill does so well. But there is more to it. Shape of the saddle, side to side and front and back is huge. Basically it is two topographical surfaces intersecting, seat and pelvis anatomy. Rider weight matters as well in terms of saddle deformation. For wide sit bone riders watching this. I am a fit older, just over 6 foot tall wide hipped rider. So finding the right saddle for me has always been a challenge. I don't ride real slammed...with pronounced forward pelvis tilt, but I ride in the drops a lot. I always feel like my sit bones are over the edge of the saddle in back. Recently I tried the Specialized Phenom Mimic in 168mm and it supports me. It is a woman's specific saddle or marketed this way. Women on average genetically have a 1cm wider sit bone spacing compared to men...10mm due to evolution and child birth. I have ridden the Specialized Toupe 155 for years which is just a hint too narrow. There is no teacher like trial and error. I find the sit bone measuring method that Neill demonstrated to be a bit simplistic in the real world. If you noticed Neill sat on the stairs with foil under him with this torso close to upright. That isn't the posture of riding a road bike which is closer to 45 degrees on the hoods. Rolling the pelvis forward narrows the pelvis touch down. Most people know if they are wide hipped or narrow hipped. Trial and error. Thanks Neill as always for your wonderful insight. You are a very smart guy in a world filled with too many who aren't. Pelvis shape is a complex surface and angle of pelvis as explained is a contributing factor as well. Where two worlds collide, pelvis meet saddle shape.

Great video! Please add this to your Bike Fitting videos playlist.

Another 90mm sit bone rider here who was just looking at SMP Blaster today! Do you think it would help me sit more upright? I usually have to push saddles all the way back and roll my pelvis quite forward to be comfortable, which then impinges my hips. Thank you Neill for sharing all of this great info!

Yes! Someone else with super narrow sit bones. I also have about 90mm and nothing ever seems to fit great. Currently using a 132mm PRO Turnix pro saddle and I still feel it could be thinner.

interesting about the pressure on the front, think i need to remeasure my sitbone. thanks :-)

just found this, the aluminum foil works great, I finally have a better understanding of my best saddle width (and why) !

Love your videos! I bought the SQLabs 612 active in 15cm and tried but was a total taint smasher. I’m having decent luck with ISM PR1.0 on my TREK Emonda. I just wish I could go to Neil to have him work on my fit. I really want to live cycling but just cannot get comfortable for extended periods of riding.

my seatbones measured 130mm, this was measured in a 45 degree seating position. Therefore i opted to change from a 155mm saddle to a 130mm saddle and i could immediately feel my pedalling dynamic change for the better. My pedalling became smoother, power delivery was easier, no more rubbing against my thighs, just an overall win for myself 🫶🏻

Great 👍 thanks.

I have used the cardboard and aluminum foil measurement technique. The measurement from what is the center of the sit bone dents is 104mm. Question what width saddle should I be shopping for? This is for my flat bar gravel bike that is for longer rides mostly on pavement. Is a 150mm saddle too wide, seems many of the saddles I’m checking out are in the 150 to 160 range. I image I’m not a special situation and more the average sort of rider. Thanks!

Went into a bike shop today for a fitting. Sat on the "assometer," measured 120mm, just as Neill said is a common size in this video. But then what? Do you choose a saddle that's 120mm wide? Or 140mm, or what? Are your sitting bones supposed to be on the flat part of the seat? Feel like they're on the sides of the seat, or actually not on the seat? (Supporting your weight with the squishy part in between?) What if I ride my bike and I constantly feel like the seat is cutting circulation to the legs? Obvi, something is wrong, but I don't know if I need something wider, or narrower, or what. Unfortunately, the bike shop today had none of these answers, and neither did this video.....

Getting the right saddle is tricky. I struggled with it for over a year and a half. Had a bike fit by a good fitter and I know my saddle height is dialed in. 100% sure of that. Changed out the saddle that I was originally on when I got fitted. I got measured up as a 145 saddle on Spesh assometer and Bontrager saddles. That was still too narrow. My experience was that my left side was coming forward and causing saddle sores on the left side. I just recently purchased a Bontrager 155 Aeolus and Bingo! My pelvis is now stable and I have over 400 miles on it and no saddles sores or chaffing of any kind. Purchase saddles that give you a 30 day trial. Sometimes you have to try all the sizes they have available to find what is best for you. Even if the assometer says you're a 145 like in my situation. Like Neill says, your forward leaning position will also factor in what size you will require.

What do we do with the measurements once we have them?

Another thing I noticed as I set my riding buddies' bikes is that the saddle shape, when it comes to the transition from the wings to the nose, also matters depending on one's body. Most skinny friends I have with large thigh gaps found themselves comfortable with all-around wide saddles with mellow transition from wings to nose like a Specialized Power or a Pro Stealth. Meanwhile, other friends I have that tend to be on the meatier side and have narrow thigh gaps settled on saddles with a large scoop from the wings to the nose, like a Romin or Turnix.

Man I’ve been dealing with something I thought was periformis pain but now idk. Seems to start under my left butt cheek and then spread to my hip mostly on the outside/ rear. Right in the socket. Think I can feel the edge of the saddle ,130mm, rub along something (tendon, nerve, muscle) with each pedal stroke. 15 miles in and the pain is constant. Never really sharp. Can’t figure it out so thinking about a wider saddle. Current saddle 130mm and very sloped down on the edges. Only one side mainly.

Is this a big difference between small and medium sizing

I wish this video had seen the light a few months ago. I am one of those who has suffered some discomfort in the front end due to a narrow saddle. Until I analyzed how my support was in the saddle and decided to try a wider one (as Neil has suggested). Night and day.

foil is genius! I've been trying to do it on yoga mats and with my fingers under my butt trying to feel the sit bones, lift my butt and get my partner to measure hahaha

So if you measure 150mm, you get a 150mm or add 10-20mm on to get the final number?

I am sure that lady loved when you said she was unbelievably wide 😄

I had the frontal pressure Neil spoke of trying to ride the saddles that came on the bikes I purchased and then I finally got fitted and love the power saddle in a 155mm but I would also mention that I have had 2 of them and just because you get the same width they do not ride the same but I am a bigger guy so I get a bit more pressure then most. I am also very curious about the review on that Seka bike as I have been interested in building one but wanted to see your review first.

Had a 155 power arc saddle and one leg was all over the place. I think my hip was rotating and completely throwing it off axis. Went to a 143 saddle and the straightness and fit has been much better.

Has anyone had a personalized saddle made by Meld?? Meld custom makes a saddle for you but they don't guarantee you'll like it so I'm wondering if anyone has tried it?

Check out BiSaddle. I have tried at least 10 different saddles in the last 5 years, including an ISM saddle. The BiSaddle SRT, short nose, is fantastic. As close to a custom saddle as you can get. The difference? Ability to adjust the width of the nose and the rear. Pressure relief and support is fantastic. My Pro fitter just started using them. You have the ability to adjust the saddle in disproportionate ways to accommodate for non symmetrical pubic features. I have significant prostate issues that I am convinced we’re caused by a bad set of saddles. With this saddle, it has been alleviated. You will change your mind about SQ labs saddles once you try this saddle out.

Best thing I ever did was get fitted for a saddle! No more pain!

Width is one thing but what about shape. Why some saddles seem to be complettly flat on top and some are super round. It makes huge difference if i buy flat or round 140mm saddle. I feel better on round ones but i read that they can cause prostate cancer...

If neal ever is in europe im on the next flight to whatever city he is in :D for a fit

0 seconds ago Great video. Do you have favorite saddles brands to consider for those with especially wide sit bones (like 150 mm, yes really). SQ lab says to add 2 cm for the geometry but only goes up to 16cm for most road style saddles. Specialized has 168 mm for a few styles and they are "ok". Most other brands seem to cap "wide" saddles around 160 mm.....

Great tips yet again Neill, thanks for sharing Cam 👍. Non-cycling but what watch is Neill wearing? Looks lovely.

I'm at 'saddle actually wearing down my shorts by rubbing them'. But part of that is just bad design in the Selle Italia Model X, as it's flat sharp where the thighs rub against it (it's a flat part of plastic at the front some TPU gel pad on top, so the plastic kind of scrapes down your shorts like a knife). It doesn't hurt though, nor can I feel it rubbing so um things are weird

I had a bike fit and was told to use a wide seat because i was sitting of the sides. However, with the new saddle I constantly have pressure on what i believe is the inferior ischial ramus. Any suggestions?

Question for Neil: When I performed the alfoil test I measured 100mm, but my R ischial tuberosity sits about 8mm anteriorly to L. What could the reason be? Thanks for your honest and awesome guidance! Love RCA! Mark in Oregon.

Hi, thank you for your excellent work you do with these videos. They are really helpful to make our rides more fun, less pain :) I would like to ask what would you suggest if measured width of sit bones is 12.3cm, 14cm or 15cm saddle, for example of that mentioned SQlab one.

Bradley Wiggins?

I've had my seat measured, my sit bones measured and have had a pressure mapping done. And I still can't seem to find a saddle that is comfy. Nothing goes numb, or is painful, its just uncomfy for more than 20min periods before I have to stand and then repeat. Back in the day I could get a Rolls Selle saddle and it never had this problem

The SMP Blaster works for me with 117mm sitbones, but I do roll my pelvis forward a lot...like the guy who has that ultra-long reach custom Prova.

Which saddle between Nymber and Blaster when the ischion are 114/116mm approximately ?

I have been suffering saddle discomfort for years. 2 years ago I bought SQlab saddle and discomfort disappeared. I'm using 13 cm saddle, but maybe I should have gone for 12 cm, but I'm not entirely sure.

I have a 155 power saddle, what would that translate to in a SQ Labs saddle please. Specialised measured me and recommended the 155.

Which Selle SMP saddles models can you recommend generally? Tried the SQ Lab 612 and am 7/10 happy with it but i want to give SMP saddles a chance (for gravel/bikepacking, bike is fairly aggro with 1.37 stack to reach ratio) Thanks anyway for these great videos :)

so endurance style riding you should likely purchase a slightly wider saddle for more upright position?

So I'm confused. You say what the sit bone distance ranges are, mine I think is 110 mm. So what is a width of a saddle at which I should be looking? Sit bone distance plus ______ ? I know there are small, medium and large for specialized, but others have s/m or m/l, but no range of width in millimeters. Any suggestions?

Legitimate question why not use just a small square seat to avoid these problems entirely?

I'm 13cm sit bone width female. I just bought my first spin bike and the seat it came with is absolutely huge! I've read some articles saying the more leant over the narrower the seat (+0cm to sit bone if very bent over), the more upright the wider the seat (+4cm completely upright). I'm not sure between a 14 or 15cm saddle? Is it better to err on the narrow side or the wide?

Do you buy a seat that matches ur width exactly or do you donwhat other videos say and at like 20mm to your width?

Great tip, thanks! My only problem is .. where to find an aluminum foil wide enough 😂

Neill, another guy with very narrow seat bones here, 91 mm :D :D

Mine is abt 9-10cm apart

I am 6'1" with 90mm

Women with wider hips

Arse-ometer 🤣

first.

PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE kindly lose the attitude and just provide the facts.