I've decided I need a new saddle. The one I've got just isn't that comfortable. I ride 25 mi. round trip with the occasional (25 mi. +) weekend ride. Any suggestions for a new saddle?

This is a bit cliche' but I just got a b17 at the end of last year and now that it's breaking in my bum is loving it.

There are a whole bunch of us that are glad we switched to the B17, get prepared for a whole bunch of Brooks B17 suggestions and a variety of other choices.

I had bought an E3 Form Titanium saddle and put probably 20 or so miles on it before I sold it with my 'cross bike. It was instant comfort right out of the box. And that was without any bike-specific shorts. Some long distance riders use this saddle as well.

I've got one on my road bike. It was a pleasure from the first day and still great after a few thousand miles.

I used an E3 form for a while and did a century or two with it. It wasn't great for me but it was good. It was a bit too narrow for me.

I'm now a believer in Specialized's Body Geometry saddles. I went in and got measured then bought the recommended width Specialized Avatar. It was great and I still use it regularly. A few months later when I wanted a new saddle for another bike, I got a Specialized Phenom. I like that one a lot too.

I have a Brooks Champion Flyer on my touring bike. No numbness at all with it, but as there is only 20 miles on it its a bit hellish on the sit bones. Its only getting better though.
https://www.wallbike.com/championflyer.html
If your curious about Brooks saddles, I highly recommend Wallingford Bicycle - they offer a 6 month return policy on all their Brooks saddles.

My second favorite (and really my only other favorite in the fleet) is the Nashbar Men's TFX, currently on sale for $30. I have this on my road bike.
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...2_10000_200413

I like it, but unless its a good day an hour is a bit long in the saddle. Luckily my commute is only 45 minutes at max.

I don't know your gender, but if your male having problems with "taint crushers", then a firm, or ideally a leather saddle helps more than any cutout. All my saddles with cutouts (with the exception of the TFX) allow me to sink so far into the padding that it ends up numbing parts anyway.

I couln't agree more, I switched to a b17 for my commuter and am hooked for life. Just ordered a Brooks Team Pro for my road bike.

saddles choices are extremely individual. . . .and there are many issues to consider:

do you want padding? in the saddle or in your shorts?
are your sit bones close together or are you a bit wider than some others? this makes a significant difference in how a saddle fits you and what works for some folks will be absolutely wrong for others.
do you ever or mostly ride on the nose or do you always have your sit bones planted on the back of the saddle? some saddles are longer providing more room to move around.
do you want a center cut-out or not?
do you want a soft or firm saddle?
do you want a board-flat saddle or one with a bit of 'cradle' shape?
does the saddle weight matter?
how much do you weigh? (some lightweight saddles have weight limits)


You should find an LBS with a 'saddle library' . . .saddles you can borrow as demos and just keep trying different sizes and shapes until you figure out what works best for you.

After reading several threads on BF I got a Selle An-Atomica last month. I've now got over 1,000 miles on it, including a double metric. It took some work to get it set up just right (it has the extra factor of tension adjustment in addition to everything else). At first I thought it wouldn't work out but I stuck with it and it is now the most comfortable saddle I've ever used. There are several BF threads on this saddle that you might want to look at before trying it.

+1 on the SA. Comfy straight out of the box. No break in req'd. Adjusting its tension gives much quicker feedback than Brooks on whether you've got it dialed in to your bum.

Get a b17. You can usually find them for around $70. You won't ever have to look for another saddle.

Brooks, Terry, Body Geometry, and WTB tend to be the favorites. I have a Brooks flyer pre aged and a Body geometry sonoma. The Brooks is my first choice now. Will replace the BG when I get money together.

Yes, indeed -- so why not another plug? Not only is the B17 the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden, but it's equally comfortable with any clothing I wear: cycling-specific shorts and tights with chamois, jeans, wool knickers, etc. My previous saddle (Specialized Avatar) fit nicely, but chafed whenever I wore anything but cycling-specific clothing.

these are the two I was considering and may still buy one for my birthday:

Forte Classic
https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...00_20000_56006

Nashbar F1
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes//Catalo...Term=f1+saddle

I have nearly 10,000 miles on my B-17 Imperial. It's the B-17 with a cutout and laced skirts. It's on the bike that I use for everything from my 30mi r/t commute to 400k single-day events. I've ridden more century and 200k rides on it than I can remember, and it's still every bit as comfortable as when I first got it.

Of course, that's just my opinion. If any saddle is too wide/narrow at the flare, too wide/narrow/flat/arched/padded through the middle, too long/short in the horn, or any other of a number of things, it's not going to be comfortable for you.
I think h.bicycletus' suggestion of finding a shop with a bunch of saddles you can try out is one of the best things you can do.

I've got one of these. The outer shape is very similar to the 143mm Special Avatar, but for some reason I don't like the Forte quite as much. It's a bit firmer. When I first got it, I felt like I slid around on it too much but that may have been the angle. I didn't like the prominent Forte logo, but that wipes right off with nail polish remover.

Andy_K ~ is it just sitting around your house? you want to get rid of it? I would gladly reimburse your shipping costs plus a little xtra