Originally Posted by
Epamek
...I just purchased a SS cyclocross bike (motobecane fantomcross uno) from BD for commuting/touring/cardio. The saddle is KILLING me. ...frame's more aggressive geometry compared to most commuters and the relatively high cadence I have to set as a SS...stem is a little too long for me...shell out for a more upright position.
Should I stick to a road saddle?
Later, you posted that you're scooted all the way back off the rear of the saddle.
You've gotten good advice to bring the bike to a competent shop and ask them to help to fit you to it. There may be several things amiss here.
Regarding the saddle, you probably don't have a good match between the saddle support points and your sit bone width. Maybe the saddle is too arched, so isn't supporting as much as pressing between your sit bones.
How experienced are you as a rider? You mentioned cadence - do you unweight the saddle periodically as you ride? As others have said, a good saddle disappears beneath you (mostly).
If the positioning is "aggressive" the Brooks B17 isn't what you want. You might look at the Swallow, though. If you go to a Specialized saddle dealer, they have a fit system that measures your sitbone width. This is useful, even if you don't use one of their saddles, ultimately.
Sheldon Brown knew what he was talking about...