bikejunkie

What your favorite saddle? Mine's the Terry Ti Fly. Best saddle I've ever owned.

HereNT

I'm really happy with my Sella Italia Carbon Fiber SLR. At least for the first 25-30 miles... Eventually I'll probably get a Brooks of some sort.

rjtokyo

I made the switch from SI to a Brooks Swift about a year ago and my rear appreciates it every time I ride. They just keep getting more comfortable .

- RJ

karlfitt

Brooks B-17 Champion Special.

serotta

Koobi AU and SI

CycleFreakLS

Terry Men's Firefly. Tried the Selle Italia SLR (!?) or was it SLK. A whole 100g lighter. 100g worth of padding lighter. Was awful. Firefly is comfy, even on 100+. So comfy, I put one my Gary Fisher as well.

lotek 

Brooks B17, Brooks Team Pro, Selle San Marco Regal
not necessarily in that order

Marty

my58vw

The stock little bontager one that came on the bike. Looking for a slit light weight model now.

On my jekyll a split gel saddle that is very confortable...

ajst2duk

Fizik Airone for me, it is the most comfortable saddle I have ridden and it looks mean on the bike.

slotibartfast

Brooks B17. I couldn't ride more than a half hour on my old Selle Italia without getting uncomfortable. On the B17, I can ride as long as my legs hold out.

ewitz3

Selle Italia Flite Kit Carbonio.

Got sick of replacing my SLR every 6-8 months when the leather on the sides of the nose of the saddle wore out.

alanbikehouston

I have tried a bunch of saddles over the years. Now, almost all of my saddles are variations of the Specialized Body Geomentry. A firm, medium/narrow BG on my road bikes, slightly wider, slightly more padded versions on my touring bike and mountain bike.

Everyone is different, and what is comfortable for one person is not comfortable for another. But, trial and error has taught me a couple of principles that are probably true for most riders:

-the top of the saddle should be flat. If it is curved, something is always rubbing on something

-the portion of the saddle holding the "sit bones" needs to be firm, or you sink into the saddle, and are putting pressure on stuff other than the "sit bones"

-the saddle needs to be wider than your "sit bones". Some guys who weigh 240 pounds buy the exact saddle they saw some 140 guy on during the TdF. His rear ain't your rear. The saddle needs to fit you, not someone have your weight

-if you are still in pain after buying the right saddle, you need to ride with your pelvis more upright, shifting weight off your crotch back to your "sit bones". Some people can do this just by pulling their pelvis up. Most people need to raise their bars higher, and bring their bars back closer to their saddle

tbreihan

My LeMond had a ratty, LeMond-branded Selle Italia Strada on it when I bought it. I replaced it with a $29 Selle Italia Concor Light recently. Lightweight, looks hardcore, and is fairly comfy when you sit on it right, which I am getting used to. It seems to be really designed for hard-pedalling in an aero tuck; you don't want to sit upright on it for too long.

One LBS nearby has a 30-day ride it and return it policy so I may try out a FiziK Arione or Gobi or possibly a Selle Italia Flite at some point in the future. However, I am going to give the Concor Light some more time to break in (and break my butt in), because I really do like it most of the time.

leeward

Have a Koobi AU Enduro that I like so far.

tbreihan

I disaagree. I think that the saddle needs to have some sort of dip in the middle. If it doesn't, then it needs to have a hole or a soft spot or something. A perfectly flat, hard saddle (like and ASPide or SLR) gives me numbnuts and pain in my perinum. The dip in the middle gives me relief down there.

Absolutely.

I think that depends somewhat on your posture on the bike. On a bike that you sit more upright on, yes. On a road bike when you want to aero tuck, no. On my road bike, I like a saddle that hits on the bottoms to insides of my sit bones. Of course, if you sit upright on that thing for too long, it becomes the epitome of the the ass-hatchet. Of course, a wider saddle kills my bum when I am down on the drops.

Jamtastic

What about for a beginer. i have the money for anything. im looking at a brooks swift but as a complete beginner do i really need that. I have to buy a saddle because the bike ijust bought doesnt have one. id like to make a good investment. id also like to have an arse left after i ride. any advice

TriEngineer

Fi'zi:k Pave

redfooj

selle flite ti - classic looks, low weight, and works well

i have 3 titanium flites right now -- 1 on roadie, 1 on mtb, and 1 sitting in my room...about to swap the mtb Flite for a gel Flite

bac

I'm really sold on the WTB saddles. I now have them (different models) on all of my bikes. They fit my anatomy very well. However, saddles are very personal, so your mileage may vary!

sorebutt

Avocet Air 40M.. the only one for me..

MelloBoy

another vote for the Fizik Arione here

melloboy

Davet

Brooks B-17, Professional and Champion Special.

rjtokyo

Hey Jamtastic, It's hard to go wrong with a Brooks Swift, even for a beginner. It will shape itself to the contours of your sit-bones the more you ride it. That's one advantage a Brooks will have over other high end saddles. Like you'll read in lots of other saddles posts, saddles are the most personal choice of any component on your bike. However, unlike other highly rated saddles like Fizik, SI Pro-link, etc., which either fit you or they don't, Brooks will mold to you. A plastic or carbon based saddle won't.

As for investment, if you take half-way decent care of a Brooks, it's not rare to get 20-25 years out of it. So for $180 for a Swift, you're only paying $9/year to make your rear happy . Good luck!

- RJ

UrbanSherpa

I have a Selle San Marco AERO. It is the one with the hole in the middle so there is no pressure on my 'taint. I've put 3000+km on it this year, and had no problems. It was invented? by some urologist, to prevent numbnuts. It works well, and my wife loves it!

https://www.aerosaddle.com/wshop/customer/home.php?cat=6

jqnj

I like my Alliante and my ERA k. No complaints with either.