Etape Kit: Saddle and Shorts

I'm not really a kit freak and tend to make do with whatever I've got until I really need to replace something. However, after my long ride ripped my behind to shreds a few weeks ago I decided I really needed to do something about it before the Etape. Yes, it's a risk to change things this close to the event but the alternative was a guaranteed painful experience. At least this way I'd have a chance of being able to enjoy the ride in more comfort.

I've been riding a Selle Italia SLR XP since I bought the bike about 3 years ago and although in theory this is a good saddle, I've never really got on with it. Numbness can appear within 45 minutes sometimes and I'm not talking about sit bone soreness but rather soft tissue numbness (including the most sensitive parts!). I also bought some good quality Pearl Izumi shorts at the same time that have now become quite baggy and were no doubt contributing to the problem.

I looked into Specialized's BG range of saddles that have an anatomical cut-out designed to reduce soft tissue numbness. They also come in 3 different widths and after sitting on one of their memory foam devices at the local bike shop, it seemed I (like most people) needed a 143mm width saddle. This was considerably wider than my current saddle and I think where most of the problems were coming from. My weight wasn't being taken by my sit bones but rather the intervening soft tissue.

Just before the 1066 Ride at the weekend I visited in-gear in Uckfield, who have sample saddles from Specialized and Fizik that they allow you to use for a week to see if you like them before buying. Fantastic! My local bike shop wouldn't let me touch one before buying. I took them up on their offer and tried a Specialized Romin, which proved to be a big improvement. No significant soft tissue numbness and none of those (unpleasant!) tingles in the most sensitive areas. However, there was some soreness noticeable quite quickly, enough to force me to adjust position and stand for a while to ease it off. In the end therefore, I went for a Specialized Alias which has similar anatomical cut-outs but has a little more padding that I might be thankful for on longer rides. It's a bit heavier and doesn't look as sexy but comfort in the overriding concern.

As for the shorts, I decided in the end that if I was going to update I might as well go for what (according to many reviews) appear to be among the best. So despite the hefty price tag I plumped for a pair of Assos F1 Uno S5 bib shorts, which seemed to perform well on the 1066 Ride.

I have my fingers firmly crossed that the Alias/Assos combination will mean that I can focus my energy on getting me up those mountains on the 18th rather than relieving saddle pain and numbness.

Now on to other kit - I still don't own a gilet, arm warmers or a proper cycling jersey for that matter. Oh and I've just noticed my helmet has a crack in it. This is an expensive game!