Yikes, you might get fewer opinions if you asked what color bike is fastest. But I'll tell you what worked for me. I fell for the gel padded hype, and bought a springy padded seat and suspension seatpost. It worked, for about 20 miles. Rides longer than that got more and more uncomfortable. So I bit the bullet, and got a Brooks B17 and ditched the suspension seatpost. Yes, breaking it in has been difficult, but it has reached the point (after 250 miles) that it feels better every ride.

"If the saddle don't fit, you must acquit"-Abraham Lincoln.