There's
a new saddle in town, and we're so excited about it, we've brought in
test versions of them all so everyone can try one for themselves before
spending a dime. It's the Selle SMP Strike series of saddles, and it's
quite possible they've begun a saddle revolution. With the
“interesting” shape, and HUGE cutout, the Strike's certainly look
different. Truth be told, it's sort of an ugly duckling, but it's
definitely a swan when it comes to comfort on the bike!
As a shop that puts a premium on bike fit, saddles are very important
to us. We constantly swap saddles during fits trying to find just the
right one and, by the very nature of our sport, and how our bodies are
shaped, women have a more difficult time than men when it comes to
saddle comfort. Not long ago I was looking through a women's internet
cycling forum (hey, what can I say, it's a great way to find out what
women want in cycling) and happened on a post about some saddle that
was working miracles. It was called a Selle SMP Strike, and the women
who had tried it believed they had found the “Holy Grail” of bike
saddles.
Intrigued
by all the talk about comfort, I looked up the web site for Selle SMP.
Yikes, that's one strange looking saddle! Come to find out, it's not
just women who loved the saddles, men also found them to take care of
comfort issues in the “nether-regions.” Hmmm, I became more
interested, and looked more closely at the saddle's design. Here's
what I found:
Now,
I'm not sure what you first notice about the Strike, the huge cutout or
the beek-shaped nose. Either way, this is not your typical saddle.
Let's start with the cutout - it's big…really big. You can almost put
your hand through it as a matter of fact, and it takes saddle cutout's
to a whole new level or, umm, width. Obviously, this is to relieve
pressure in the soft tissue area of your bottom, and we'll get to how
well that works in just a moment. Before that, however, let's talk
about the saddle's nose. Yeah, it's strange, and yeah, it's ugly.
What purpose does it serve? Well, whether or not Selle SMP was trying
to or not, they've certainly taken care of accidently catching your
shorts on the nose of the saddle when you're moving from a standing to
a sitting position. Not a huge deal for most cyclists, but it happens,
and it'll likely happen a lot less (or not at all) with the Strike.
The nose really works for mountain bikers – it allows them to slide
forward to the nose of the saddle when climbing steep grades without
torturing themselves. If you've never experienced this position
before, it's actually quite powerful, and allows a mountain bike up
some very steep slopes you wouldn't otherwise believe they'd make.
Okay,
let's get back to the cutout and, really, the overall shape of the
Strike and how all the features work together. The reason most saddles
are uncomfortable is because you're placing your body weight on an area
that wasn't meant to support you – at least not in the manner it does
on a bicycle. Selle SMP saddles move your weight off the soft tissue
underside, and on to the glutei (buttock) muscles and pelvic bones
capable of supporting you. It's actually quite a strange feeling at
first, because you feel your pelvic bones, or “sit bones,” underneath
you supporting your weight. The soft tissue area is then afforded
relief and blood flow, which also increases blood flow to the legs.
Simply put, it's more comfortable because you're not putting pressure
on “parts” which don't like pressure from body weight. For you ladies,
a very sensitive part of your anatomy is relieved of pressure, and for
men, the prostrate is no longer forced to support you. When you first
sit on the saddle, you immediately realize the front disappears from
underneath you – it's pretty darn cool. Of course, you'll also notice
your pelvic bones supporting you, and this is not something you're used
to – it takes a few rides to become accustomed to the feeling, but
people who've tested the saddles have all come back with big smiles on
their faces ready to order one for themselves.
There
are four primary models of the Strike's – all with the same basic
shape, but at the same time changed to accommodate different body
shapes and sizes. It's important to find the saddle that's right for
you, and that's why we have the full line ready to test so you don't
have to guess. Try before you buy! The changes from model to model
are easily visible: there are different widths, and each width has
changes in padding in anticipation of body size and weight. The Strike
Evolution, Stratos, and Glider are actually pretty similar, but
different enough to see & feel on the bike, the Pro model is wider
still, and women tend to like it best. Then there are the more
recreational Plus models for both men and women – these babies are
really comfortable! More for touring bikes, perhaps, but quite a bit
cheaper, too. And, so that brings us to price…these are not cheap
saddles: $230.00 for the Evolution, Stratos, Glider, and Pro; a
significantly reduced $79.00 for the Plus. But we're talking about our
primary connection to the bike, and the area that causes cyclists the
most grief. If you could have a saddle that is considerably more
comfortable than any other, what is that worth? I will say this: For
those who've tested the Strike's, price has not been an issue.
If
you'd like to try a Selle SMP Strike, feel free to come on in and find
the one that fits you best on our fit bike. They're all on seat posts
so you can quickly and easily swap them out. Then take the saddle you
choose out for a few rides on your own bike, and feel for yourself what
the Strike can do for you!