Saddle preference
 

What model of saddle do you use on your C&V bikes? I've heard and seen Brooks a lot, but I would like to see what others use.

I use a Fizik Volta R3 on my Cadex (is late 80's early 90's Vintage?). It's a modern saddle with elements of older classic saddles.

My other favorite saddle is the Selle San Marco Regale Carbon FX. Basically an updated San Marco Regal.

The only saddles I have found, other than my Brooks, that I like are Selle Italia saddles. I have a Flight Gel Flow and a C2. Both are very comfortable.

6 Brooks - for the bikes that will never see the rain.
1 Fizik Antares Vs - for the century rides and those possible rain days
1 Selle Italia SL - just because I needed a white saddle to match a build
1 Tioga web saddle - for the bike on the trainer
1 cheap Forte' - for the grocery getter

Everything I ride has a Koobi Alpha PRS.

San marco. They all fit my ass real nice. The regal is ti rails and the rolls and turbo are original.

I'd go for a charge saddle on a budget.

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/...psua8pokni.jpg

Vintage Flites on everything.

My 4 main rides have on them:

1) a Brooks Swift Ti - this is my best saddle, but it's not light, and it's also my most expensive
2) an Ideale 80 - I've had this for 36 years, on 3 different bikes over that time, and it is perfectly molded to my butt.
3) a Selle Italia Turbo - Good, but not as comfortable as the two tensioned leather saddles above.
4) a Fizik Antares - manganese. This is my lightest saddle. I just got it, so I can't speak to how I like it for more than a short ride thus far.

Two mountain bikes, one cyclocross bike, and one '87 Gazelle. All have a WTB Pure V saddle. It's the only other than A B17 that works for me.

Like many butts before me, B-17.

San Marco Regal here. Great look, very comfortable.

Brooks (Professional x4), Brooks (B17 x2). Brooks (B67) Unicanitor (x2) and a whole bunch of saddles that are copies of either Brooks' or Unicanitors.

I've got a pretty good stock of Selle Anatomicas, Flites, and other padded saddles, but I never ride them anymore. I should put them all up in the FS subforum.

I have three bikes fitted with Brooks saddles - two B17S and a Professional as well as an Ideale 80 on the '52 Urago, I have to admit that after being spoiled by wide 650b tires the 21mm tubular tires on the Urago are not very comfortable for the short ride I took recently so I might eventually try some Challenge Eroicas in 32mm. As a very occasional rider it may not be worth the expense - anyone know where the best deals for these are or something at least 25mm that is decent?

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...psy1h9lqbl.jpg

Turbo for me. I absolutely hate the looks of Brooks saddles.

this is my new favorite, the 'nidd' from spa cycles in the uk.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3850/...b6e8b13a56.jpg

it's hard and stays hard for my pleasure.

seriously, my brooks b17 saddles (and i have three reatively new ones) aren't hard enough after only a few months use. i need to learn how to lace their skirts. maybe i'll take them to a cobbler.

San Marco Regal for classic racers, Brooks B-17 for classic tourers and Fizik Arione for my modern set ups.

The San Marco Rolls is becoming a favorite of mine. It just fits.

My large derrière seems to be brand agnostic, as long as it is not a cheaply made vinyl covered saddle.

If I have to buy a new saddle, it is usually a Brooks B-17. I like the Avocet Touring a great deal too. My bikes also are fitted with Concor, Vetta, Selle, and Flite as well.

My 95 Trek ZX7000 came to me with a Vetta TT Tri-shock. I replaced the vinyl cover with leather and found it very comfortable (5'11", 155 #). After I got my Cannondale CAAD3 R600 I got another Tri-shock (for free due to some damage) and recovered that. Very comfortable for me. I now have 4 of them and just found a 5th. They seem to be discards and end up in bone piles. I find them easy to recover in leather and they look great. They just suit me.

My '80 Nishiki International came with a Vetta Anatomic (yellow!!) and it's also very comfortable so will stay on that bike. Did 53 miles on that yesterday with no complaints. I now have a very nice late '60s Wrights W3N which has been on the trainer mounted Moto all winter. Its comfortable but not more so than the Vetta's so I've not moved it. I should put it on the open road but the Tri-shocks are just right and lighter so I drag my feet.

I have found that even the Tri-shocks varied a bit in stiffness and long haul comfort. But for the price ($0 to $5) I can experiment and use the best ones the most.

I have a Fizik Aliante VS on my 650c bike that original had a repop Regal but just didn't fly with my behind.

Then two SSM Rolls on my Paramount and my Cannondale.

A cinelli unicanitor buffalo hide that's padded on my Guerciotti which surprisingly is working pretty good for how slim it is.

Then a Vetta TT Trishock on my Schwinn walmart klunker bike.

It's kind of nutty how Brooks are THE saddle.

I dragged my feet on getting a Brooks for a long time. Prior to getting a Brooks, my favorite was a San Marco Touring saddle. They seem to have only been specced on a couple of bikes in 1985- otherwise... nowhere else. It's a comfortable saddle, and the big drawback to it is that it's got no bag loops.

http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/...psc74299f7.jpg


Otherwise I also REALLY like the ubiquitous Avocet Touring II saddle. They're comfortable, relatively lightweight, they have bag loops, look "classic" probably because they were specced on SO many bikes in the 70s and 80s.


http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/...psb52700d7.jpg


http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/...psc2e57349.jpg


However, my favorite saddles are now my Brooks. My favorite is the Cambium, and I also have a B17. After dragging my feet for years, for not wanting to follow the "hype" about the B17 and whatever- it's just so universal about how people rave about these saddles, but they haven't been specced on a bike in 30 years. Last summer I got a B17. After a really short period of trying not to like it I REALLY liked it. More than my favorite saddles. Within a couple of months (probably weeks) based in great part due to @AZORCH 's blog, I got a Cambium- and it's even better than the B17. It doesn't have the classic look- but it's... well... badass.

http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8c3eaeef.jpg

http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/...ps43a714ce.jpg

http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/...psb3b69143.jpg

RAMJ84-

B 17 Select on my 1960s Bertin C 37 and a 1970 Brooks Pro on my 1970s Bertin C 37.

I like the looks of the old Turbos, and they are period correct for most of my rides, but I find them to be a$$ hatchets for more than short rides. My sit bones love Specialized Rivas in 143mm, so that's what I prefer now. I'd like to try a Brooks someday.

I find Brooks B-17 too wide but the Swallow perfect, now also am running a C-15 not C-17 with great success on a non-C&V. Other C&V I am very happy with are San Marco Concor and Regal, Selle Italia Turbo and a vintage Flight on a borderline C&V. If I considered ever doing a century again it would be on the Concor.

At present, I have 3 Brooks Professionals, a Brooks B-66, an Ideale mod. 90, an Ideale mod. 92, a Selle Italia Turbo, and an Avocet Racing III mounted on bikes.