Tony (Michigan)

Or would you suggest a different brand saddle that is split down the middle like Sella?

There are different Sella SMP saddles with different amounts of padding from none to a little to a lot.

The Evolution is in the middle.

For doing long distance riding, what do you recommend in the Sella saddle or another brand by a different company like that?

Thanks!

Bacco

I recently bought the Glider. It has a more padding than some other Selle's. I don't think it's "too much padding" since it's still pretty firm. I've only ridden a few hundred miles on it, so it's still too early to recommend it. However, I like it so far. It seems to have more comfortable riding positions and it felt good from the start. My daughter gave it test ride and liked it too. I need to do a week long, event ride to know for sure how well it works for me in the long term. The only thing that might become an issue is chaffing from the narrow edges of the saddle on either side of the cutout (so far, no problem). If you buy your saddle from Performance Bike, they are real good about saddle returns, so no problem trying one out from there. Better yet, order a couple of different saddles and compare them.

An Internet store with lots of good info and good prices on Selle SMP saddles is:
https://www.wekeepyoucycling.com/en/default.aspx

BTW, I volunteered at a Race Across America (RAAM) time station last week. I looked to see if these ultra long distance racers tended to use the same kind of saddles or tires, but found no pattern. So, whatever works for you is the way to go.

HAMMER MAN

recently bought a new selle itli flite gel.
yesterday i did 45 miles. I have always used selle marco era saddles, 25+ years with san marcos and no complaints what so ever wth the new flite gel/with cut-out

wrobertdavis

OP's question was about Selle SMP saddles - no relation to the company you describe.

Bob

HAMMER MAN

close enough the smp is actusally a spin-off from a koobi saddle that they produced over 9 yrs ago,smp copied their design

Comfort is comfort

Rowan

What saddle are you riding at the moment, Tony, and does it feel comfortable or not?

I ask because the one thing I took particular note of in tracking down a new lightweight saddle was the width, and it has to be useful width for the sitbones. Most of the lightweight saddles come in 120-130mm width, and I knew from my Brooks saddles I needed wider, 140 to 150mm.

I settled on a Selle San Marco SKN Pro saddle, which has the split middle and "wings" at the back for each sitbone.

Another factor was San Marco's website and its ratings for its range of saddles based on on rider weight. The SKN Pro fitted the bill perfectly for 85kg and my sitbone width, and despite being ordered on the net, it works beautifully (not quite as beautifully as my Brooks', but they don't quite look right on a CF bike).

jppe

I've had good luck recently with the Selle Italia Prolink Light Gel Flow. Plus it come in a variety of colors. It is 250 grams, has the cutout and it about 143 mm wide I believe.

cyclinfool

I have two bikes with different saddles on them. My CF bike has an E3 gel and my steel bike has one of the first Terry Liberators on it. Since comfort is a combination of bike and saddle and I have not switched saddles I can't tell you which is more comfortable. I can tell you that I can ride a century comfortably on my steel bike but am suffering after a metric on my CF bike. My experience tells me that you need to spend a lot of time with a saddle - maybe a month with some very long rides to decide if you really like it, you will need only 15 miles to decide if you hate it - the saddle that came on my Tarmac went after two short rides.

Good luck - if you like this saddle after a month or two let us know - I would like to find something better than the E3 but the Terry is too heavy for my Tarmac. The thing sure looks cool - but cool doesn't always make comfortable.

stapfam

I doubt as to anyone will be able to recommend a saddle for YOUR butt. They can tell you what works for them- but For a road bike that does milage- A narrower saddle with the cutout works for me. 3 different saddles Sell Italia Flite Max Gell- Fizic Arionne and San Marco Aero. Then there is the MTB-Same saddle type but all I know is that it is a Fizic. Move around a lot on the MTB so no padding on this one. Then the Bike I sit on for long periods of Time---TheTandem. Selle Italia Trans-Am. Good comfy wide saddle with padding- but then we also take Butt breaks on the Tandem.

Get to know your LBS well- or buy online where a return policy works.

Tony (Michigan)

Hi Rowan, I am using the Bontrager saddle that comes with all Trek/LeMonde bikes sold now. It is "O.K." sort of but I have to tilt the seat down a little due to pressure on my pubic bone. I ordered a Sella SMP Strike Evolution but have not yet received it. I hope I have not made an expensive mistake. I did try a saddle with a very narrow cutout and it did not work at all. It was on the bike for about 10 minutes and immediately went back to the seller.
Edit: P.S. concerning my weight, I weigh in at between 154 and 157 pounds.

Rowan

The Strike certainly has the look as far as the dropped nose on it; it's one the models offered by the vendor the the San Marco I bought, but it was out of the weight range for my purposes.

This comment is just a general one, but for long distances, thick padding is not such a good idea. I always used to say to people doing my courses that the pros use thin, hard saddles and ride megadistances each week; and from my long-distance experience, the Brooks does a mighty good job. This was among the oohs and ahhhs and "hard!" in relation to the Brooks (which, of course, has its own inbuilt, non-padded suspension system).