Reviews

Had a nasty saddle sore & was about to head out for a weeks cycling near Boone NC. Swapped out my regular saddle for my Adamo Road which I had & loved on my TT bike. I was more than pleased with how comfortable the Adamo was on my road bike especially since there wasn’t a flat road to be had. There were no hot spots, or numbness, and I forgot all about the saddle sore. I’ve heard others complain about climbing in this saddle, but I found the opposite to be true. There is plenty of tail to slide back on, or getting forward when you’re tired is far easier than on a nosed saddle. The saddle sore went away so I swapped the seats back, and after one ride on the traditional saddle I was very surprised at how much I hated it! I couldn’t believe that I had come to accept that kind of pain and discomfort as normal for so many years. I went out & bought another Adamo Road right away. No, they are not the cheapest on the market, but the two I own cost a lot less than the shelf full of saddles, I have collecting dust in the basement.

Dear ISM, just wanted to remind you of the great product you make for us older generation. I’ve been riding for the better part of 35 yrs and just thought being numb (down there) was part of the sport. I got smarter 30 years later and started to investigate something more comfortable for the longevity of the sport that I love so much. I’ve been riding the Sport saddle for 5 years now and would never go back to a seat with a nose. My riding buddies make fun of the bed pan shape but I don’t suffer any longer after a long day in the saddle. I’m a mountain biker (not a roadie any longer) and don’t get the jolt in my genitals that I use to get with my old saddle. Thanks so much for developing such a great product!

On the first ride with your seat the other day I could literally feel all the pressure taken off my urethra and prostate area and had the most comfortable bike ride since I started cycling two years ago. I had lost all hope of ever being comfortable on my rides and thought I was going to have to give up cycling. I just wanted to genuinely thank you guys for developing this saddle which will allow me to continue doing what I love. I wish I had discovered you guys a few years ago. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

My ISM saddle has greatly improved my comfort on the bike. Since making the switch to my ISM saddle I have not had a single saddle sore.

Thanks again. Your saddles have allowed me to continue enjoying both spinning and road biking for many hours per week. Great product that really solved a problem I was having.

recently bought a Prologue to fit on my TT Bike. A friend recommended it following my last Ironman. Fitted it to my road bike just to test and was amazed by the level of comfort after a couple of tweaks. Subsequently ordered another one as I am not taking it off my road bike. I live in Berlin, Germany and went for a ride on a very cold Sunday morning. With my previous saddle my nether regions would be very cold and I would not feel comfortable in my tights. However, due to the improved blood flow my midriff felt warmer and I felt much more comfortable in my tights as I did not have that numb feeling down there. Thought you might find the feedback interesting as another USP. Now I am waiting for the Attack as this will go well on the TT bike.

Sunday, Sept 13, 2015, marked 1 year, 5 months, & 20 days since I last rode a bicycle. Complications arising from my diagnosis of prostate cancer resulted in my oncologist issuing a “cease & desist” recommendation. Subsequent surgery pretty much cemented those instructions. Attempts to get back in the saddle after some time to recover had not been met with success. Certain areas of my anatomy protested with a very vocal NO whenever I sat on a bike.

BUT, yesterday, I met with Jayne at BHS to test a new saddle that purportedly would address my issues. I’ll be the first to admit that I did not have much faith in this test, but vowed to give it a shot. I had so little faith in fact that I didn’t bring a riding jersey, shorts, or a proper water bottle. Just a T-shirt, street shorts, a bottle of water from the fridge, and my riding shoes. My expectation was, if this were any sort of improvement over a standard saddle that I’d only manage to ride down to the stop sign, turn around, and come back with a verdict. This device is very different. For starters, it’s shaped like a C and lacks the long nose of a standard saddle. Hmmmm. After a bit of fiddling, it was on the bike and we were ready to test. But first, I straddled it while in the hangar because I didn’t see the logic in dragging the bike out to the highway to end up not riding (confidence was low!). HELLO! This thing felt good! What a surprise. Fast forward to the road… At the road, I gently climbed on again. Surprise! No discomfort. Hmmm, I’m going to pedal. HELLO again, no pain. This is in fact excellent! A few quick position adjustments and I’m on again, cruising down 903 with my friends in tow. SOOOOOO HAPPY! Now read line 1 of this email again: 1 year, 5 months, & 20 days. No stamina, and weak legs, but my coach wants us to ride a 3 mile loop. This becomes 5, then 7, and ends up being close to 9 or 10. I barely had it in me, and was truly pooped when we got back. But the saddle works, and I’m ecstatic that I can begin riding again. I’ve noticed that all of my recovery has been slower than I expected, but I keep progressing. 6 months ago a 1 mile walk nearly killed me, and yesterday the ride on the bike felt the same. That will pass, and I hope that in another 6-9 months I will be close to where I was pre-cancer diagnosis on the bike. Thank you all for the encouragement, and thank you Jayne for finding that seat! It means a lot to me.

I wanted to get a good number of rides in before I reviewed/commented on my ISM seat. I’ve been troubled with seat issues as my rides have become longer, and tried several other seats. No matter the seat my rides were limited only by my discomfort, and sometimes I could not ride several days in a row due to residual pain. I saw the ISM ad while watching the TDF on TV. Having nothing to lose but my sore butt, I went to the website selected the PL1.1 seat. As I live just down the road the seat arrived in just a few days. It took a bit of adjustment to set up the seat on my Specialized Roubaix Comp, but once I found the sweet spot it was great. I can’t believe the change, no more seat associated issues, in fact don’t even think about them anymore. I also find that I can ride longer with less effort and feel less fatigued at the end of my rides. Wish I had discovered ISM a whole lot sooner. Happy I found you guys, and I’ve been talking up ISM with other riders.

I just finished my first big ride of the year. 156 miles no pain, no chafing, no numbness. All smiles. Just got to love an ISM Seat. Great products that deliver on their promises.

After struggling with numbness on half a dozen saddles I’ve been very happy with my ISM saddle. It feels great from mile 1 to mile 100!

Just a follow up on our ISM saddles. We have been very pleased with our ISM’s. We have two of the Metros on our folding Bike Friday Tandem Twosday and I’m using the Urbaine on my single Scott Sportster. They make our 70+ year old butts very comfy for long rides. I used to become aware of the seat about 5 miles into any ride. Now I don’t really think about it any more. It makes sense that the best bike seat is one that is just out of sight, out of mind. Thanks again for these well designed products.

I’m a 54 years old Portuguese, and a late biker. All my life I practiced sport on a regular basis, mostly football and futsal. Occasionally I still play in a veterans Team. A few years ago, with the difficulty of getting a stable group of people to play, I was incentivized to do mountain biking. I especially enjoyed the sensation of freedom and the open spaces. During two years I rode, generally, twice a week. Then, the problems started; first I began feeling numbness, then pain, excruciating pain. Sometimes I couldn’t even sleep more than an hour without wakening. Of course I went to several doctors, did all the exams, and nothing was found. My urologist, once, suggested me to see a colleague (a shrink!). It was the last time I saw him.

Every day I was in pain. Some days were better, others worse. I searched the internet during months. One day, I found a statement that could have written by me. My problem had a name: “Pudendal Nerve Entrapment”. I read everything I could, but in that time there was very little about it. The “old people” just started to ride. It was a new problem. Then, I found a site which today has a new name “HOPE – Health Organization for Pudendal Organization”. It was very helpful, the information was all systematized. For the first time I saw different types of saddles. During two long years I suffered. I remember the statement I found, begun like this: “Dear sufferers”.

I remember start thinking “If I’m in pain, I’d rather do something I like”. It took about six months and then I decided and I bought online an ISM Saddle. When I went for a ride for the first time I was full of fear. Incredibly I arrived better then I started. The explanation is that with all the bumps the nerve decompresses.

I still suffer with the problem, but now I can deal with it. In the car I have a pillow in a “U” shape; I can’t be sit during a long period of time, nor being pressing the perineum area. When I felt worse I know I have to go for a ride. I’m riding for two years now. Last year I rode more than 4.000 Km. I hope I can do the same again this year.

The saddle I bought? An ISM! Thanks.

Having ridden the same bike for over 15 years(!!) I have tried more than 7 different saddles but never been able to tolerate them for more than a few miles at a time, and long rides would become excruciating. Recently I began to develop numbness in ‘the gentleman’s area’ after approx 5 miles, this prompted me to begin researching the alternatives to the traditional saddle types. I eventually settled on the ISM saddles, found a UK retailer (Trybike ltd.) and invested my £75.00 (The most I had ever spent on a saddle!) All I can say is it works! no more numbness, improved riding position, increased peddle power, improved endurance, I can say in the saddle for mile after mile without the need to be constantly adjusting my position… the initial soreness has now subsided and I look forward to riding all over again. Thank you for designing this unique saddle… it has changed cycling for me forever. Kindest Regards.

Dear ISM, I noticed that all your saddle reviews were from guys. Well, gals have saddle problems too and I was about to sell my bikes and give up riding. Although I’ve ridden for years, the last few years it seems like I just never toughened up from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. A friend had an ISM road saddle and the design looked like it just might be a solution for me. So I found a bike shop that carried a few ISM models and I was able to demo a road saddle. After the ride, I bought it. A few weeks later, I bought a Century for my touring bike and I’m about to buy another road saddle for my latest road bike. I call ISM saddles “problem solvers” and I will never ride anything else!

The saddle that has rocked my world. The ISM Attack is comfortable, well balanced. The Attack allows for a very Agile & Aggressive forward position without being unbalanced, stabilizing your body weight position between bars and saddle and power zone. I’m sold. No matter how you word it, it’s top knotch! Quite possibly the best saddle I’ve owned. Soon Available at Roslag’s Cyklar.

Just wanted to say—I bought one of the ISM seats. I was getting numbness riding on m old saddle. With the ISM saddle, the numbness has completely gone. It’s been a month now and I’m a total ISM convert. Thanks for saving my sensation!

I’m really not sure what you mean when you say that the “Saddle” will take a little time to get used to. If you mean that I would have to get used to feeling absolutely no pain the very second that I got on the “Saddle” for the first time, then yes, It does take some time to wrap your head around the idea that you just sat on the best “Saddle” ever made. I can’t imagine ever wanting to use another “Saddle.” Thank you so much for the single best investment I have made for my bike. I can’t tell you what a difference it has made. I can finally use my bike the way it was intended!

I’ll keep this short and sweet: your saddles saved biking for me! I tried all kinds of others and they didn’t work. I won’t go into details, but the short story is that none of them prevented irritating prostate / bladder symptoms (even my doctor wasn’t 100% which internal organ was being irritated, but he was sure biking was the cause). I was thinking I might have to give up biking altogether (tragic, since I LOVE biking). Then I tried ISM, and I’ve been biking 60-100 miles every week since!! I will never ride anything other than ISM again, and have them installed on my both of my bikes!

I am a board certified family practice physician and do a fair amount of sports medicine in my practice. I am an amateur mountain biker but put in about 6-8 hours a week in the saddle on the local trails. Last year I thought I needed quit mountain biking because I was experiencing cyclist neuropathy (pudendal nerve and/or pudendal artery compression from the pressure of traditional saddles against the perineum.) After trying two other traditional saddles, including the center groove cut outs… the symptoms continued. I tried the Adamo Peak (for mountain biking), and had a professional bike fitting, and loved the result immediately. No significant ischial bone (sit bones) tenderness, and NO compressive neuropathy symptoms. ISM’s Adamo Peak saddle has kept me on the trail. I am very much appreciative of such a quality product, and wanted to offer this review to formally say, “Thank you.” I have since purchased a second Adamo saddle for my trainer to keep me up to speed over the winter time.

I have been with ISM saddles from fairly early on and have seen how hard Steve has worked and built his brand. He has always backed his products and has made every effort to get me in the right saddle and shipped quickly. He has bent over backward knowing how important it is to us competitors and the investment we have made. The fact that the industry has knocked off his innovative design and how everybody is making some variation of ISM saddles only proves that they work. If you take cycling seriously, stick with Steve and ISM because he does too. Customer Service in the bike industry has fallen off the scales in a lot of ways for the sake of making a buck but not at ISM. Thanks Steve.

Hey ISM! Some people say sliced bread was the best invention ever. I disagree. The ISM Adamo Peak is a better invention! After a bit of tweaking, I don’t even know that it’s there on 40+ mile rides along the beaches of SoCal. Thanks for the help in getting the positioning right and such a great improvement to cycling!

ISM saddles have just about saved my life. I am now 59, and have been age-group Time Trial racing for the past nine years. A little over a year ago, I began to experience ED problems – to the point that after the National Senior Games in July 2013, I felt that unless I found a solution, my racing days (because I did not want to sacrifice my marriage) were over. Somehow, I discovered ISM saddles – have ridden them exclusively for the past year – and my ED problem is gone. In fact, I just posted an 8-second faster time on the same course this year! Thanks ISM!

I started on Triathlons a few years ago with an Adamo Attack. I upgraded a couple of years ago to a PM1.0 I love this saddle and rode it for Ironman Hamburg 2021 and Ironman Kalmar 2022. I recently had a warranty-related problem with the saddle and contacted ISM. Within minutes I had a response and a solution and in three days I had a replacement saddle with me in the UK. Stunning Customer Services! Whilst waiting for the replacement I tried a different saddle in a similar price range which was an entirely different and unsatisfactory experience. I am now ISM for life!

I started racing triathlons in 2005 riding a road bike with clip-on aero bars and a traditional road bike saddle. It took a little while but I figured out I was going to need a more comfortable saddle. My local bike shop had a demo ISM saddle that I tried out and I have been riding nothing but ISM saddles since that day in 2006. Today, as a 60 yr old man that cycles about 5000 miles a year, this saddle is a life saver!! (Thank you for NO circulation issues!!!) I have ridden ISM saddles on my tri bike, road bikes and mountain bikes, I will not put any other saddle on my bikes.

Thank you for a great product and warranty.

I recently purchased a Fezzari Abajo Peak that came with an uncomfortable seat. My experimentation with seats led nowhere until I came across ISM Seats.

After speaking with Steve at ISM, he spent considerable time and effort along with loaner seats to arrive at the perfect solution. I am now riding my bike more than ever, in comfort. Seat selection and positioning are far more complex than I had imagined, and ISM’s absolute top priority is fitting each customer with the right seat.

You can’t go wrong with ISM!

Hi! I just wanted to say THANK YOU for your help in choosing a new saddle. I received my new Breakway last week and used it on the trainer a few times to find the proper positioning. Yesterday was my major ride day in which I was supposed to break the 100mi barrier. I was a little bit nervous heading out on such a long ride for my first outdoors test of the new saddle, but I brought tools in case I needed to re-adjust and hoped for the best. Although I had a little soreness from being positioned on the saddle so much differently from my old saddle, it wasn’t all that noticeable. But, yesterday was my first long ride with absolutely no back tightness and pain. I kept waiting for the back pain to begin as I kept up in mileage. But, it never happened. Additionally, I found that the positioning of the seat forced me to ride further up on the saddle than I used to, which pushed my body closer to proper tri bike positioning meaning I got more out of each pedal with less effort. I always had a habit of sliding to the back of my saddle which made me overextend into aero which was probably the cause of my back pain to begin with. So, thank you for your personalized help! You have a great company and make a great product and I will endorse it and recommend it all the way!

Hi ISM, I bought one of your saddles, and after a series of adjustments, dialed it in so that I am very pleased with the results. I rode a century last week nearly pain/discomfort-free – very impressive.

I have been riding an ISM Attack for two months after sitting on a traditional TT saddle since 1992. I have been involved with multi-sport and road riding since “calf-skin chamois“ existed, and have seen everything from men’s one-inch cut swim suits and rivet & leather saddles to Gatorade’s old “Gator-Gum”. The innovation and design that ISM has developed has figuratively and literally “blown my skirt”. The measurably reduced amount pressure to the most sensitive of regions has increased my saddle time both on the road and at home. My wife and I both thank you ISM.

My personal opinion is that ISM stands for I’m So Much…happier since using your product. 🙂 Recently I took up bike riding and was not enjoying how painful it was. I figured all seats are pretty much the same until I was introduced to your saddle. If anyone is considering recreational or competitive riding they need to invest in purchasing one of your seats. The discomfort and soreness experienced previously is gone. Trust me…you will not be disappointed!!!

Dear ISM, I thought it was time to tell my story of how and why I came to using your saddles. At the beginning of 2013 I got a new bike and decided to take part in a cycle sportive event later in the year. If I was to do these sportives, I had to increase my daily mile from the few I was doing to commute to work, etc. This is when the problem started. At around 12 miles, my right foot stated to go numb and got worse as the ride got longer. I decide to have a bike fit just in case there was an issue with my bike set up and/or shoes. The bike fit consisted of taking measurement off me and putting them in a computer… the result of this was my set up was about right. We had to make a slight adjustment to the saddle and handlebar height, and a small adjustment to my cleats. Shortly after the bike fit, I completed a 60 mile sportive and my foot was in pain. It got better after the event, but it took a few days to completely feel normal again. Over the next few months I was thinking the problem may have to do with my shoes, as I have to wear a couple of sizes bigger due to having wide feet. What I didn’t realize was I have high arches, I decided to get better fitting shoes and some insoles. I got this done just before my next 70 mile sportive ride; this turned out to be a great ride with no numbness until 50 mile when I got a pain from my left knee. Some months had passed and my knee still wasn’t right, so in March of this year I had a specialized bike fit which was completely different than my last fit. This establishes what level of flexibility you have and looks at your riding technique. After some more adjustments and a change in saddle, I went back to riding. The first ride wasn’t very good, and I got back pain and numbness. Over the next few weeks I couldn’t get the position right and I wasn’t convinced the new saddle was helping. I returned the saddle and completed my next 60 mile sportive a week or so latter… my foot was sort of okay. I returned to the finishing area… This is where ISM comes in. I noticed a bike with this odd shaped saddle. After asking the owner what make/model it was and if it was any good, he said it was an ISM and that it’s very comfortable. After reading the info and rider feedback on your website, what got me interested in your product was the fact it helps keep the blood flow going and reduces the compression on nerves. Then I contacted you for advice on what type of saddle would suit my type of riding (commuting, sportive, turbo training and use of tri bars) you recommended the Breakaway. I got the saddle at the end April, and went for a ride. Within the first few miles my backside was in pain (but this was expected) I stopped to adjust the seat because I was sliding forward a lot. Over the next couple of months I made adjustments then rode the bike for a while (in some cases was over a week) before making any more adjustments. I didn’t want to do any hard efforts or judge if my foot still had an issue until I was completely happy with the set up. The real test was going to be my first 100 mile sportive. I completed it last month, but was reduced to 87 miles due to bad weather. During the ride I had no problems… AT ALL. I completed the course in personal bests for fastest average speed, longest ride and the highest altitude gain. In summary… Take your time in getting used to the ISM saddle. It makes a world of difference. You may be able to sort out numbness without having to go through bike fits.

ISM, Thanks for all the help over the years. Here are photos of my bikes – A current Ridley Helium, ’72 Raleigh Pro, late 90’s Klein Attitude, mid 90’s Strong Cycles FOCO, and late 90’s NAC (Steve Calvert) Team Issue. I built them all up myself. The wheels are also my builds, various relatively traditional designs, mostly Campy/DT/Stans NoTubes. I’ve been working seriously on bikes since 1970, under my first boss, the late great Sheldon Brown. I raced some NCAA and club races throughout the 70’s. I ride 6-7,000 joyous, hard miles per year.
For the past 8 years or so I have only ridden ISM Adamo saddles, because they are perfect… Compared to dozens I tried over the decades: Firm, great control, and comfortable. Easy subtle shifts of position give different kinds of movement through sharp turns and fast descents. Shifting forward for aggressive moves is quick and certain on ISM. And I can put in many hours with zero pain. For the first few years I used the Racing 1. I have the current Racing 2 on my TT bikes and my commute. I find the angle and fore-aft fairly simple to tweak for a given bike’s position. I am currently experimenting with the Peak on my MTB, and the Podium/Breakaway on my road bike. I’m also experimenting with a flat-bar 10 speed, to see what all the fuss is about, and may use the Racing or a Breakaway for that (or maybe it’s silly and I’ll convert the Strong back into a more typical modern steel road bike). Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – I have looked the imitations and am unimpressed. Most are a crude approximation of your product, or are not true split nose. I don’t mean to criticize, when saddle choice is so personal, but ISM has something revolutionary here, and the beauty of these saddles should not be lost in the imitations. Point is, I know what I’m doing with bike building, geometry, riding and the torment of searching for a saddle—ISM Adamo saddles saved my butt, and provided a powerful tool for potent rides.

Even though our ISM saddles look radical and different, they are the most comfortable saddles I’ve ever ridden. I’ve found comfort in the ISM Breakaway model.

I started riding ISM seats about 3 years ago. I have one on my Road bike and another on my family hybrid. And for Christmas I bought one for my wife’s beach cruiser. I must say that I have never ridden a bike seat this comfortable. I used to get a lot of numbness in my feet while riding, but since I started riding ISM, the numbness is gone. Thank you for creating a saddle that makes rides for my entire family more comfortable.

Just finished up Ragbrai for my 7th year in a row, I’ve probably done it on 5 different saddles and on your ISM, is the first time I’ve been sore free. 560 miles pain free!

After breaking my neck as a junior cyclist I’ve grown to depend on sturdy wide tipped saddles like the ISM Attack. This saddle allows me to maintain a neutral posture even during aggressive racing, keeping back and neck pain to a minimum.

I’ve been using the ISM Saddle for 2 years now and have a Typhoon on my Specialized Roubaix and my Trek hybrid. The saddle is awesome! After trying 3 other brands of high end road saddles, I took a chance on the ISM, and wow!! No numbness of any kind, can sit for a century with ease. I rode last week in the CASA River Century and asked my riding buddy whom I have encouraged to try the ISM after 30 minutes, I asked him if he was numb… his response was yes… I told him, that I was not… and so this continued for the entire ride… no pain! It did take a while to get used to… and to get adjusted properly… and now it kinda’ feels like I’m sitting on a marshmallow… well, maybe not… but it sure don’t hurt!!!

should have written a long time ago. I purchased your Prologue saddle back in May to replace the factory saddle that came on my P3 (prior to Cervelo making the switch to ISM). I had been bothered with hip and low back issues for almost three years prior to the change in saddles and have spent many hours and dollars trying to find a remedy. Ortho, Chiro, PT, massage… you name it and I have tried it. An Orthopedic suggested that I try an ISM saddle. I made the switch to the Prologue, and even though I basically ignored your suggested “break in” ride period the results have been PHENOMINAL! Almost immediately there was no more hip/back/piriformis pain to deal with and almost as important no more pain in the tender region either. I completed my first Ironman on September 20 in Maryland and can say that without my ISM saddle I know my training and race would not have been as comfortable and maybe not possible at all. Thanks for an awesome product and for allowing me to train and race PAIN FREE!

I wanted to write and say thank you for saving my cycling hobby. I am fairly new to cycling and only on my third year, just started road racing this year and so have been packing on some miles until a couple of weeks ago when a perineum problem caused me to stop riding all together and I was wondering if I was ever going to be able to ride again. Even after a two week break and working with my local bike shop with some different saddles I was still not able to ride. In doing a bunch of research I came across your saddles and reading the testimonies from your site and various other sites I decided to try the Adamo Breakaway. I did the initial fit according to the instructions and went for my first ride, I didn’t take it easy jumped right back into an aggressive group ride of 38 miles and the seat was great, it took care of all of my perineum problems and I was able to ride in the drops or on the hoods without any pain or numbness. I can’t say enough about your saddles as they have allowed me to continue my passion for cycling!!!

With the extra power and comfort from my ISM saddle I never want to get off my bike.

Since switching to ISM, I have noticed a drastic increase in my power output because of the way the saddle provides proper alignment to a riders pelvis and sit bones – something I had never experienced before on traditional seats. Their progressive technology has opened the eyes of riders who have been sitting uncomfortably and losing power for years.

Thanks Andy for connecting me with your friends at ISM. They kind of made my X-US ride in July. Basically the trip was 32 days from Seattle to Rye Beach, NH with an average 115 miles a day. As you know, I alternated two ISM saddles the whole trip to ease the pain and enjoy the ride.

Tour operators instructed us: Bring two bike saddles for our 32-day, cross-country trek in July. Honestly, I thought it was overkill.

On 250-mile training rides, my ISM recreational saddle offered a cushion, variety of seat positions and fork design that saved me. Saddle pains had reduced friends to tears on some of these same rides.

But because PAC Tour operators had pioneered Race Across America and organized cross-country rides for decades, I decided to listen to their advice. The second saddle I brought was an ISM Performance from my carbon-fiber Look bike, which is a faster ride but less forgiving than my titanium Seven endurance bike.

The organizers were right. After a few days riding the more-cushioned ISM, my ISM Performance became a welcome change with its added stiffness. I traded the two out every few days as we made our way across the Rockies, Tetons, Badlands and Adirondacks. The longer nose let me inch up for mountain climbs and stretch back for more aero descents.

Everyone had issues while riding an average 115 miles daily. At SAG stops, riders lathered on Buttar in hopes of preventing blisters. The most punishing sections were in Minnesota, where the road presented raised expansion cracks every 10 feet. For me, I had to break into the rhythm but I did not suffer the crippling pain I used to feel years ago using traditional saddles on 100-plus milers.

As you can imagine, I needed a break from the road when I got back home to Orlando, Fla. And so I climbed onto my GT carbon fiber mountain bike and its ISM saddle.

I am always looking for comfort and extra power and with an ISM saddle you don’t have to sacrifice on or the other. By far the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden!!!