Incorrect. They are nice to have in certain situations, but they are not a "must".

I can't understand the love for Brooks saddles/ other leather saddles that's immediately followed by "also, wear padded shorts". What's the point? Buy a cheap padded saddle, then, and save yourself some money.



To the OP: nobody here can determine if you just need to get your rear used to riding or if something is legitimately wrong. Many of us now love saddles that we once cursed. You need time in the saddle, you need to find the right saddle, and you need to make sure that the saddle is positioned correctly. Only you can do those things. At any rate, if you can't go a few miles without all sorts of "must haves" then something is wrong. Saddle or fit.
Further things to consider: Not everybody is built the same way... what is comfortable for me may be torture for the next fellow, but if you look at what other people are using, I'd bet you'll notice that people using big 'ole "wide and cushy" saddles are just riding around the block and people using hard and skinny saddles are the fast/long distance people. Just some food for thought.