Your Favourite Saddle

[pwa]

San Marco Rolls!

I've had a few and my tolerance for them has waned. They used to induce bum ache after an hour or so but now it starts after ten minutes. It is funny how different backsides have different reactions to one saddle. I had a Charge Spoon on a bike for one very short ride, during which I could not find a sweet spot to sit on. Others swear by that saddle. My only (not very useful) conclusion is that other people's happy experiences with particular saddles are not a good guide as to what might work for me.

My most comfy saddle was a Brooks Titanium Swift on which I could find a not-uncomfortable spot even after 400k of audaxing. But that saddle went wildly out of shape after a few years and I decided it had too short a life to be deemed good value.

[Witterings]

Certainly looks like Brookes is pretty much up there for sure ... never tried one .... almost can't not do so with so much support!

Has anyone tried either the Specialized Phenom Comp or the Avatar Comp Gel?

https://www.specializedconceptstore.co. ... enom-comp/

https://www.specializedconceptstore.co. ... -comp-gel/

[Chat Noir]

Favourite saddle is Brooks Swift titanium: always been comfortable right out of the box, durable, elegant, has saddle bag loops and stays comfortable even on 200-mile days. Have used B17 happily in the past but wouldn’t change back now. Only problem is you need to be sitting down when you see the price.

Have Spa Aire titanium, a lot less expensive than Brooks, similar looks but without the large headed copper rivets, has saddle bag loops. Have used this on tours and on long rides but, dare I say it, hasn’t maintained shape and feel quite as well as the Brooks. But I have 2 of them, happy to use and a lot cheaper. Spa Cycles near me so easy to order on line or pop over to pick stuff up. I prefer their leather cream to Brooks’.

I have a Prologo Nago Evo on my carbon bike. It is surprisingly comfortable, markedly lighter but have never done much more than 100 miles on it. Occasionally use on a steel bike when I’m doing everything I can to reduce weight (like a Pyrenean raid last year).

[Ant...]

Flite titanium!
Put a B17 Ti. on my tourer did a thousand miles on it and it ripped me to shreds, two massive hole in my undercarrage not a lot of fun!!

[PJ520]

As mentioned earlier the tension bolt on my B17 broke about 200 miles from the nearest place I could buy a saddle of any kind. To make something rideable I stuffed a pair of arm-warmers between the frame and the leather and fastened the front down with a zip tie.
To my extreme good fortune a passing rider just happened to own a machine shop and he made me a replacement by grinding down the head of a carriage bolt. I thought the bolt breaking was a rare occurrence until in San Fransisco I met a chap from the UK who had had the same happen to him. He said Brooks were terrible to deal with. I got a replacement on the Internet and found it a pain to install. It's back together now but I don't expect it to last too long as there's almost no adjustment left. But when it's in one piece it's a very nice saddle

[pjclinch]

Put a B17 Ti. on my tourer did a thousand miles on it and it ripped me to shreds, two massive hole in my undercarrage not a lot of fun!!

It is said of Brooks that they need breaking in, but IME this is not the case. If your backside is more or less right for them they'll start off good and get better; if your backside isn't right they'll start awful and if you're lucky they might get as good as "tolerable".

The good news here is you don't need much of a go on them to see if it'll work for you.

Pete.

[reohn2]

After trying many over a long period of time (including Brooks pro and B17 both narrow and standard)my two favourites are Selle Italia Turbomatic 2 or 3 and San Marco Squadra both 90's saddles,which suit me fine.
Charge Spoon are the right shape but too hard in the nose area for me,I have one on my Tern folder but it's only used for short sub 10mile journeys for which its comfortable enough.
Saddles are a personal thing and the correct one can be hard to find with so many out there,but one thing's for sure no two are alike,and their correct setting up is crucial for comfort.

[yostumpy]

Spa Nidd, for me, 5-6 years now, many thousands on miles, honey (well was honey) coloured, and its my only saddle as I only ride one bike for everything. BUT I have been lusting after a GB Aspin in ' natural', why ....well I don't know really, suppose because I can, and I can afford it, and I believe it would be money well spent.

[ambodach]

I cannot abide B17 saddles. Discovered the standard Brompton suits best and I now have them on two non Brompton bikes.

[EwenT]

I've tried various saddles but always come back to the Brooke's B17 Swallow design. One is over 60 years old and still rideable. Treat the leather carefully and they will last a lifetime.

[The utility cyclist]

My left leg is 11 mm shorter than the right, so plastic-armature saddles and hard leather ones are utter hell on my left sit-bone. The supple leather Selle Anatomica works, though:

The two sides move pretty well independently. The creases are there because I hadn't put enough tension on it before doing 300k.

This is their 2015 Titanico X model. I think it's just called the X now, and the armature is prettier. Not cheap, but every Christmas they have a sale, and you can usually pick up serviceable seconds at good prices. I have one of those too, and it's fine.

Out of curiosity does a 10mm shorter (or longer) crank arm work to alleviate the issue?

[Paulatic]

My left leg is 11 mm shorter than the right, so plastic-armature saddles and hard leather ones are utter hell on my left sit-bone. The supple leather Selle Anatomica works, though:

The two sides move pretty well independently. The creases are there because I hadn't put enough tension on it before doing 300k.

This is their 2015 Titanico X model. I think it's just called the X now, and the armature is prettier. Not cheap, but every Christmas they have a sale, and you can usually pick up serviceable seconds at good prices. I have one of those too, and it's fine.

Out of curiosity does a 10mm shorter (or longer) crank arm work to alleviate the issue?

Or would it be 5mm shorter/ longer?

[The utility cyclist]

My left leg is 11 mm shorter than the right, so plastic-armature saddles and hard leather ones are utter hell on my left sit-bone. The supple leather Selle Anatomica works, though:

The two sides move pretty well independently. The creases are there because I hadn't put enough tension on it before doing 300k.

This is their 2015 Titanico X model. I think it's just called the X now, and the armature is prettier. Not cheap, but every Christmas they have a sale, and you can usually pick up serviceable seconds at good prices. I have one of those too, and it's fine.

Out of curiosity does a 10mm shorter (or longer) crank arm work to alleviate the issue?

Or would it be 5mm shorter/ longer?

on the upstroke it won't matter I would of thought, if leg is shorter, then the extra 10mm on the crank that side would be better to offset that on the downstroke which is what I perceive as having the negative effect re seat. Of course could be totally wrong.

[CyberKnight]

I actually get on with the stock saddles on boardman bikes

[thelawnet]

Any thoughts on the Brooks Cambium? I don't fancy a leather saddle in tropical conditions with trillions of mold spores, 30C and 99% humidity.