Selle Anatomica

[n8]

What do you guys know about Selle Anatomica Saddles? I do a lot of long distance mountain biking and I live in a very rugged area. I often find myself in techy situations where I need to get off the back of the saddle. I am considering one of these saddles based on all the good reviews, but I am a bit worried about the width and the length of the saddle. Is it going to be too long wide for technical mountain biking? Anyone have any experience with this?

[rick miller]

I like my NSX for long distance riding, but the width is an issue getting off the back - not impossible, but awkward.  Of course if using a large saddle bag this becomes a non-issue.  I didn't have any problems with length.

I broke a rail on mine on the AZT.  Customer support told me their rails are longer than most and this is a known issue if the saddle is set back in the clamp/ heavy rider (I'm 175)/ rough riding. They said they would warranty it for me one time.  I plan to use it mostly for gravel rides in the future and maybe get a set back seat post.

Edit:  Support also told me they were coming out with user replaceable rails next year.

[vikb]

I've used a number of them. Older roadie style so not as strong as the current MTB versions. I used one on my 6" travel all mtn bike for techy BC riding for 2-3yrs. I had no issues with shape or size.

From a comfort perspective they are the best saddle I've used. 8-12hrs/day every for 3 weeks is no problem. I don't use a chamois or padded shorts of any kind.

I've introduced them to 4 or 5 friends. One didn't love the shape so I bought the saddle off him.

[juanesunpescado]

Most comfortable saddle out of the box for me, ever. However I have significantly bent the rails on two of them now. Neither time was considered a warranty issue. They offered to sell me a new frame. I have a full rigid bike so the saddle takes a beating, but still, I figure I should not be able to bend steel with my taint.

To your question, I do find it challenging to get off the back when descending. I suppose it would not matter if you ran a dropper seat post but most bikepackers don't seem to do that in order to accommodate a seat pack.

[THE LONG RANGER]

Hmm! Interesting to hear about the bent rails - mine has bent rails as well, after just a month+ of admittedly hard riding on a fully rigid bike. I weigh in at around 175 lbs as well.

I thought part of it was because of the very very comfy Regulator Ti Seatpost it was pair with which has a interesting clamping method that, if you don't use correctly, seems to loosen easily by itself.

I'm bummed by the bent rails, as it is a very very comfy saddle to use and it's now a part I can't really trust on any more big trips. 

[THE LONG RANGER]

Edit:  Support also told me they were coming out with user replaceable rails next year.

That's good news, because I want to support the company and continue to use their product.

I should also mention I used a different saddle of theirs on the Tour Divide in 2012, and it felt like cheating it was so stupid comfortable. That saddle also broke at the rails - twice even, while riding it, mostly on paved roads. I didn't notice the breakage until both rails broke - the clamp itself kept things together enough to ride!

That was with a Thomson seatpost - not sure if there's a danger of clamping those too tight, but to give some more perspective, my ti-railed Fizik saddle also has a broken rail. I'm still riding it, because: money. But, I wonder if I'm causing some of these problems...

[harryonaspot]

I bent mine too. After only a couple of weeks of easy riding. 170 lbs. really comfortable, but went back to my Brooks for durability.

[offroute]

I have the Titanico X. I'm not sold on the split in the leather, but it's a reasonably comfy all-day saddle. I tried it on my trail bike on a few-day trip that included a load of singletrack and noted these issues: the rear of the saddle has a distinct edge that became annoying against my thighs; the nose has a very hooked profile that works disastrously with backpacks' compression straps. I'd prefer a better tool for the job where copious ST is involved. I'm not sure at the moment what that is.

[trail_turkey]

I can vouch for their resale value. I bought one for long distance riding and touring and it didn't agree with my backside profile at all. I was able to recoup the money in the classified forum on this site within a day of posting it.

[Adam Alphabet]

What do you guys know about Selle Anatomica Saddles? I do a lot of long distance mountain biking and I live in a very rugged area. I often find myself in techy situations where I need to get off the back of the saddle. I am considering one of these saddles based on all the good reviews, but I am a bit worried about the width and the length of the saddle. Is it going to be too long wide for technical mountain biking? Anyone have any experience with this?

I've been on them for years for road style riding and bike touring. For this years AZT 300 I took one of mine to the vice and bent the rear ends down to narrow the saddle and bent the nose down. The saddle was fine for the first day and allowed me to get behind it better, I also used a dropper post. By the second I had bad ass saddle sores, I've never had them in my life... The reason, sitting on the horseshoe metal rail that supports the back the saddle created some serious hot spots. I don't think it's really designed to be moved around on and maneuvered. It's more of a sit and spin type saddle.

I wouldn't use it again for technical mountain biking. I thought it'd be the perfect mix of all day comfort as I've known it to be and with my narrowing mods a good mountain bike option, my butt said otherwise. I've got it on my Surly Straggler now with the same bent shape and it's fine.

[jehsohn]

I used the NSX in Tour Divide last year and it was sooo comfortabel. I had no butt issues at all.I ended up bending the rails on the second to the last day in the Gila. They bent because I rode a fixed gear and would put my feet on the top tube to descend. On that particular descent I hit a pretty big bump before I could unweight the saddle. It survived many miles of descending that way. I also maxed out the adjustment bolt. I have still been riding it but recently bought a new one because, it is the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden!!

[b r e n t]

My body loves these saddles, got one with and without a cutout. I can safely say the saddle rails can be bent back super easy while you're out in the middle of nowhere by hitting them with a rock or log and it's been like six months without another issue

[N10S]

Having owned and ridden a variety of brooks saddles since I was a kid, I have always known that a leather saddle, once broken in, is the most comfortable of all saddles. I researched the selle anatomica for a long time but the weak rail issues always kept me from buying one. Once they started to build the saddles with the beefier chromemoly rails this issue seemed to diminish and I bought a titanico x last year. It is like a really well broken in brooks and comfortable enough to ride without padded riding shorts. I weigh 185-190 and ride my bike on double track, rail trails, and single track, and so far the saddle has performed perfectly. No bent trails for me at this point.I was skeptical at first but have found I really like mine a lot.

[pmac]

I have had 2 Titanico X SA saddles, one purchased in 01/2013 on a road bike and a second one purchased in 12/2013 on a mountain bike.  I weigh about 190 lbs.  I had a serious health issue that kept me off my bikes for most of 2013 and a good part of 2014.  In 2015 I spent alot of time preparing for a self contained tour on the IHSMBR, which I did in August 2015.  Fantastic route.  The SA saddle on my mt bike did great and has been great.  I have about 2300 miles on that saddle.   

However, in the fall of 2015 one of the saddle rails on my road bike completely snapped with less than 1000 miles on the saddle.  This is the only time I have had a rail break or even bend on any saddle on any bike in many years of riding.  I did not have a fall or ridden on anything other than ordinary paved roads. I believe that the snapped rail was/is defective and I asked SA to replace the saddle even though it was out of the one year warranty due to the low miles.  SA refused to do so and said I must have been riding over bumps with my weight on the saddle, which caused the rail to break.  That was total bullshit. 

While the SA saddles are really comfortable, I won't buy another one, even though the one on my mountain bike is still fine.  I replaced the broken saddle with a brooks C17 cambium and been really happy with that.  My advice as far as SA saddles is buyer be beware.  To me, a saddle rail should never snap or even bend absent some really exceptional circumstance. 

[alaskared]

I only have about 150 miles so far on my SA, I have had to dremmel down the 90 degree angles on the seat edge and center split edge and this has greatly improved the ride so far. The comfort factor on "the hammock" effect on the "sit bones" with leather seats is pretty amazing. I may still punch some holes in the lower edge of saddle and pull them together with a zip tie. I wish this saddle was made slightly narrower or with ti rails. Will update after next thousand miles....

[FOG]

I have been having saddle sores and butt problems for the past 2 2.5 years.  I was thinking that I was going to have to give up riding off road and back way down on road riding.

I had a friend recommend the Selle Anatomic X Series saddle, who had worse problems than I had and knows others that have butt problems that this saddle cleared up for them.  I weigh close to 250 with my CamelBak and water, so I am at the upper posted limit for the saddle.  I used Lantisptic on my sores and the saddle.  I now have no butt problems, and I ride sitting down where I was riding standing up to save my butt.

I have tightened both saddles, I have one on each bike, as they loosen.  I think I had one too tight and loosened it a little.

I have not heard about the bending rails until I read this post.  I will start watching them real close; but the they are rated for 250 pounds.

If you have problems they are worth a try and they have a 30 day trial period, so you risk little by trying one.

Wayne