Sy Reene

Plan to stick with a saddle for at least a couple hundred miles, or a month of riding that includes some longer treks (greater than eg. 40 miles) on a somewhat frequent basis. Otherwise you can't distinguish what is comfortable, vs. you're physically just not adapted (ie. butt callouses).

Carbonfiberboy 

And remember, consider no saddle The One until after the 3rd hour on a long ride. If you still don't notice that you're sitting on a saddle, that's the good sign.

zorax2

I tried around 10 saddles starting with every width men's Specialized saddles for my Roubaix. Then I tried a bunch of other saddles (usually the most expensive ones) with no luck. Finally, I tried the Brooks B17 - problem solved.

FireWaterBoy

Not a popular choice but a friend recommended me a Tioga Spyder and I laughed in his face. But after trying it I won't buy another saddle again! Bear in mind that I like riding long distances and have had zero problems with it. But always with padded shorts

Sy Reene

Interesting to find someone who's ridden one of these. It was a toss up between the Tioga Twin-tail and the saddle I did get instead (Selle Italia SP01) -- I went with the slightly more conventional look.

tendency 

Well, since you mentioned no pre-reqs regarding weight/materials/styling etc. then my all time favorite saddle is the Berthoud Aravis. Leather with titanium rails and an excellent cutout. Wont ride anything else after trying one out.

Branko D

I find the Specialized Power (in 155mm width; tried 168mm and that was fine, too, but I broke it in a crash) to be supremely comfortable.

I put it on my gravel bike, too. Occasionally ride it in normal clothes without a hint of an issue. On the road bike I do long distances on it in a trisuit without any trouble.

However, it is personal, so. Measure your sit bones, imo, and base the saddle width on that.
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C9H13N 

The first time I rode a Brooks Pro, in regular pants, was a life changing experience.

bike eagle

What are the differences between the various Power models? There are so many I'm confused.

rootesgroup

I recently found a brand new Daway seat in a thrift store for very low $ so I bought it. I find it to be very comfortable, at least for the short ride. I am looking forward to taking it on a longer ride to see if it holds up. Again, I got this for low $. I do not yet know if I would buy it for more $.

cyclezen

so... do you know which saddle width is best suited to your sitzbones? Been measured ? (Since Specialized does have the Ass-O-meter...)
many saddle designs feel different depending on the available widths. Some saddles will be available only in certain widths.
Everyone has a current 'favorite', quite possibly the best saddle ever... I know the ones I don;t prefer... Otherwise there is a good selection of those I have a liking for.
and rider weight and leg thickness/size will make a difference - I'm 150 lbs and have relatively slender legs - some say 'chicken legs"... LOL!!!!
... but so far, there are none which might go more that a bit over 6 hrs continuous saddle time without an extended break. otherwise serious monkey-butt.
my favorites : San Marco Strada (no longer made, but often available used in primo condition) San Marco Regal (long time on market and still preferred by many)
Specialized Phenom on my main Tarmac (current modern Fav), I have a Toupe on another Spec tarmac, but that's a 3 hr saddle at best.
, for mtb or city/errands, long slow distance joy rides - Sella Italia Trans Am (has a bit more padding, but still firm enough, and good when wearing bottoms other than cycling kit)
common to all these saddle is the saddle shape/outline, leg cutout, width of 141-143, and the curve and slope of the seating area. some have channel cutout, some don't...
good luck

BikingViking793 

my favorite.

mizer2167

Ask 100 people this question and you'll get 110 different answers. A saddle is a very personal choice. What works for me and my anatomy and position won't necessarily work for you.

I'm perhaps more sensitive to saddles than some others. I'm a big guy at 100 kg, which doesn't help and not all that flexible. I've tried: Fizik Aliante and Tempo, Selle Italia Novus and SLR Boost Endurance, Specialized Power Arc and Power Mirror, SMP Dynamic, Plus and Well Gel and and SQ Labs 612 both active and non active.

The Fiziks and SQ Labs were ~1 hr saddles for me, the SLR Boost, SMP Dynamic about 1:30-1:45 and the Specialized Power Mirror and Arc are 2-2.5 hour saddles. The Power Arc was the first saddle I rode were I could last over 2 hours but started to make me numb over time. The Power Mirror, while expensive, resolved that numbness problem and it's a touch more comfy vs. the Arc, just stupidly expensive. The Power Mirror is the only saddle I can ride indoors for more than an hour without dying to get off, but for me the Arc is close & I think part of my numbness issue with the Arc is the wrong width, as it tapers quite a bit more than some other saddles in spite of the quoted measurements being the same (i.e. a 155mm saddle in the Power Arc is not the same as a 155mm saddle in another saddle like the original Power).

I'm also going to try the Romin Mirror, as I believe the shape is a little more to my liking vs. the flatter Power.

robbyville

Zombie thread!

although I actually do appreciate understanding some of the differences between the various power models since I’m back in the market with my last Toupe finally broken…

hopefully the original poster has found his perfect saddle since it’s been since 2017!