From these responses I think y'all are dedicated cyclists. You have taken cycling from the Noodle Around the Neighborhood on bikes as toys to using them for recreation and transport. That is wonderful.

There are a couple recurring themes in the posts here. First, that discomfort, especially seat discomfort, is a common limiting factor. That squares with what I have been told by local cyclists. The other factor is that most have a healthy attitude in that cycling is important but not the most important part of life.

Interesting what MWS says about saddles. When, in another thread, I maintained the postion that finding the right saddle was a matter of chance I was accused of being negative. As of this post I think all the evidence supports the idea that for the recreational cyclist finding a comfortable saddle is a matter of chance. Finding one is not a sure fire thing. Many never find a comfortable saddle. Instead they develop coping strategies.

On the other hand I think the competition cyclist, whether pro or serious amateur, with a bit of experimentation is almost always able to find a comfortable saddle. I believe the reason lies in how the saddle is used by the two groups. We sit on the saddle for extended periods as if it were a stool or car seat. The competetion rider has so much weight on the pedals the saddle is more of a place to stabilize the body than to actually put weight. This idea was reinforced the other day when a person told me that as he has gotten stronger and more competitive he has found his saddle to be more comfortable mainly because he is putting much less weight on it. Other posts have stated similar themes.