Old 01-19-13, 05:12 PM
  #15  
Carbonfiberboy 
just another gosling
 
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Everett, WA
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Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004

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So my question for you guys (both the ladies and the gentlemen), is this: what makes a good saddle a good saddle?
It has to fit my anatomy. For me, that means T-shaped, narrow nose, smooth edges, cutout.

Have you ever had a saddle that was perfect except for maybe one thing that you couldn't fix (and what was it)?
I've tried a number of saddles which were good except that the roll-off from the flat rear to the vertical wasn't smooth. I would get a sore at the top of my thigh, right below my butt. Most Specialized saddles I tried had this flaw.

Have you ever wished you could get a saddle with some feature or other that was not available?
No. There's a saddle for everyone. One just has to experiment. I never met an LD rider who gave it up because of an inability to find the right saddle.

To what degree does length matter?
Not important.

Or width?
Has to be the right width for me.

Or weight?
Who wants to lug around a heavy saddle? OTOH, I never choose a saddle by weight, only comfort.

How about a perinneal cutout?
I have to have one. Can't ride a saddle without. I'm very particular about this. The cutout has to be a certain minimum size, both width and length, or it doesn't work. However the saddle has to be a certain maximum width, particularly in the nose and transition, or I get friction sores at my thigh/butt join. Many saddle makers build a huge cutout and thus a wide saddle, which is completely unrideable for me, or they put too much padding around the cutout, same effect.

This is currently my perfect saddle. Great on the bar tops, great on the aero bars. Note how little saddle there is beside the cutout and how smooth the roll-off is. The $40 cost is very good. The materials quality is also very good, much better than similar saddles from Terry for instance. 292g, not too bad. I wonder if I should buy a couple more, just in case they ever go out of production.
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