I've had a Selle Italia saddle for ages now & its great for me.
I've heard of cyclists weeping when their Brooks saddle breaks or if their bike gets stolen because it takes weeks of a$$-busting discomfort to "break-in" a Brooks, but once done, apparantly, they're the best.
As previously mentioned padded cycle shorts do make a great difference, especially on longer rides.
And also as previously mentioned, time will harden your butt.
So - time, shorts, saddle = pain-free rear
Stew
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The older I get the better I used to be.