Originally Posted by
Richard_Rides
I agree with you guys about the cushy saddles being fine for short rides, but people go from riding 2 miles to riding 20 miles surprisingly fast. It's astonishing how quickly you progress on a bike. So, the "cushy saddle" phase of life is going to be alarmingly short anyway.
But there are a lot of people who don't jump into things full speed, or that bicycling might be a just a part of a new fitness program. And there are those that may "start" many times.
I guess all I'm thinking is that the saddle is one of the first things we tell a person to change on their bikes, and we usually recommend a brooks. That's an expensive outlay for someone who may have just bought their first bike. Plus, the cushy seat might actually be more comfortable at first. So maybe it might be better to say that when they get up to 10 miles, they might want to look for a seat that's better for long rides?
Oh, and whoever mentioned that any saddle will hurt in the beginning made a good point. Changing the saddle right off the bat is not going to make your butt harden up any faster....