The title says it all. How many of you keep a backup saddle?

I do. I store it on my backup bike.

I use the same saddle for both directions, to go forward and to back up.

What do you think is going to happen to a saddle that it needs to be backed up? Rails stopped breaking (mostly) when they outlawed aluminum. You shouldn't need a backup saddle because of a sudden event, but only if you think you will never be able to find an identical replacement when your favorite finally wears out. That ought to be years down the road.

Is that also where you keep your backup wheels?

Well, let's see ... Rowan and I have 15 bicycles between us, and I'm pretty sure we've got Brooks saddles on all those bicycles (and 2 on the tandem, of course) ... so ...

I keep a couple from bikes I buy and part out. Currently shopping for another one - I am really liking the Fredly Velo brand. The VL11 is really comfortable, yet sleek.

I keep a backup. The LBS suggested I do so when they found out I liked my saddle since they often become hard to find when you need a new one. This came in handy twice. Once when I got a new bike and the new saddle was simply not usable, I put the backup on that bike. The second time was when the rails on the saddle broke. So despite what was stated earlier, it can happen.

If you had one particular saddle that you love, and they don't make it anymore, it would make sense to scoop up any NOS you could find. (Armstrong supposedly did this with the Sella San Marco Concor saddle he liked)

Otherwise, I don't really see the point. If the idea is to have something to ride in the event the saddle breaks, an entire backup bike makes a lot more sense.

Thanks for the replies everybody.I was somewhat worried, because of some of the saddle makers stop making the saddle, that you finally found that you like. I'll have to write Selle Italia and see what's going to happen to the SLR Max Flow, if anything.

One set of them.

That's where ebay and craigslist come in.

I have the same saddle on both road bikes and a spare of the same model stored in its original box. Once you find the right fit...

Guilty. I actually have three variants of my primary saddle (Selle An-Atomica).

I used to carry a spare frame with me on longer rides (you never know) but I realized that could still leave me stranded, so I'm looking into pocket-sized foundries.

San Marco Titanio. I had 5 of them two years ago. Now I have 3 left. I have 2 bikes. I have one backup saddle, and that one a friend of mine bought for me because he knew I used the Titanio saddle. I've used them for about 15 years now.

I'm starting a search for a new available saddle that works for me.

I'm going to be looking for the 135 gram slr before long. I have had the same two saddles on at least 10 bikes now.

The only time one needs a spare saddle is racing. I generally care a spare saddle mounted on a seatpost in a box of parts when going to cyclocross races so if something happens while pre-riding the course i can switch it out. But it's just an old saddle i have laying around.

I have an eBay alert for "NOS Selle Italia Flite TT"

+1

Yeah, I got a spare...when my saddle sores heal up, I throw on the backup and ride until I'm raw again...

But do you have backup bars?

I have a full set of backup everything on my two other bikes! But seriously, I don't stick to any particular saddle. As long as it has minimal padding, a good split down the middle and isn't too long I'm happy with whatever happens to be on the bike.

It's a good idea if you're really attached to a saddle. I had about an '03 Specialized Avatar that I destroyed in a crash a few years back. Their new design of that saddle (lots and lots of additional padding) sucked for me, so I ended up switching to a toupe. Took some getting used to, but it worked out for the best for me.

i have about 4 back up saddles that i have only b/c they were take-offs from a bike purchase.