Projectm
New Member
Good luck finding your ideal saddle. It is such an individual thing that no-one can reliably point you in the right direction.
For me the best saddle type has turned out to be the all-leather Brooks type saddle. These days there are quite a few brands out there. Some people still swear by Brooks, but I have heard experienced Brooks customers saying that they don't keep their shape as well as they used to. Spa make some very similar looking saddles that reputedly take longer to soften, but hold their shape better. They are also cheaper than Brooks without any obvious drop in quality. My own (expensive) favourites are made by Gilles Berthoud in France, and they are like a Brooks brought into the 21st Century, with the ability to replace individual components (including the leather) if necessary. Like Spa saddles they take hundreds of miles to soften, but when they do they are great for long distance rides. I did 120 miles on one on Saturday and only afterwards did I realise that I had not thought about my rear at all during the ride.
If you choose a padded saddle I would warn against anything that claims to have "Gel" in it. I've had a few saddles with gel, and none felt good after 10 miles. A good shape (individual to you) and a bit of flex are the things to aim for. And don't even begin worrying about weight. This is not an area to save grams.
For me the best saddle type has turned out to be the all-leather Brooks type saddle. These days there are quite a few brands out there. Some people still swear by Brooks, but I have heard experienced Brooks customers saying that they don't keep their shape as well as they used to. Spa make some very similar looking saddles that reputedly take longer to soften, but hold their shape better. They are also cheaper than Brooks without any obvious drop in quality. My own (expensive) favourites are made by Gilles Berthoud in France, and they are like a Brooks brought into the 21st Century, with the ability to replace individual components (including the leather) if necessary. Like Spa saddles they take hundreds of miles to soften, but when they do they are great for long distance rides. I did 120 miles on one on Saturday and only afterwards did I realise that I had not thought about my rear at all during the ride.
If you choose a padded saddle I would warn against anything that claims to have "Gel" in it. I've had a few saddles with gel, and none felt good after 10 miles. A good shape (individual to you) and a bit of flex are the things to aim for. And don't even begin worrying about weight. This is not an area to save grams.
