Originally Posted by
sstorkel
Don't waste your time with this. The only company that makes such a device is Specialized and it is calibrated specifically for their saddles. In my experience, their measurements don't work terribly well for their own saddles and I would expect the results to be worse for non-Specialized saddles. Your best bet is to physically take your saddle to a shop, determine what's wrong with it, and then buy something that's noticeably different than the one causing you problems. As you suggest: it helps to work with a store that offers a saddle demo program or a liberal return policy.
This is not true. My Trek dealer has one that measures for all saddles ( it is not free) and they have a traditional one that is free that can be applied to any brand they have measurements on.
I sorta agree on the shorts thing although the padding does seem to last longer on the more expensive shorts before collapsing. What you want is a 6 panel pad for the most comfort.
Factory seats suck period. A seat that fits you will be the most important investment on your road bike. It is also the most difficult thing to get right. Find a bike shop (maybe yours does ) that can measure your sit bones and will let you demo seats before buying. You should expect to potentially spend 150.00 - 200.00 for the right one.