The road bike board has a survey regarding what saddle everybody uses. I don't put too much validity on a survey of this sort, but it is a pretty good sample size.

I was surprised by the results. The three most frequently mentioned were Fizic Arione, Specialized Toupe and Brooks B17. Once you get past the top three or four saddles, the numbers dropped off rapidly and most other saddles received only one or two mentions.

Link ?.

SB

The size of the saddle is more important than the brand. I found a link for getting the correct size. I also found that a $29 E3 saddle was more comfortable thatn the more expensive saddle that came on my Specialized Roubaix. The stock saddle was 143 mm and my E3 is 130 mm.

https://specialized.custhelp.com/cgi-...907262&p_olh=0

Brooks Team Professional have one on all three bikes. that includes the bike on my leg.

The brooks on my touring bike is 30 years old, the other is new.
They really work well for me.

If anyone is interested in an E3, I have three that I will never use and are available to new homes. This is a call for PMs if someone wants one. They're super cheap at Performance these days, and I will do better than that, since these are lightly used. Mine are not gel.

The E3 I bought for my road bike is very light with titanium rails. It is not gel. The E3 on my hybrid is gel. I can't tell any noticable difference in comfort. The 143 mm Specialized BG Avatar was also gel.

I completed the BC Randonneurs series up to 600 km this year on the fixed-gear Benotto. The 600 km ride got to be really uncomfortable after the first 300 km on the San Marco Era, the saddle I'm used to and have on all my bikes. It got to be a little excrutiating on the descents, where all your weight has to be on the saddle so you can float the pedals down the hill, so I'll be experimenting with saddles for the next little while in preparation for riding the 1200 km Paris-Brest-Paris in 2011 on the fixie. I will be taking delivery of a San Marco Regal next week, which is sort of a padded leather-covered nylon take on a riveted Brooks saddle,a bit wider than the Era.

I've tried Brooks and Ideale leather saddles and quickly tossed them. Well, the Brooks Pro came with an early-in-my-career Peugeot PX-10, and it was destroyed after some wet riding. It was forming into an assymetrical shape and was not comfortable at all, even with lots of Proofide. In the 1980's, I got tired of waiting for an Ideale to break in, so I sold it and went back to the relatively comfortable Cinelli #3.

I've pretty much gravitated to San Marco saddles. I've tried a gel Sella Italia Flite and an old Fizyk on the tandem, but neither was as comfortable as the Era, and I remember wearing out a Rolls completely. So I'm counting on the Regal to perform.

L.

It's interesting what works best for people. I assume that you have really wide sit bones if these saddles work for you. I have medium width sit bones and I have Ariones on my 3 bikes. It's usually not noticeable (I mean, the saddle is the last thing I think about) when I ride, but if I had to ride the distances you're doing, who knows...

I also do a lot of climbing and move around on the saddle a lot. If I was riding in the flats all the time, I'd probably try an Fizik Aliante. I had a Rolls for a week last fall on a rental bike and it didn't suit me at all.

Good luck on Paris-Brest-Paris in 2011!

Size AND SHAPE. The most comfortable saddle I ever used elicited gasps of horror from everyone who looked at it (never could convince anybody to actually try one). The Cinelli Unicanitor mod 50 or 55 (the saddle in question) was a bare nylon shell, made to mimic a well-broken in Brooks, minus the leather care issues. The combination of shape and flex fit my "sit upon" perfectly, like no other saddle (including Brookses and other Unicanitor models). Too bad they quit making 'em 25 years ago. I still have 3 of 'em, and even though I ride a 'bent these days, they are not now, and never will be, for sale.

SP
Bend, OR

I lived with uncomfortable, but nice looking, skinny leather saddles for many years. At this point in my life, I want comfort. I have a nice, wide gel saddle. Works well for me, especially since I mainly ride bumpy, gravel forest roads or completely off road.

I've just moved away from the E3 on my Tarmac - I am trying a Sella Anatomica based upon the raves I have read. Well it is an interesting saddle and we are still adjusting to one another. I still have the E3 and it may return.