FrenchFit 

I dumped a few Brooks saddles on eBay after trying the Selle SMP line.

"Selle SMP seems to be the answer for many guys. Maybe I will try the TRK. Or the Lite 209? Or the Plus? Too many choices :/"

And that is a problem, there is a good deal of variance between the models. You need to find a shop that demos, find your saddle. I ride the Pro on my road bikes, the Extra on my MTB... though I'd go for something with less padding next time.

Ray Dockrey

I use the WTB Speed V Comp Pro. I use it on my road bike and mountain bike. I have tried many saddles and it is the only one that really fits me and my riding style.

Standalone 

Selle Italia SLR 135g



I'm 6'4" and about 198#

sstorkel

The problem with Selle SMP is that they vary the width and padding at the same time. So, if you want a well-padded saddle you're stuck with something that's pretty wide. If you need a narrow saddle, chances are it won't have much padding. There some small amount of overlap in the product line, but not much.

Personally, I'd recommend starting with one of the less expensive Selle SMP models. If you can ride a standard-width saddle without chafing, I'd suggest starting with the 140mm-wide Selle SMP Extra. If you're currently riding a particularly wide saddle, then try the 160mm-wide TRK. Once you decide whether the Selle SMP shape works for you, then you can consider whether you want to try a less-padded saddle. If you're using the Extra and want less padding, look at the 139mm-wide Lite 209 or the 136mm-wide Glider. If you're using a TRK and want less padding, look at the 148mm-wide Pro or 154mm-wide Avant.

rdtompki

I'm a small barely-Clyde at 6', 200+. Had been using Selle Anatomica for several thousand miles, but lost the sweet spot. I've tried a bunch of others. What seems to be working well now is a Rivet. While the saddle isn't broken in yet, I can live with some discomfort in my sit bone area during the break-in; I've got no discomfort elsewhere which is the main thing. The Rivets are not inexpensive, however.

verktyg 

At 69, I've shrunk down to 5'9" but I still weigh 212-220 Lbs. so I'm barely a Clyde myself...

My pelvic points are a little wider than on many men so I like a little wider saddle in the rear.

Back in 2011 I spent over $600 on saddles to try to overcome a male plumbing problem. ;-(

Some of them I was able to return or exchange for other models so it wasn't a complete waste of money.

I'd been happy with my Brooks Pros - about 20+ of them but then I started using WTB Pure V saddles but they started giving me problems too when I rode over 20-30 miles.

I tried one of the WTB Vigo saddles. It looked great but it was one of the most uncomfortable modern saddles that I've ridden.



Out of desperation I tried a Deva woman's demo saddle. It was very comfortable. Then I tried the male version Devo saddle. It was about the same as the Deva. The Deva is slightly shorter and wider in the rear than the Devo.



BTW, back in the 70s when the Avocet saddles first came on the market delivery was bad. I got a Avocet Women's Touring I saddle and used it on my MTB until the men's version became available. It was very comfortable for off road ridding.

Next was the WTB Silverado and it was the BEST! (for me)



Earlier this year I got a good deal on a WTB Shadow V Pro and it's great too!




I can ride the Silverado saddles and the Shadow all day and not feel any discomfort!

verktyg

Chas.

ChuckHubbert

I hope this is just a twist on the question, and not a total highjack of the thread... I'm a new rider and cramming for a 250 mile/5 day tour in August. I am riding a new Motobecane CXX that has been fit for me by a shop, at least as far as seat height, stem, etc. I weigh 310, but dropping fast.

My question is how long or how many miles would you ride before you decide it's time to do something about the saddle? I know my personality would lend itself to chasing the right one, but I'd like to minimize that or shorten the cycle to be ready for long training rides in the next few weeks and my tour in August.

Thanks!

vesteroid

just a couple things to keep in mind in my opinion.

If you are not standing every fifteen minutes when you ride (or stopping and giving your but a few minutes rest) your going to have difficulty with most saddles.

Second point is it takes me a month of almost constant riding for my butt to adjust to a saddle. I know I was riding 5-6 days a week last year on my stock saddle and had just gotten to where I didnt really notice any real pain. I decided to upgrade to something lighter and it instantly hurt and took me almost another month to get use to that one.

ChuckHubbert

Thanks, vesteroid, that seems like a good data point.

Sequimite

I'm at 300# and use a Selle Italia Gel Flow on my '89 Klein. I find it to be comfortable up to about 35 miles. I'm going to ride it the last week of May on a 4 day 237 mile ride due to the frequent breaks planned.

I'm ridden eight hours with a few breaks on my touring bike with a Brooks B-17 without seat problems. It was comfortable from day one. I've also used a B-17 Narrow Imperial which took me a month to break in but is good for long saddle times.

Shepp30 

Brooks B17 on my Jamis Satellite Comp = Butter

verktyg 

You can play Goldilocks, forever changing saddles or.... Many bike shops don't have a clue about setting up a bike for customer comfort. Others are into racing and think everyone should be be riding a bike set up for a Cat 1 Racer.

There are some simple things that you can do to adjust your bike to fit YOU comfortably! Changing the saddle height by as little as 2mm or the seat angle or front to rear location can make a big difference in comfort.

Carrying the tools you need to adjust your saddle will allow you to make minor changes while out riding. Make very small changes and if necessary make notes about your changes.

There are 2 points on your pelvis that should be supporting most of your weight. They are called "sit points", "sits bones" and so on but the medical terminology is the ischial tuberosities.

There is very little tissue covering these points and for many people, not much innervation (not a lot of nerves). This is different for everyone.

Male Pelvis


Female Pelvis


After a short period of riding, maybe 2-3 weeks this area should toughen up a little and you shouldn't feel much discomfort.

After you make adjustments and toughen up your bottom, if you are still having problems then start shopping for a different saddle.

NEVER tolerate PAIN! If your seat contact area hurts, something is WRONG!

This link has some good points on saddles and pelvises:

https://www.albabici.com/selle/tech-i...-to-choose.htm

One other thing to consider is the bar height, angle and reach. These are all adjustable to some degree.

verktyg

chasm54

You and I clearly have very different experiences with saddles. Nothing wrong with that, some people have lots of saddle problems and it sounds as if you are towards that end of the spectrum.

I sit and pedal for long periods without standing and I'm not uncomfortable. If I had a saddle that forced me to stand every 15 minutes I would certainly get rid of it. And I wouldn't give a saddle that hurt me a month, or anything close to a month. If they hurt, and you're confident about fit/position, they're the wrong saddle.

Just my experience. Maybe I'm just luckier than you in being more saddle-tolerant, I don't know.

vesteroid

my experience may also be influenced by where I live. There are not flat roads near my house, so almost any time I ride, I am climbing. And when I am climbing I get out of the saddle. If I simply sit, somewhere around an hour to one and a half hours my but is hurting. If I am getting out of the saddle I can go 6-7 hours without significant pain.

I just completed a very flat century a few weeks ago and that was the worst I have had as far as saddle pain, as I didnt stand at all the first few hours. The first climb (if you can call it that) didnt come till hour 5.