Another "help me pick a saddle" thread
 

Had an unplanned day off from work, so I ended up at a couple of LBSs to kill some time. One was a Specialized shop and decided to inquire about their sitbone measuring tool. Guy took me back to their fitting area and had me sit on this pad... and looks like I need something in a 155. He pointed out the Avatar and Indie as the ones he'd recommend for my bike and current riding style.

Mind you, I don't "kit up" to ride, though I am thinking about getting some liner shorts/padded underwear. And I've raised my seat up a bit higher than that pictured either in my avatar or the link to the stock bike.

I've determined that my current saddle has to go. Asides from what the LBS clerk pointed out, what are some of my other options?

unless you're a weight weenie, I would push you towards a brooks leather saddle. they're heavy, but they're not going to compromise your performance. they don't work for some people, but the general consensus is that they're awesome. its science. i had a lot of success with a b17 narrow, but I have a lot of drop on my bike and am probably gonna try a swift.

Both those links appear to go to the same saddle.

Oops! I just fixed it.

Brooks

Let your keister be your guide. I ride a Brooks on all my bikes but I've got a couple of once in a while riding partners that tried them after I made the rave and they both hated them. I did have a WTB brand saddle (I forget the model) and it was a really nice riding saddle. I also commute with the liner shorts with REI Headwinds pants or in the summer some convertible pants and I can wear those shorts even with jeans during working hours and they are the best piece of bike clothing I have ever invested in that has made the most difference in my comfort level when riding they let you wear any kind of pants off the bike and you don't look like you have dropped a load in there. so thats it in a nutshell from me.Happy hunting.

You got a link to those liner shorts? Amazon searches are a little dicey...

How important is the groove?
 

Just wondering.

I too am in the Brooks club and recommend them readily; but I have also been riding a Specialized Toupe saddle on my "go fast" bike and have found it to be perfectly comfortable from day one. Caveat- I haven't done longer than a fifty miler on the Toupe, but even after fifty all my parts are happy and I don't suspect that the second half of a century would fair worse.

Here's the one I have-
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...jsp?spid=53992

I have a couple saddles that I like, but only one that I love. My love is a Brooks. No more numbness problems. No more butt pimples. And I don't even have to wear bike shorts/chamois.

http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/y...9-19-56_56.jpg

That's because the Brooks has a built-in grinding mechanism that takes care of those real fast.