Need a saddle recommendation.
 

A couple years ago I bought a Torker U-District:

http://www.torkerusa.com/archives/2010-udistrict

I never had any problems with the saddle. It was actually reasonably comfortable and I never had any desire to replace it. However, that bike has been sold to make way for my new bike. A Kona Jake:

http://www.konaworld.com/cx.cfm?content=jake

This bike came with a saddle that made my sit bones hurt quite a bit after only short rides. I know you are supposed to just ride through that type of pain, but it never went away. A couple weeks of 60 miles a week and it still hurt. So, I tried this seat:

Origin8 Pro Uno Saddle - White: Sports & Outdoors: http://amzn.com/B0030GWL8A

That one is almost exactly like the stock saddle on the Jake, so that was a bit pointless.

Then I tried this one, thinking the extra padding would be nice:

Velo Bio:Logic Bicycle Saddle: Sports & Outdoors: http://amzn.com/B001NGD4I0

My sit bones don't hurt on this one, but I think it's too wide. Plus, it slopes up in the back, which makes you slide forward on it unless you angle it up, but that's no good for several other reasons.

I guess I'd like to reproduce the Torker saddle somehow. I remember it actually had a reasonably large amount of padding, but it wasn't a "wide" seat. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks!

Brooks B17 Champion narrow. Give it a few treatments with Proofhide during the first few weeks. Also buy a Randy Jo Fabrications Brooks seat cover for those rain days.

I was gonna recommend this too haha beet me to it.

haha, I should have seen the B17 recommendations coming. I've always had a sneaking suspicion that people love them so much because they are expensive (like wine or Kim Kardashian), and I ride in the rain A LOT. But, I suppose after you try enough cheap saddles, it may be time to try the one that everyone seems to love.

Velo Orange has some pretty nice leather saddles for about $60 right now. Not Brooks, but pretty nice.

I bought 2 of the VO saddles. The one modeled after the Brooks Swallow is fantastically comfortable and good-looking. Might be my new favorite. I think it's called the Model 6. It was marked down to $65, so quite a steal.

The Brooks B17 rules the world. My satisfaction has nothing to do with the price paid.

Brooks B17 Imperial, here.

Brooks B17 Flyer for my old back, I like how the springs soak up the road shock.

+1. Don't have to wear those stupid padded shorts anymore.

I don't care for the whole Kardashian thing, but I do like my Brooks B17 Imperial. I just installed it on my new Mezzo D9 folder (temporarily borrowed from my Salsa Vaya) just to see how it compared to the stock seat (terrible seat) and a Bontrager from my Trek 5200 (better, but still not comfortable). The Brooks is way better. I carry a seat cover in my bag for rainy days (I don't use the Brooks cover as I'd rather keep it out of site/non-descript).

I only wear the padded shorts under my casual shorts on occasion. Mostly jeans and light weight nylon shorts.

I'm looking at B72 tonight for the Mezzo, but it may be too wide for me since the position on the Mezzo is not quite upright. Maybe the Flyer suggested above.

Broooooooks.

SBS/Redline, sells Torker, ask dealer what saddle was spec'd on your bike.
probably can get the same one thru distributor > dealer supply chain.

in Wet Portland Leather saddles get damaged if not kept dry,
and in a bike town, people strip parked bikes, so your $100 saddle could disappear.

further west, I got a couple Fizik Vitesse saddles..the batch Brompton ordered from them offer a better setback than the B17,
because of the rail bend is different.
Even the synthetic cover lives under a plastic bag 9/10 of the year.

But, my butt is not yours, and saddles are better chosen by
riding on them than seeking most popular opinion poll.

I've gone through a lot of saddles looking for something I like. I've found several that work for me, but I couldn't tell you what makes any of them good. Proper width definitely matters, but it doesn't seem to be sufficient.

I like a saddle with minimum padding and bike shorts, so I won't recommend any of my saddles to you. What I would recommend is finding an LBS that will let you keep exchanging saddles until you find one you like. I've heard that this is something Specialized is promoting recently. I'd also go someplace where they have one of those gismos that you sit on to measure your sit bone width. Being in Portland you should have no problem finding a shop that does these things.

I would suggest that once you find the saddle you like, don't sell it with the bike. If I were to sell my bike the saddle stays with me and I'd put a cheap one on it for sale.

Velo Orange makes their saddles differently than Brooks. Where Brooks is just a piece of tensioned leather stretched over a frame, the VO saddles have a layer of laminate underneath. A friend of mine is a lightweight, and he couldn't get the VO saddle to break in. YMMV.

I think it's worth browsing eBay and watching Nashbar for B17s. Nashbar puts 'em on sale several times a year.

Among the road racers I train with, my Brooks is one of the cheaper (but much better) ones.

Joining this thread at 16 posts, I took a guess that there would bearound 10 votes for Brooks. Well done, team Fred!

I like my Gilles Berthoud best so far. But I haven't completely broken it in yet. We'll see how it goes.

The Brooks is definitely the fashionable saddle; if you really want to be popular in this sub-forum you need one, just like you need spandex to ride with the roadies.

But if you want one that's reasonably priced and works for you, go to a bike shop that has a demo saddle program. Borrow one that looks appealing, ride it for a few days, then rinse and repeat, until you find the saddle that agrees best with your ass.

Saddles are hugely personal, and one man's perfection is another man's torture device.

I really like the saddle that came on my 2009 JTS. It is racing shaped with just enough plush.
http://www.wtb.com/products/saddles/racing/rocketv/

I have Cardiff Wessex w/ a Radi-Jo ripstop rain cover. The Cardiff seems to be the same as the VO saddle, it's a Taiwanese saddle made w/ Aussie leather & sold under a few different monikers. FWIW, I've been riding it for three years and treat it once a month w/ Lexol (& SnoSeal in winter); so far, it shows no sign of wearing out any faster than my old Brooks did.
I can't recommend the Randi-Jo rain cover highly enough. I picked it up a couple of years ago at our 'Bike Craft' exhibition here in Portland, and it works like a charm- keeps the rain out completely and folds up into a surprisingly small package.

As I live where it rains a lot, I have a fi'zi:k Arione on my old cannondale. It's starting to show a little wear, but it has been a solid saddle. When I built out my new commuter, I purchased another fi'zi:k Arione. The new fi'zi:k Kurve line looks like it has promise, very expensive though.

+1 for the B17 Imperial. I thought the regular B17 was the shiznit until I got the Imperial. Anything under 15 miles, I don't need no stinking chamois.

Second on the Arione- I have them on both my LeMond & my Soma; they're a little stiff when new but once they break in, they're terrific- easily ride 30 miles without a hint of numbness. In the line of sport-saddles, the Prologo Scratch Pro is also pretty nice; in the past I've done some nice rides on a Serfas cosmos.