From the YMMV dept: in the past few years I've tried various nearly-unpadded saddles including a Brooks B17, a Specialized Romin Evo, and an Avocet Touring II, and none have been as comfortable for me as the medium padded plastic and fabric covered seats that come on mountain bikes. All three required bike shorts for me while the cheap ones don't. My body is schlubby and my ride is pretty short 11 mi about 3x a week. I can see how if I were riding more or further, and my sit bones were inured and I was more worried about pressure or chafing, it could go the other way. Occasionally I'll get spun up by posts here or touring blogs to try something else again like a GB, but then I look at the price and remember I'm pretty ok now, and I stop myself.