Originally Posted by
CliftonGK1
Hopefully one of the LBSs will have a selection I can try out. I saw the Extra, and it looks far too over-stuffed for the type of riding and position that I have. The Lite 209 sounded a bit on the narrow side (isn't that one under 140mm wide?) But the padding type on the Lite 209 looks about right. Hopefully one of the slightly wider versions will work as well for me.
The Extra has
quite a bit of padding... though it's still surprisingly usable. While I prefer the Lite 209, I can ride the Extra for 4-5 hours before the huge amount of padding becomes annoying. The Extra is a great way to test the SMP saddle shape without having to spend $250, especially if you can find a used one on eBay.
FWIW, the Specialized Ass-o-meter said I needed a 143mm BG saddle. Selle SMP claims the Extra is 140mm wide and the Lite 209 is 139mm wide. Both work for me... and both feel wider than any of the 143mm Specialized BG saddles I've ridden. Dunno if that's due to the shape, the seating position, or they way they're measured.
Unfortunately, Selle SMP
Test Centers seem somewhat difficult to come by. According to
this post on another site, your LBS should be able to obtain demo saddles from the distributor even if they're not a Test Center.
I've looked at the WTB Rocket V based on the suggestion of one of our local legends who uses them exclusively. I'm going to go with a deeper center channel (complete lack of center as much as possible) at the suggestion of my doctor. Not stemming from cycling, I've developed some problems which necessitate that I keep pressure off the central area of contact down there.
Understood. My only point was that the WTB saddles don't seem to cause any more or less discomfort in that area than the Selle SMP designs. At least not that I can tell. I'll admit, though, that my WTB saddles are generally mounted on mountain bikes and I haven't done any really long (4+hr) road rides on them. Still: they're a huge improvement over the Specialized Toupe/Avatar/Alias for me.