Funny coincidence, Romain from cdk.fr just posted about flattening saddles! He found a pretty cool video about the whole process.
It’s all there:
That’s actually the one Ron refers to earlier in this thread, though more prettily embedded.
Cheaper source for Stadium base
I just discovered, that some other saddles than the nimbus Stadium seem to have moved to the Stadium base. (e.g. UDC Trainer Saddle or some Club saddles). So who wants just a Stadium base for an own saddle project now has a cheaper alternative than to rip apart a Stadium saddle.
Has anyone else found the nimbus flat saddle to be really comfortable for rides around 10 miles long? I just did a 8-9 mile ride on my 36 freewheel, and it is WAY better than it appears. It’s thin, hard, and there’s no center cutaway, yet there wasn’t any rubbing and the saddle didn’t feel like I was riding on a wood board. I haven’t taken it for anything longer than today though. I’ll see how it holds up when my NAUCC training gets into full swing.
So I did about a 26 mile ride yesterday on that saddle. Mostly over relatively flat smooth road (I do live in the foothills of the cascade mountains), but there was also about 8-9 miles of hardpack gravel, and 4 miles of hills. Impressively for a saddle not designed to be used for any distance, I’m not sore at all, and I wasn’t uncomfortable during the ride. I only intentionally dismounted once, and that wasn’t even due to saddle soreness. I didn’t even have to wear bike shorts. The nimbus flat saddle is the older one wth the camo pattern on it, I got it in 2014.
I bought a stadium for my new build and find it really hard and the square shape just cuts into the inside of my legs. Going back to what I used to use and modding it with the foam from a Naomi.
I had same feeling but after 2 days in cycling shorts It was fine. Now I like it in normal shorts too.
Is it starting to feel like the selection of saddles is shrinking again? When I started riding there was Miyata and maybe one KH option. It’s starting to feel like the options are shrinking again. Trying to find some of my favourite softer saddle options is getting harder. Gonna start rebuilding my old air saddles soon as alternatives.
I feel like UDC is currently doing a terrible job at informing people about their products, last weekend at the Municycle.com booth at the german championship, I saw many models of saddles I had not seen before…
But when you are looking for soft saddles, yes, your options are probably becoming slimmer. I personally find harder saddles more comfortable, and many people share that experience.