Saddle survey
 

I'm curious as to the prevalence of after market seats.


Did you put an aftermarket seat on your bike?


If the above is yes, how long did you ride before you switched seats?


About how many miles do you ride per week?


I'll start:

Yes
1 week
80 miles

I now have four bikes, but when I started with my first bike I kept the initial crappy gel saddle for about a month before switching.

When I bought my Surly LHT, I switched out the saddle almost immediately.

I ride anywhere from 40 to 200 miles per week (usually closer to 60).

Depends on the bike. With my hybrid I rode it about 600 miles before swapping out the saddle. On my MTB, about 5 miles before swapping. Sometimes you just know.

First bike:
Yes
11 years
0 km/week (I hated the bike, therefore thought I hated biking, and never rode it)

Second bike:
Yes
1 month
60 km/week (guessing)

Third bike:
Not yet
1 month
6 km/week (went on vacation right after I got it, and then put it to the back of the garage after only a short test ride because winter is coming and I'm planning to ride my beater for the winter)

I only have two bikes; neither of them have the saddle they came with. The new bike got a new saddle within the first week. I go anywhere from 100 to 150 miles in a typical week.

Can't remember when I picked a brooks, or should I say it picked me.

Thats all I can remember ridding. When I came back to ridding, Brooks!

I ride about 250-375 a week.

Yes or no. When I had my frame turned into a bike I knew that I had a Selle Italia shaped ass and specified a Turbomatic 2.

95-100.

I took the stock saddle off of my 2010 Scott CR1 Team within a month or two - it was fairly clear that it was too narrow for me (130mm). I was experiencing some numbness, and adjusting the saddle position didn't help at all. A minor increase in width (to a Sella Italia ProLink, which is 144mm wide) made a tremendous difference. (As well as adding a bit of bling factor....).

I had a Sekai touring bike in the late '70s, and I replaced the OEM saddle on it. After that, every bike has kept its OEM saddle, or in the case of the Gitane, I replaced the OEM with an identical saddle in a different color. And in the case of that Gitane, and the Trek road bike that followed it, the saddles were all Selle Italia Turbos, which, as you can see in the link, has been reissued. The Fisher has a generic OEM Bontrager which has been OK - not the greatest but not worth the hassle or expense of replacing.

First bike, after 12 years, Selle Royal 60-80 miles a week 50/50 trails and pavement.

Second bike came with a replacement saddle WTB Vigo, I like it very much and plan to ride it to oblivion. 80-100 miles a week.

Played around will a few different saddles over the last couple of years and ended up going back to Selle San Marco Rolls saddles on all my road bikes.. Still have a Brooks B17 on my cross bike but may change that soon..

3 saddles, less than 50 miles: specialized romin 143 or fizik aliante more than 50 miles (usually 80) brooks imperial.

Yes. My stocker was a San Marco I ran for 5 months trying to overcome it. Tried a bunch of different ones before settling on an Aliante. I ride 100 miles a week.

2010 Roubaix Expert, traded in my 2011 Stump Jumper Comp 29 hardtail for it.

Stump Jumper had a Specialized Alias 155mm on it which I was fitted for and was on the Stump Jumper before I took delivery of the bike.

Swapped that seat over to the Roubaix when I bought it, because I'm fairly happy with the seat (for now, see below). So, I never rode on the stock seat on either bike.

I ride 20-30 miles per week. My Alias 155 is a bit uncomfortable at the front of the saddle, but fine at the rear. I'd be up for a new saddle, but I know very little about them and don't know what design would work for me. It's only a minor annoyance though, and I can do a 20-30 mile ride on it without an issue.

I rode a Brooks saddle for about 15 years, then in '86 I bought a new TREK, with the "latest greatest anatomically, ergonomically correct" piece of crap. I rode it a few years, replaced it with a newer "latest, greatest" piece of crap, rode it a few years before replacing it with another expensive piece of crap. Finally I went back to Brooks saddle. I use Brooks or VO saddles except for my allweather beater.

I've replaced the saddle on almost every bike I've ever owned. Manufacturers often put on very cheap saddles, because they know full well that saddles are a very personal choice and most people will swap them out.
I think I've tried almost every type of saddle. The best was a Vetta "Triathlon" model, which of course they stopped making as soon as I decided I like it. I've even tried Brooks, but after a whole summer of suffering, I decided I just don't have a "Brooks butt".

Yes. I don't recall when or how many times.

I ride anywhere from 0 to 350 miles a week, depending on what I'm doing.

Did you really name your saddle Prison Sex?

Yes.

I appreciate the responses. Other than a few folks, after market saddles are the norm. I hope some of the new folks struggling to get comfortable read this.


SaltyBeagle,
How did you come to use different saddles for different length rides?

Switched my saddle within two days to a Brooks B-17 and have not rode a more comfortable saddle (after break-in). I doubt I will ever use any other saddle, and I ride about 80-150 miles per week if weather and work allows.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...1/IMG_2360.jpg

I replaced the stock saddle after about 6 months. Went with a Fizik Arione. Right now, 100 miles a week, over the summer 200 miles a week or more

I have a saddle that came on my 1997 GT mountain bike that I find very comfortable and it has followed me from bike to bike since then. The saddle company stopped making this particular style (WTB SST) although they have recently started again. THis is good as that seat is in very rough shape and needs replacing. THe saddle on my touring bike is another model of WTB that is not quite as nice but not too bad - this one came on my wife's bike and she handed it down to me when she swapped to something better for her. THe saddle on my road bike is a narrow torture device I was given by a bike shop owner I know, and my hybrid/commuter bike has a Specialized body geometry saddle that is not too bad.

I assembled all my bikes from bare frame so there was never a 'stock' saddle to need upgrading.

Saddle survey
 

Fizik Aliante on my Surly LHT after a brief fling with a B17. (yuck) Commuted about 1000 miles this year. RC

I have wide seat bones, so I always have to get something different than stock. Right now I'm riding 30-40 miles per week as my schedule allows, with at least one longer 15mi.+ ride.

I bought a hybrid bike from a thrift shop that someone had put a Hobson saddle on. It was comfortable but the lack of a horn meant it was nearly impossible to balance on it while moving my arms around.

My 3-speed has a Cloud 9 cruiser saddle. It's the most comfortable seat I've used. It's gel, but it's a lot firmer than the cheap gel seats most people hate. It also has springs that are adequately sized for clydes.

After seeking advice in this forum I ended up buying a Bell Bellisimo saddle for my 10-speed. Despite it's cheapness, it's a near perfect fit.

Road -- I built new from parts so I'd already spec'd out a Koobi saddle -- still not the perfect fit though.

MTB -- yes, replaced with a WTB, maybe after a year of torture on the Spclzd. Body Geometry it came with.

30-40 miles p/w at that time.

Stock saddles are instruments of torture after 20 miles. I switched out two stock saddles within a year of buying each bike. I settled on Fizik Aliante and Brooks Team Pro. I ride 75-100 miles a week.

I just bought a Selle SMP Plus so we'll see how that works out.

I really like the Selle Italia and the Brooks B17. I have tens of thousands of miles on my oldest Selle. I still have it, but don't ride that bike much anymore. I bought a newer version for my current bike. They just seem to fit me well.

I've had all kinds of saddles, but my favorite all time saddle is my 30 year old Brooks Professional. Can't rid it anymore cause it has a tear in the nose of it, so I replaced it with a Brooks Team Pro. Different, not as good as it's sister, but doesnt have 1000s of miles on it. . . yet. It's on my weekday bike. My weekend Lynskey has a Fizik Aliante which is a very comfortable light weight saddle. It's also RED and came with matching bar tape. WHATEVER you do, don't ever ever ride a plastic saddle! They don't breathe and you WILL be MISERABLE ALL THE TIME! If you're gonna ride bikes, be professional about it. Get a good leather saddle that fits your bottom. . . Get clip pedals and hard sole shoes. . . . wear an appropriate cycling kit. . .and NEVER EVER EVER NEVER ride without a helmet!

Factory bike saddles are disposable. They are only there for decoration.

Yes
30 minutes
6 miles
Brooks B72

I just bought a new road bike. Stock saddle didn't even come home with me.