Originally Posted by
seeker333
I don't like saddles that sag or hammock. I like them to be basically flat and stay flat, so that I can easily shift myself fore/aft to relieve pressure point as I ride.
Tensioned leather saddles are very much prone to sagging under normal use. Look at any well-used Brooks saddle, it'll probably look a bit like a Pringles potato chip. Some Brooks will sag all the way to the rails if the user doesn't discard it soon enough. The tension bolt in a Brooks saddle is limited in it's capacity to compensate for the gradual-but-certain elongation of the leather saddle.
To be fair, many bicyclists love the sag/hammock feel of a broken-in Brooks saddle.
A selling point of Brooks saddles is the great width of the saddle. However, you don't need more width for comfort, and often the cause of discomfort on a narrower saddle is not the saddle width.
OP, if you have a $10 saddle that suits you, then you should get a few spare saddles and count yourself very lucky. Don't fix it if it ain't broke.
Ehh... They require more care than other saddles, but I do not agree that a broken in Brooks is like a "hammock." That is an extreme exaggeration, in my opinion. With a little care, they will deform somewhat to suit your sit bones, but a "sagging" or "hammocking" saddle has either been abused or is way past its service life--and its service life should be much longer than your average saddle. Also, you note the width. Well, Brooks makes saddles in various widths, so I don't know what you mean there.