Originally Posted by
KillerBeagle
My position is fairly, but not very, upright - bars and saddle are about level and I usually ride on the hoods.
Brooks B17.
Narrow saddles are for a more aggressive riding position.
You have the traditional position, and the traditional saddle will work.
Gel pads should go back to the Hell they came from.
You have some choices....
My usual advice is to get the B17 Special. It's worth the extra dough.
However, they have one with anatomic cutouts now, called the B17 Imperial.
I have one, haven't tried it yet.
And then there is the Brooks Flyer, which is a B17 with springs.
That take some getting used to, but it will definitely take some stress off the sit bones.
I've used one. It's on an old bike I gave Sis. She likes it.
After a while I realised I didn't need it, and on rides lasting a few hours the slight bit
of extra energy that gets wasted made me tired faster. YMMV.
The B17 needs to sit slightly more forward than usual, and slightly tilted up.
A good bike shop will place it correctly. There is also a break in period.
But it's the most popular saddle in history for a reason.
One of the shorts I use with it has no padding at all. The chamois
is three layers of fabric, with the middle layer being super slippery.
I prefer the new style pads in expensive shorts, but I have done
60-70 mile days using it. IOW, with no padding at all.