Comfortable saddles?
 

I want some suggestions for good comfortable saddle for my man parts. That won't break the bank and doesn't look gawd awful. I have been riding a lot lately and now I am getting some minor pain around my perenium. I plan on taking a break and hopefully it will go away, but want to prevent this next time.
I don't think I can spend anymore than $40 :(

I find the Bontrager Affinity series of saddles to be the most comfortable, all 4 of my bikes use one of them.

For your type of pain its not padding that will help - Its the width of the saddle it self...

Are your man parts not worth more to you than $40? Good saddles are a bit pricey, but not nearly as pricey as pharmaceutical intervention.

I've used this saddle for a couple of years. It's not the prettiest saddle I've ever seen, but not ugly, either, not outrageously expensive, but surprisingly comfortable:

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...jsp?spid=56899

I've considered Brooks saddles myself, because of their classic looks, but $170 seems like a lot of money for a saddle that's prone to water damage and may cause pressure in inconvenient areas.

I am riding on the Specialized Milano and the Serfas Men's Rx saddles. I am subject to prostate pain, etc. but so far haven't had issues with either saddle.

I am sure there is some inexpensive solutions. Not everything in the bicycle world has to be so dang expensive to work.

I don't recommend a particular saddle - everyone's got a different bum. What works for me won't work for joe schmo. I will say, demo different ones or get a saddle fitting.

What sort of saddle are you currently using?

The one that came with the SST AL from bikesdirect, it has absolutely not trademarks on it. Hmm, maybe I can get a photo?

YOu dont want padding. The padding that is on your current saddle under your sitbones is probably the cause of your current problem.

As that padding compresses, your arse lowers, and your soft bits are now coming into contact with more and more pressure.

Best is to get a saddle that cups your sit bones and have those cups positioned to take most of the weight. That is where a Brooks works well, it will conform to most peoples sit bones, and cup them, just so

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Just regarding your budget... sometimes people get fixated on the price. I've been known to search 30 minutes online for a promo code to save €5 and then spend €50 at the pub without a thought. I just bought new shoes a week ago which cost €100. I'll probably have them just a year as I wear them out fast. But I'll probably have my Brooks for many years.

A saddle needs to fit its rider. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't matter what type of saddle it is it will be uncomfortable. Most LBS will measure your sit bones for a proper fit, then choose a saddle.

Or, you can just buy a lot of saddles till you happen upon one that fits.

Find a used Adamo race saddle, funky looking, but it works. I'll never go back to a traditional saddle again.

Maybe the old man is off cue with this comment, but I take this from my motorcycling experience. The way you support yourself on the bike has a lot to do with how the seat feels. Example, on the motorcycle, I support myself with my legs, lower back, and abs. Very little on the wrists. That allows me to ride, a sportbike in full tuck for up to and over 2 hours, with no discomfort.

Coming to the bicycle. I have mostly those Brooks or Brooks copies. I have never had a problem with seat pain or discomfort. Mainly because of the way I support myself on the bicycle.

Now, this is coming from a really loose old man now, and this may or may not apply to others!! ;)

Do NOT buy something with lots of padding - this will make pressure on the perineum WORSE. You want something that fits your sit bones. The weight should be carried there.
I use a Brooks saddle, it works great, no discomfort, not pressure on the perineum.

As others have said, you don't want a saddle with excessive padding. My bike has a fairly hard, sprung saddle which works well, as does a sprung seatpost. The most important thing is to get a saddle that's the correct width. Too narrow and it will be an arse axe, too wide and you won't be able to pedal correctly.

This might be a little too outside the box and is a little more than $40, but I just did the NYC 5-Boro on one of these. The congestion makes it more of a cattle drive with 30,000+ other riders. After 10 hours of pedaling, waiting, pedaling waiting... the trip odometer was over 50 miles (includes getting to and from event). My hands were a little tired, but no saddle issues:
www.harderbikes.com

Pics of its fixed gear cousin:
http://publicbounty.com/

I think Surfas makes some comfortable saddles that aren't too expensive.

I have a brooks b17 and it works well for me. I had about three others before it that all hurt to ride on. If all you have to spend is $40, then you'll either remain in pain or scrape up another $90 or so, IMHO. Good luck.

First thing to do is measure your sit bones, these are called your ischial tuberosities and where you should be supporting your weight when you sit on anything.

http://yogainthemix.files.wordpress....uberosity1.jpg

You can do this yourself by procuring a small piece of corrugated cardboard, place this on a hard surface and sit down on it in your skivvies... this will leave an impression and the distance between the impressions is your sit span.

A saddle that fits will be wide enough to support your sit bones but not so wide as to impair your ability to cycle and firmer is better for anything but very short trips.

Will not tell you what to buy save for saying that investing in a good quality saddle that fits will change your cycling experience for the better and will be worth every penny.

Pishaw.

You can buy a good saddle for $40.00.

I have a < $40.00 Velo saddle that I have been rocking for well over 5 years and it has seen a ton of miles... it is comfortable because it is the right width and has a centre channel to reduce pressure to the perineal area.

Most of my saddles are leather but the non leather saddles I have are also quite nice... find that Terry makes a great men's saddle and am using one of those on my separable touring bike. This is a $70.00 saddle that I picked up for $5.00 at a demo clearout.

Take offs, are available at your LBS, removed from new bikes ,
by customers that want a different saddle than that in the box..

you save money, and the shop would perhaps let you Buy-ride-exchange,
a few different ones to test.

I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but if you don't have cycling specific shorts or pants, you may want to spend your money on that first before buying a new saddle. Most street clothes have a seem that runs along the crotch which can be uncomfortable when sitting on a bike. Cycling shorts don't have this seem and tend to be much more comfortable. Of course, you can always try adjusting your saddle too, as it may not be in the right position to give you optimal comfort.

My personal favorite cheap saddle is the old Avocet Touring II. They cost next to nothing (used, they aren't made anymore), but fit me just as well as any Brooks. They are one of the few parts I've been known to really hoard. I've even bought bikes just for the saddle.

I moved from an ass hatchet to this - http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...64_-1___400195 or one like it.

When that failed/broke/caused pain, I moved to this - http://www.selleitalia.com/se_it3/pr...ina_max-flite/ (white one).

I don't bike to work in bike shorts, that's to expensive for commuting. Sounds like you need something with a cutout.