Touring - Best non-leather saddle for touring?

I am trying to figure out the best saddle for a touring bike that isn't made of leather (so unfortunately no Brooks). Does anyone have any suggestions?

anything with springs. you may hurt your back without them. but then if you sit up, you may hurt your hands without raising the handlebars. plus, some injuries may not hurt when you are hurting them, like what happened to my wrists the next day....

Why non-leather ?
ps-
Look at Serfas Rx saddles ?
or perhaps Terry Liberator ?

Using leather is out since I'm vegan.

Best? As to quality, have no idea. As to comfort have no idea. Too personal. The B-17 is the only touring saddle I know of that gets consistently rave reviews. Didn't do anything special for me.

I sit on a Velo Bio:Logic (http://www.amazon.com/Velo-Bio-Logic-Bicycle-Saddle/dp/B001NGD4I0). Firm, central cutout, and covered with some sort of synthetic. Standard issue to Dallas PD bicycle patrol 3 years ago. Looks like Liberator Y saddle, just not leather covered.

i would say it is the construction of leather saddles rather than the material that makes them special. i don't think there is anything constructed like them. the only alternative would be something without padding with or without springs.

I sit on a Velo Bio:Logic (http://www.amazon.com/Velo-Bio-Logic-Bicycle-Saddle/dp/B001NGD4I0). Firm, central cutout, and covered with some sort of synthetic. Standard issue to Dallas PD bicycle patrol 3 years ago. Looks like Liberator Y saddle, just not leather covered.

I replaced my Brooks B67 with the Nashbar version of that saddle

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_175132_-1_201502_10000_202449

So far I like it very much. Overall I find no saddle comfortable, but some are less painful than others, and this one works well.

Overall I find no saddle comfortable, but some are less painful than others, and this one works sell.

My experience exactly.

Using leather is out since I'm vegan.

You can sit on it....You don't have to eat it.

Fi:zi'k has a range, Italian made.. premium stuff..
but lots of plastic covered saddles are out there,
rare to find a leather cover on a cheap saddle.

I have a non leather saddle on my daily riders ,
because more likely than not, it's wet out ..
and to protect my Brooks, I'd be riding sitting on a plastic bag anyway..
.

isnt plastic technically extremely, extremely, extremely old dinosaurs?

smartass ness aside, yup bike seats are so bloody individual, its really hard to make recomendations unless ones keester is the one recommending for.

Hehe.. Dinosaurs..

I like the Performance Bike Forte Classic. There is a non-leather version. My wife likes her Specialized Lithia. The right saddle for you will not be uncomfortable. The best way to find that saddle is to buy them, try them for at least a 3 hour ride, and send or take them back if they don't work. Performance Bike has a good return policy, as do many bike shops.

I ride the same saddle on my touring bike as my race bike... Fizik Arione. I also don't sit upright so ymmv. What do you currently use and is it comfortable?

I'm a vegetarian and avoid leather in shoes and saddles. I am some what flexible if the shoes or saddles are used. Therefore I love vintage Avocet Touring Saddles. I've picked up two off ebay. My butt loves them. And my justification is that I'm not the one who directly caused the cow to loose its hyde. I had a used Brooks B-72 that I used, but the leather tore after a while. The Advocet are not leather in the Brooks way, they have padding and a plastic shell underneath. Search Avocet in the forums and you'll see other back up my opionion on these saddles. I am on the hunt for another one, so hopefully I won't find myself bidding against you on ebay!

I've ordered but not yet received a Fizik Life Aliante (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/fizik-life-aliante-saddle-with-kium-rails/)

It's high quality, gel padded and synthetic... :)

I can respect that you don't want a leather saddle as a vegan but it's a very very long term purchase that might save you from buying crappy petro plastic saddle after plastic saddle.

At a good bike shop, the staff should be able to measure to get the saddle that fits you best. I went through this when I got my present saddle and I find it extremely comfortable.

Besides fit, ask a few questions about the quality of materials. Otherwise, you could end up with a saddle that tears or falls apart when you're depending on its support.

I have replaced my Brooks B17s with Fizik Vitesse saddles. They are much lighter and more comfortable for me. The Vitesse is marketed as a women's saddle in the US but unisex in Europe. It is shaped just like an Aliante but wider, which is one thing that makes Brooks more comfortable for many people. However, if you have a saddle that is comfortable for you on your other bikes, there is no reason why it wouldn't be comfortable for touring. I've got the same saddle on all of my bikes -- racing, touring, commuting.

Brittain, A friend of mine is a serious vegan and she'll ride leather saddles and wear leather shoes. Her reasoning is that the cow was not killed for it's hide, but for someone's sustanance and there's no point in wasting the leftovers.

Brad

I ride the same saddle on my touring bike as my race bike... Fizik Arione. I also don't sit upright so ymmv. What do you currently use and is it comfortable?

Same for me on both bikes.

Fizik Alianta.

Brittain, A friend of mine is a serious vegan and she'll ride leather saddles and wear leather shoes. Her reasoning is that the cow was not killed for it's hide, but for someone's sustanance and there's no point in wasting the leftovers.

Brad

While this is a reasonable sentiment, it's not exactly true. Nice leather especially is more than a simply by product of the meat industry.

I'm a fan of the Avocet touring saddles as well. My butt finds them very comfy; plus they are cheap, and much lighter.

These are non-leather but a very different design. However, I have not tried them. http://www.spongywonder.com/

Fizik makes some nice synthetic covered saddles. I ride a fisik "Rodine" on my everyday bike and find it very comfortble.

I've got a wtb pure v that I like pretty well. I like my Brooks b17 better though. Saddle preference is very personal though.

Leather or not, for me I ride the Specialized Milano, I own 3 of them, I got extras for replacements as they wear out...

I can't tell you what they are like to ride with, since I put them on my bikes, my butt forgets the seat is there,

I eat a nearly entirely plant-based diet and ride a leather B17 Brooks. For me, a stretched leather saddle is a saddle and everything else is a seat; the level of comfort, especially when the ride goes over ten miles, simply can't be compared. My bum may get sore but nothing goes numb; this matters.

We all have our reasons for eating and buying as we do, and I'm sure you can find something that fits your ethics and works for you. For me, a leather saddle, made by skilled industrialized workers paid a fair wage, that protects my arse and will last a lifetime, is worth a bit of compromise. It bothers me less than the metric tons of blood, bone, and feathers that are dumped on the soil used to grow my organic vegetables, which I'm also reasonably at peace with.

I personally know three other Brooks owning vegans; it's a bit of a trope. :-) Your mileage may vary!

I like the wtb pure saddles. The cover is synthetic.

Brittain, A friend of mine is a serious vegan and she'll ride leather saddles and wear leather shoes. Her reasoning is that the cow was not killed for it's hide, but for someone's sustanance and there's no point in wasting the leftovers.


Hi Brad! I'm a vegetarian, and my answer to your friend would be that I rather a cow gets killed for no purpose what so ever than for profit, shoes or meat doesn't matter. But I'm going to buy a Brooks sadel, and I'm not gonna eat it... maybe I should just stay quiet ;)