lightweight commuter saddle?
 

I have a friend who is looking for a light(er) weight saddle that what he currently has. He bought a Felt Cafe 7 a while ago, and we've been modding it ever since, making it more and more lightweight. Not weight-weenie light, but lighter. Now he wants a lighter saddle than the stock Felt hybrid job.

Any ideas? He's in a very upright posture, bars a few inches above saddle height -- a skinny road saddle will not do the trick. I'm guessing he'll need something at least 170mm wide or wider, and that he will prefer some padding. No Brooks.

WTB is my saddle of choice when looking for something decent quality that won't break the bank. I'd get whatever commuting saddle WTB sells like this "comfort" saddle, Comfort | WTB

I know you said "no Brooks"...but Brooks lolz.

I'm no saddle expert, as all I want to own now are Brooks and every other saddle I own just feels inferior.

I second a WTB...they make pretty good stuff.

Time for a newbie question. Exactly how much weight does a saddle contribute that you need to have a lighter one. I totally understand swapping so you have a more comfy one. But Saddle weight? On the scheme of your whole bike? How does that make a difference?

Also, why do you need to convert the Felt into a lighter bike? what was wrong with it before?

Saddle weight has very little to do with anything - if you aren't comfortable your ride will suffer which would negate any weight savings a lighter saddle would contribute. Sure, you can schlep out the money to have a saddle with a carbon backing and titanium rails, but you won't be saving much weight at all. Comfort should be the only aim in a saddle. I can't understand people who are willing to spend hundreds of dollars to save less than half a pound - not that that is what the OP wants. I think he just wants recommendations for saddles that don't weigh 5 pounds.

Fizik Unisex Vitesse.. I got mine thru my Brompton dealer , the British company got the Italian one to make a production run with a particular steel rail bend

to work with the Saddle clip and plain tube type seat posts .. was Part of their Light weight Offerings in the past , discontinued , limited to what is in shop stocklist

In UK SJS Cycles has a few (I note.. Online.. but protected sales territory they wont ship to the US)

Regular rail The Vitesse CP3 is more thickly Padded, It too is discontinued..

Backstory: friend is a former customer who brought his bone-stock Felt Cafe 7 into our shop looking for upgrades. He likes nice stuff. Shop he bought it from didn't have the time to bother with such a plebian ride. He went through 3 Surly chainrings before finding the ratio he liked... and then ditched the boat-anchor generic cranks for Race Face replacements. It's gone from 7sp to 9sp, and soon into the summer, he will be springing for a pg980 cass. TRP brakes, Paul levers, lighter stem, Thompson seatpost, MKS pedals, upgraded wheels, skinnier tires... Yes, he has mod-itis, a terrible and wallet-debilitating disease, based more on emotion than logic. Not the wealthiest guy, so I enable his passion by getting him parts at my shop discount and doing install for free outside the shop. We've gone through most of the bike already and he's looking to shave off a few more ounces -- we've already cut pounds off the bike and he wants to further optimize it. He knows all about saddle comfort, and that low weight is not a be-all end-all goal, because I've told him as much many times and actively tried to talk him out of a different saddle since he's comfortable on the one he has.

Pretty much.

LOL! I have upgrade-itis as well but mine is more like "will this accessory make my bike look better." It led to a new bike I just took delivery on! :)

I'm a more recent convert but man.... Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

Lady after my own heart.

OP, look into these maybe? I have two in my house. They are a bit over two years old at this point and going strong. They are great for a more upright seat and aren't too heavy. And, they are dirt cheap!
http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Sports-70.../dp/B00LOREXUG

You lost me at 170mm.

Otherwise, I would suggest he try a Specialized MTB saddle.

Or a Charge Spoon. At $28 probably the best kept secret in bike upgrades. Read the reviews at Universal Cycles.....almost everyone likes it.

Thanks all, for the input. I sent him links to the WTB and Charge saddles. Also a brand called Ergon for the fun of it.

PDW's saddle seems rugged , the Crocs shoes material serves as cover and padding , un affected by rain & Snow, IDK how wide they are..

I think they are in the 140-150 range. I have one on my outdoor lockup commuter and it is comfortable enough on my 3mi o/w ride. Come to think of it, I should probably grab that one and see how he likes it...

Another vote for the Fizik Vitesse. It is shaped like the Aliante except wider. The titanium rail version only weighs about 250 grams. I was using Brooks B17s on my bikes until I tried a Vitesse, which I found just as comfortable (or more) at less than half the weight. I have since put Vitesse saddles on all of my bikes. BTW, you can often buy Vitesse saddles on eBay for bargain prices, either used ones or take-offs from new bikes. I have never paid full price and have bought them on eBay for prices ranging from $10-25.

When it comes to seats weight is the least of my concerns, hence my Brooks Flyer.

I LOVE it... :beer:

Racing Brooks
 

Brooks does make a racing Brook. Have you considered a Team Pro or maybe a Swallow (B15) Ti?