Quick story. Over the years I have been a bit of a saddle hoe. Many here maybe have fallen into the same trap...searching for saddle nirvana aka the holly grail of saddles which some may submit doesn't exist. Throughout my exhaustive search including riding Brooks saddles for several years past, I decided that I pretty much needed a 150ish + saddle width to support my sit bones. After trying several Specialized saddles with width sizing, they seemed to work the best and currently on a Toupe Expert 155mm width which is...I would say OK to good. I can ride a century on it...may not feel perfect after the ride but I can still sit down.
Enter a new bike build. A bought a 2014 Specialized Secteur Elite off Ebay...one of the few times I ever purchase a complete bike with lower component level but decided this bike wasn't going to be about speed but rather practicality...mount a rack and do some light beach town cruising and it has been superb. Btw, I just couldn't resist swapping out the low level wheelset and Shimano groupset for Campy. Quite a difference...love the frameset and the bike...couldn't ask for more for the dollar IMO. Back to saddles, the bike came with a lowly 143mm Specialized Riv saddle with a bit more padding than I am used to riding. A modest average shaped saddle with chromoly rails. I fully expected to remove the saddle, discard it and put a higher level and wider 155mm saddle on the bike. I haven't. In fact, this lowly Spesh Riv saddle seems to be more comfortable than my Toupe even though it is standard width and has more padding. I never expected this and would have bet strongly against that this saddle would ever be comfortable but arguably it feels almost plush compared the firmer bodied...and no doubt lighter Toupe.
So once again, all paradigms about what maybe the best saddle go out the window. Now in fact, I am considering trying a 143mm Toupe which I always felt would be too narrow...but now not so sure. The more one experiments, the more we find out just what we don't know is my experience. There is very little science to saddles and even width sizing can fall by the wayside depending on how the pelvis is supported, how a saddle is shaped and even where a rider finds his sweet spot fore/aft. A wide saddle can ride like a narrower saddle if the rider scoots forward and the opposite for riding a narrow saddle if the rider scoots rearward.
In summary, I believe perhaps the best saddle out there is likely the one we haven't tried yet. Yes, there is a best saddle, but who among us has the time and money to find out.
