Look for a used Brooks on eBay.

My saddle, at the widest point measures at 6". My ischial tuberosities, from center to center, is 4 1/2" and outer to outer is 6" based on the card board trick. It's actually very firm seat and it really, it is one of the better (probably the best) saddle I have used so far.

Do I need something just a nudge wider and with a relief channel?

Where in Portland are you? I would suggest someplace like the Community Cycling center or City Bikes that has tons of used seats available for CHEAP. You can try some different ones to see what works for you. Just don't get one that is so old that the foam is trashed.

Performance will also let you buy several seats with the intention to return the ones that don't work for you. I would feel guilty about this if their sales people weren't the ones who suggested it in the first place.

There are also shops that have test seats (colored differently) that will let you use a seat for a week and then keep trying seats until you find one that works. I think Sellwood Cycle does this, and Lakeside Cycles in Lake Oswego, and I'm sure there are others that do, too. Ask around.

If your butt is happy I would not change a thing... another aspect of comfort relates to condition as stronger and fitter riders tend to support their weight with their legs as they pedal and it is when we tire or are in not in as good shape we settle into our saddle a little more.

In measuring the saddle there is the total width and the effective width.

The centre of the seat pads are at 1.5 and 4.5 on your tape so the effective width is 3 - 4 inches (there is a little wiggle room here) and if your sit bones are hitting the saddle at the 1 and 5 inch marks (maximum effective width) this is why it is probably giving rather good support and it does have a shallow channel and a firm construction which helps greatly.

Women have sit bone spans that are usually between 125mm - 150mm / 5-6 inches while men usually have narrower spans of 115-120mm / 4.5 - 5 inches although these are only averages and there are exceptions. My wife has a sit span of nearly 7 inches (good Polish genes) and there are few saddles she finds to be comfortable but loves her women's Brook's models like the B66 and B72.

If you want to be more comfortable a saddle that is a nudge wider might be the solution as long as the other aspects remain the same like the firmness of the saddle and a cut out or channel can also help, especially when we ride longer and might find ourselves resting on the saddle a bit more.

They are pricier, but there are lots of Brooks B17 saddles on Ebay for $90 like this one.

A great investment that will last a very long time with minimal care. Outside of that, like others have said, just find something that's very firm with little padding. New stuff is pricey, but it doesn't have to be. I've gotten a great seat from the Boise Bicycle Project for $10 that was an old ('90s) racing seat. Try and find something used for $5-20 and then eventually just get it taken care of for the next decade or two and grab a brooks. I bet you could find a good used saddle here:

https://www.northportlandbikeworks.org/
https://www.citybikes.coop/

You're in Portland, I bet theres lots more places for used parts too.


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Since you're looking for suggestions, I have had good luck with Forte saddles from Performance. As many saddles as I tried I found I needed the cutout, and not just the "dip" for any length of riding.

On my commuter I use a Forte Classic and the road bike I use the Forte SL Pro.

Since the average male has a 4 - 5 inch sit span the average men's saddle will be 4 inches at the centres of the seat pads as it allows for half an inch either way, the OP's saddle is narrower at 3 inches and would be best suited for a person with a narrower sit span.

See Sky Boyer at Velo Cult in Portland-Hollywood. He'll fix you up.

I been there, they mostly sale brooks but those are just to pricey for me.

Will keep an aye out for a decent saddle here for you... will not be back to PDX until July so if the search is successful can just mail it out.

Bingo. I finally stopped thinking lighter is better and bought a Brooks B17. Nice. Then I was able to test a Brooks B17 Imperial. Nirvana.

I have two saddles that I really like. A Brooks B17 and a Specialized BG-08. I ride these without padded shorts. Which can make a significant difference.

**These saddles work for my butt. They may or may not work for yours.**

Today is my First day back on the bike, six weeks following a Di Vinci prostate removal. I purchased a Serfas Rx-921. As my underparts are a bit tender, i was worried about being able to spend any more then 30 minutes on my bike. The saddle gave me a very comfortable ride and I was not feeling much pain an hour and a half later, when I climbed off the bike.
The Rx saddle is actually two full halfs, connected underneath the saddle. Each of the two sides can move independently increasing. The saddle is much softer then my daily saddle, buy following surgery, that will be a benefit.

Like many here, I'll repeat that each rider's size/dimensions/posture are different, but regardless, I'll throw in my 2 cents:

I have a 38" waist and a 32" pant inseam. My legs are strong, but not bulky...in other words, I have sort of a wide gait for cycling, and not a very thick set of glute's to complement it. I have a ridiculously, shamefully large collection of cheap saddles at home, and there are two that stick out the most in terms of overall comfort when riding in a more upright position. The Velo Bio:Logic and the PlanetBike Mens A.R.S. 5020. For more upright riding (think flatbars/bullhorns/city/northroad/etc.) these are firm, yet comfortable for someone with such wide sitbone measurements as my own. If you're planning to ride in a more aggressive position (think dropbars, or with a saddle set much higher than the handlebars), I like the PlanetBike Mens A.R.S. 5022 (cue late "arse" jokes), as it doesn't rub my inner thighs as much, while still providing a decent padding for these old sit bones. As always, YMMV.

NYTimes article helped sell the noseless seat , in stock, last year. this year shop Mgr. got 2 more..

Could go full, Scottish Kilt commando and get the sheep skin covers for the 2 sit upon pads.

Baaa..

+1 on going to CityBikes and buy a used saddle from the glass case where they keep the better ones. Plenty of very good ones for $25-ish. Check on the exchange-return policy, you can probably keep swapping until you find one you like.

Set the saddle perfectly level at first. For most people that will be about right. If you then try tilting it for later rides, do so in tiny increments.

There might be a slotted saddle to try out. But most people don't need that

Myself, I am comfy on B17, Selle Italia Turbo, Selle Italia Flite, and Brooks Swallow. My rear seems to be not too fussy.

You should get a Brooks, it will start off hard as a rock but then as it breaks in it over a few tens of thousands of miles it will become comfortable and flexible like steel.

I have a Brooks B17 with about 8,000 miles and I like it. Having said that, I know of several people who tried a B17 and didn't find theirs comfortable. Brooks saddles are very popular on BikeForums but I think they are much less popular among the general biking population. It could be that there are shills for Brooks on this forum... who knows.

What I'm trying to say to the OP is: don't buy a Brooks just based on this forum. Before you invest that amount of money find one to try - borrow from a friend, get on loan from a bike shop, etc. Ride it for 100 miles, then decide if you want one.

Right. Avoid padding.


I agree a leather saddle is best. I am not convinced they are better when they "break in." I like them best when they're new.

I guess the sarcasm was too subtle... I never liked mine even though I gave it a chance for over a year, and I switched it out. It just didn't fit me. And it definitely never got notably softer.