Road Cycling - Stitching on saddles and your bib shorts...

So I had a selle san marco seat that had some stitching towards the back - it completely ripped up my bib within 200 miles because it was rubbing against the stitching. I bought a new selle italia SLR gel flow but now that I'm looking it it, it has stitching near the rear going down the sides(I'd imagine there would be lots of movement there).

So, do any of you high-mileage guys have seats with stitching on them, or does everyone get a seat without stitches(in other words completely smooth surface)? Has anyone even experienced the same thing as me?

thanks guise:love:

I have been riding SLR Gel Flow for over two years and many thousands of miles, the only wear to my bibs is where they rub against the saddle bag.

Putting stitching on saddles is the most idiotic thing the saddle mfgrs have ever done.
I avoid them like the plague.

Putting stitching on saddles is the most idiotic thing the saddle mfgrs have ever done.
I avoid them like the plague.

Me too, but most of them put them there so you don't slide around the saddle.

It can depend on how the stitching is done, to be honest.

Then this is a really bad idea.....

http://www.nostalgia.condoris.net/ronco/rhine3.jpg

I had this problem with an older Specialized Alias saddle, but my SLR Gel Flow (I think that was the model) hasn't had any info, and it has a little bit of stitching on it. However, afte 2 years of use and probably 5000ish miles, the white leather is worn all up and down the side of the saddle. Still no issue with wearing my shorts out yet.

Stitching wears out shorts. Under saddle bags that touch you shorts will also wear out shorts in short order. If you are sliding around on the saddle, the saddle position isn't right.

Strange thing is that my Selle Italia (cheap no name model) saddle on my old Giant commuter wore the bum out of three pairs of jeans over 12 months. It had no stitching around that area.
The Selle San Marco SKN I have been using on my Orbea for about three years has never worn a hole through any knicks even though it's got loads of stitching. The stitching is very smooth though.
My Selle Royal Viper on my current Cannondale commuter has no stitching and hasn't done any damage to my jeans over the last 12 months.
I guess it comes down to padding, and shape around the sit bones.
I have no pic of the crappy Selle Italia but this is the SKN
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y214/giantcfr1/BIKES%20My%20Bikes/Pre%20Crash%20My%20ORBEA%20Mitis%202%20Plus%20Carbon/16May06ORBEA004.jpg
and the Viper
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y214/giantcfr1/BIKES%20My%20Bikes/CANNONDALE%20BAD%20BOY%20SI%20DISC/27Oct07cannondale009.jpg

I tried one of the Brooks imperials and within two rides one of the rivets wore a hole right through my $220 bibshorts.
I use a Fizik Aliante on my bikes now, love them.

Nope. No issues with stitching on the saddle tearing up shorts. I ride on a Selle Italia gelflow SLR; probably have 8000 or so miles on it.

the stitches on this (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/botto/alispt.jpg) saddle caused some mild abrasions on my bibs. that's why i don't buy saddles with stitching anymore.