Good Touring Saddle?
 

Anyone got any suggestions? I'm thinking about the Brooks B67, although I used an old Adga leather saddle all summer and didn't much like the feel of it, so does anyone have some non-leather touring saddles they prefer that feel good after 60-70 miles?

Avocet Touring saddles!
http://velobase.com/CompImages/Saddl...F2D02EFF0.jpeg
Image courtesy of Velobase.

I used to ride a Turbo Triathlon for touring, but it was too cushy. These Avocet saddles are wide, have those two squishy butt bumps for comfort, and yet offer enough firmness and support to be comfy after 75 miles. As an aside, they make both women's and men's versions of the saddle, but I don't know the difference.

+1 When I saw the thread title, this is what immediately came to mind. In person, they look like some awful padded thing at first(to me), but it is one of my favorites. I'm going to be looking for another pretty soon.

I used this for an almost 200 mile, 2 day ride in the rain and had absolutely no butt discomfort while my riding partner was complaining the whole way.

I just started using one on the bike hooked to the indoor trainer and was surprised at the comfort.

b-67

+2 on the avocet touring, I love mine.

My favorites are:

the Brooks B17,
the Avocet Touring, and
the Vetta (below).

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...0Ace/Vetta.jpg

Just because you'll sit on the seat for long doesn't necessarily mean you'll need extra padding or width. As experience increases, so will the need for a narrower and firmer saddle, generally speaking. The same happens as your riding position becomes more bent-over.

Everyone's tush is different, so you have to do some experiments to figure out what's good for you.

I'm very suspicious of the high-priced Italian style saddles. By Italian, I mean a plastic shell, padding, and a leather or vinyl cover. A $30 saddle seems just as good as a $100 saddle. I have had some wonderful rides on $30 saddles. And they all wear out.

A Brooks style leather saddle can be worth the money for fit and also for durability. If you take care of it, it will last a very long time.

Brooks B17 works very well for my anatomy.

Neal

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=185244http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=185245http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=185246I call these avocet knock offs/love my WI Avocet.

Interesting, the Turbo Triathlon I used looks a lot like that centurion.
http://velobase.com/CompImages/Saddl...88120BAAD.jpeg

Does anybody have an opinion on the Gyes Parkside touring saddle? It seems to be a nice design and only 70 busks...http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=185248

Brooks Pro. I buy used, broken in Brooks Pros. Nice and soft. I can, and have, sat on them all day long, for a week at a time.

In the end, I found them more comfortable than the other Brooks I've had. Had an old worn in Ideal that looked really comfy, too, but I never gave it a try. I think the key is the soft leather. And padded shorts.

+1 for the Avocet. I had a Touring II before my daughter took it and ran!

Brad

A Brooks Swift.

Hard to beat for my rear.

Edit. I just noticed you said non-leather! Pardon!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/...d0b45b0c_o.jpg

B-17.

Why are you asking that question here, none of these people actually ride bikes; they just do a really good job cleaning them. (Just Kidding, Just Kidding)

:lol::lol:

There is another thread up right now that asks a similar question. I have a used B-17 in a box at home that I can't wait to try, and maybe I'll be as bowled over as so many have; but the most comfortable all-day saddle that I have used is the WTB Pure V. I had a touring bike that I didn't like the saddle on, so I took the Pure V off my MTB and was surprised how many other touring bikes I saw using the same one.

Just wanted to add that just because your AGDA didn't feel great, you shouldn't discount leather saddles. AGDAs were low-end and are notoriously uncomfortable. Surprised no one else mentioned it.

Having used two, I would recommend against any Gyes saddle. The city-bike saddle, is actually fine, but that's a short ride bike. Brooks and Ideale saddles are worth the money. But I'm not parting with my Avocet Touring saddle either.

Selle Italia Mundialita.

I'm not sure what defines a touring saddle as compared to any other saddle one might sit on for hours on end.

I walked into a bike shop this spring and asked for a recommendation. The guy gave me a WTB Speed V. I loved it immediately. Could ride all day on it. My wife has always ridden an Avocet women's saddle, one of their earliest models. I had her try the WTB Speed She. She hated it.

There is a purpose behind the initials SWMBO, especially when it comes to bike saddles.

It's a heavy and clunky but I've got 30,000+ miles on a Terry Liberator Gel saddle that has served me well.

Leather saddles today are miles better than those old Adga, especially if the Adga got water-soaked a few times. Brooks of the old days were thought to be really good, and some of us still think so.

As far as touring saddles, it depends what you mean by touring. If a 3-speed or a hybrid (nearly upright seating position) is your touring bike, then you'd be best off with a wider saddle like a B67 or if still made a B72. If you tour with downturned bars like most multispeed bikes have, the B17 should be a good choice - can't really say how its dimensions relate to the old Adga. If you will ride a bike that has a deeper lean (maybe back lean 45 degrees or deeper?), the Brooks Pro and B17 Narrow become good options.

The width of your pelvis as defined by your sit bones at the lean angle, rather than your blue jeans width, is also important. Specialized dealers have a gadget for measuring this distance, and can correlate it very readily to their saddles which you might also like.

There's way too many saddles on the market.