Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Got a Lightweight Saddle You Love ???

I run Brooks B-17s on most of my bikes except for the racing rig. On that I have a Specialized Alias, 143mm wide. The Alias is fine for shorter rides, but I've been training a fair amount this year, and saddle sores are becoming a problem. I love the B-17s, but they weigh about 2/3lb (300g) more than a typical racing saddle. Wondering what some of the lightweight -- 200-250g -- favorite saddles are on this forum. I think for me part of the comfort with the Brooks is the width -- 170mm. Obviously the lighter titanium rail Brooks come to mind, but at almost $300 and still a relatively hefty 360-400g, they don't seem like a great deal.

Thanks for any suggestions.

brooks swallow with ti rails ... but its still heavy.
i've not found anything even remotely as comfortable as a brooks.
i've tried the specialized, the selle anatomica, and in the brooks line the swift, swallow, team pro and b17. i'm down to the b17 and the swallow.

I tried to be a Brooks rider- it just wasn't for me. Instead ,after some trial and error, I ended up on a Terry Fly.

The closest thing I've found is the Swift Ti, but it's way pricey and like you said not all that light. And to top it off it just isn't as comfy as my B17 is after 150 miles or so. I've done 400's on the swift and regretted it. But anything under that is fine for me.

Also tried the Pro, but it seems to have a weird convex shape that my arse don't like too much, plus it seems impossible to break in. The other two saddles seemed to get those sit-bone dimples much easier.

For racing I use a tiny Bianchi "race" saddle that weighs about 220g. I thought about doing the recent 600k, but after a 3-hour ride on it it was a no-go for bigger rides (duh). So I went with the B17 for the latest 600.

What I'm really saying is that I haven't figured out a good saddle (lightweight or not) either..

I actually just put an Alias on my bike (155 wide) my second ride on it was a century and I was in complete comfort. Go figure.

Specialized Toupe 143 works for my posterior on all distances.

Specialized Toupe 143 works for my posterior on all distances.

Same for me. It doesn't look like it should be comfortable, but it is. The lack of padding is more than made up for by the spring built into the saddle. It also looks flimsy, but I've done nine centuries on it and it looks like new. Trick is to adjust it so that you're sitting with your sitbones far back on the saddle.

I've done probably 30 century rides on my Toupe. I have one one each of two different bikes. Interestingly I have a lot more butt issues on one bike than the other, even though the saddles feel very similar. I guess the fit must be slightly different.

I wouldn't say I don't feel it near the end of a ride on the Toupe, but I hold up better on it than I do on other saddles I've used.

Fizik Antares.

My LBS had the test program on the Fizik "A" saddles - arione, antares, aliante. And I rode all three for 50 miles. The antares is flat, doesn't have the long nose that the arione has, and is not as well padded as the aliante.

I found that a saddle that has maximum flexibility for different positions is more important to me than being able to sit in one spot for longer distances. This is sort of like the way we ride and the way we pick our other components.

For example, I like the Nitto Noodle handlebar, because it offers the most number of hand positions. A saddle should be the same way; when you are in the drops the saddle supports you differently than when you are on the flats or on the top bar or on the curve between.

The flatness of the Fizik Antares and the wider nose allows me multiple options on positions. BTW, I bought the carbon rail version of the saddle because of the vibration dampening effect. The test saddle had the kium rails and the difference is noticeable.

After testing around 10 saddles, I settled on the selle italia pro link. i have fairly wide sitz bones and the 140ish eodth bontrager and specialized did not work for me. the pro link is only 145mm wide, but its flat so you get use from all of the width. only thing as comfortable was my b17n whih is actually less comfortable while in the drops. fwiw, i run about 2" of saddle to bar drop

The Rido R2 works for me, but it is still a somewhat goofy saddle.
For me, far better than the Terry saddle I had before and better than the selle italia turbomatic - I have wide seat bones.
http://www.rido-cyclesaddles.com/sensational-new-r2-c100064.html

+1 on the Fly!.....About 30 centuries on my Terry Fly. Pretty nice under my 230 lbs.:D

I've ridden up to 10 hours (150 miles with a lot of climbing) on a 130mm Toupe. It works pretty well for me. But the angle has to be just right or it is much less comfortable. A micro-adjusting post is a must.

I had problems with chafing on my sit bones and found that I was using shorts that were too loose. It's kind of wierd to be 6 feet tall and buying size small shorts, but medium is too loose.

Same for me. It doesn't look like it should be comfortable, but it is. The lack of padding is more than made up for by the spring built into the saddle. It also looks flimsy, but I've done nine centuries on it and it looks like new. Trick is to adjust it so that you're sitting with your sitbones far back on the saddle.

I just got one, same reaction. It LOOKS uncomfortable, but the whole saddle flexes and bends. So far, the most comfortable saddle I've had.

Fiz:ik Aliante Carbon. The most comfy saddle I've ever used, also very light.

I've had good luck with a Terry Fly and a Toupe 143. I prefer the Toupe, as the Terry rubs my thighs a bit more after distance. But I'm sure that last part is something specific to my dimensions.

Steve

One more vote for the Fizik Aliante, it's an awesome saddle because I never notice it while riding and it's lightweight enough (I don't believe you can get that much padding at any lighter weight).

Selle Italia 2 Gel Flow. So far the longest I've spent on it is 4hrs. I regularly ride it without bike shorts, just regular shorts and it has been comfortable for that too. gottaridebikes.com has a sick deal on them.

Selle Anatomica. After Paris-Brest-Paris, I had no saddle-soreness, and was not reluctant at all to hop back on the bike and ride back to the stadium to cheer-in a late-arriving friend.

Contrast that with: Specialized Avatar, which was agony for the second half of Boston-Montreal-Boston. Brooks Pro, which gives me subdural hematomas because it's so freakin' hard.

Selle Anatomica. After Paris-Brest-Paris, I had no saddle-soreness, and was not reluctant at all to hop back on the bike and ride back to the stadium to cheer-in a late-arriving friend.

I love my Anatomica, but I wouldn't call it lightweight. It weighs at least 550 gram. On the other hand, I could lose ten times that weight :-)

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I was riding today thinking that if my 143mm Alias was just a little wider, it might be pretty comfortable. So perhaps I'll try one of the Specialized 155mm saddles. Any specific comments on the Alias vs. Toupe?

I've heard the Brooks B-17 is real comfortable, but you have to be patient because of the long break in period. How long should it take to break in, and is it a good choice for a hefty dude (214 lbs)? :geek:

My favorite saddle is the Toupe 143. I have been disappointed with my Brooks 17 N. It has about 500 miles on it. The Brooks saddle seems to be more comfortable when I am just wearing casual clothes, like jeans and less comfortable when I am wearing lycra. I am thinking about buying a Selle Italia Pro.

I've heard the Brooks B-17N is real comfortable, but you have to be patient because of the long break in period. How long should it take to break in, and is it a good choice for a hefty dude (214 lbs)? :geek:

I think it is comfortable even during that time . . . it is the *best* saddle in my opinion, even better than my old Sella San Marco. Then again, I have mine chopped (so it more closely resembles a Brooks Swallow).

http://gallery.a-symmetric.com/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=678&g2_serialNumber=2

+1 on the Fly!.....About 30 centuries on my Terry Fly. Pretty nice under my 230 lbs.:D
+2 for the Fly, but the plastic frame next to the cutout broke sometime in the last year. I didn't know about the break so I screwed with the adjustments for months. Finally someone pointed the odd shape to me last weekend. Went for a test ride on the new one today and it felt great.

Edit: the first Fly had a little over 16k on it.

Classic Selle Italia Flite.
http://www.lamountainbikes.com/images/sa707a04blk.jpg
Best saddle EVER!!!!!!

I used to ride a Fly, but gradually developed numbness with them, plus the foam breaks down so I needed a new one every year. I had good luck with an Alias for a while, but the shape of my upper legs changed this year and it started to give me friction sores in the crotch. So I started another saddle search.

Brooks are out. They make me numb. ("me" being you know what) Only saddles with pronounced cutouts in the center do not make me numb. However, having a pronounced cutout in the center means the saddle is wider through that area, and all the ones I tried gave me friction sores on the upper thigh/buttock/crotch area. Until I borrowed a friends Toupe 130, which also gave me friction sores. However, observing their pattern in the mirror, it looked like the proper 143 width might avoid them.

So 2 days ago I bought a 143 Toupe. Not the gel! Don't even think about the gel model. So far, this one seems to be the answer. No new sores, and the old ones are healing. It has about the same butt break-in feeling as a Brooks, IOW my sitbones hurt a bit. About 500 miles should fix that. It has a nice sitbone pocket, like a broke-in Brooks. I had to tilt the nose down more than I'm used to and also lower the saddle about 25mm, both to avoid those upper thigh sores.

I ride a Selle Italia SL-K (not the gel one, the regular one) and never notice it. Even on a double century. I just hope that when it eventually needs replacement I can find one just like it, or something I like as much.
I think the voodoo split thing really works.
It's a hair over 200 grams.