i've been riding on a stock iro saddle for about a year and i'm looking to upgrade. it's alright for short rides but anything over maybe 15 miles starts to get a little rough. as saddles are hard to test drive, and get a good feel for what they'd be like broken in or on longer rides, what are some recommendations? i don't want any brooks, or really leather. also, do cut outs make a difference. i'm looking to keep it under 100 dollars, and nothing too flashy as it will be on a lockup bike. has anybody ridden either of the soma saddles?

If you knew the guy that made that Soma saddle ate meat, would it make a difference?

i'm not vegan, cool assumption though.

why not a brooks then?

i live in new york city. stealing seats isnt hard. i don't think a brooks would suit my bike and i would probably ruin it.

BROOOOOOOOOKS!

j/k

Fizik maybe?

hmmm...not sure what to suggest then, something cheap
you could always lock the seat up with the bike through the rails, why not try out a rolls or a turbo?

how would you ruin the seat? i have been riding my brooks for a couple months now and i love it...it gets more comfy everyday

you could try the search function as well...probably tons of posts about saddles and seats
good luck

i'd probably ruin it dropping my bike doing tricks. rolls and turbo were two of the other ones i have been looking at. i'd like a turbo but it's a little expensive unless i found a good deal on ebay maybe. thats more what i'm looking for in looks though, basic, no rivets or excessive logos with just a comfortable ride.

brooks is nerdy.

*murder

hahaha, ****ing nice response

I had the SOMA Kamisori saddle. Should have been called the SOMA "My A** is sore-y". Seriously, I could have ridden on the end of a broom handle and been more comfortable.

It was super-cool looking on the bike, but just seriously impractical. I now have a Selle An-Atomica. It is insanely comfortable and the leather is waterproof. Doesn't meet your criteria, but it worked for me.

i don't think he cares what works for you, he cares what meets his criteria.

Goodness. That is why I answered his question about SOMA with my direct experience. It is really beastly uncomfortable. I ended up giving it to a local coop - so some needy child can have the opportunity to build his own incredibly uncomfortable bike.

wat

+1 on the Selle An-Atomica. They work sooooo well, and I know for a fact they only use extra scared/delicious animals for the leather. I can feel the fear with every pedal stroke.

Selle Italia Flite. Simple and comfy on my ass/chode.

Take the seat that works for you to a bike shop. Use it as a basis for getting a new saddle. Try get a seat that matches the attributes you like about your old seat, but doesn't have any you dislike. We can spout off dozens of brands & models that work for our butts, but that doesn't mean they'll work for you. Perhaps you should get a flexier seat if the one you have is harsh. Borrow seats from someone who's done a lot of experimenting if you can.

+1 to Jim
My sit-bones are about 150mm apart, so narrow saddles don't actually support the hard bits. My LBS had a Specialized sit-bone measurement device that was relatively clever. Made of some kind of gel that you sit in and it captures the impression of your pelvic bones. Measure c-c and you get some sense of how wide a seat has to be.

Kind of weird, but I found it accurate when I tested out narrower seats than my bones. Obviously, this won't help you assess the comfort of the actual surface or cushioning, but it does help.

thanks, this was one i was seriously considering that i can cross off my list for now.

this is definitely what i would like to do, but i don't really have a particular seat in mind, i only know what i don't want. its just hard to determine sometimes because seats feal different after being ridden for awhile. maybe i can find a serious bike shop with an ass measurer like was mentioned.

Find one with a liberal seat exchange policy.

Also, I was under the impression that plastic (and other dead-dinosaur)-based seats did not "break in" like organic materials. I do know they break down over time, but I got a sense their value was that they were "comfortable" out of the box.

Leather (like Brooks), DEFINITELY breaks in. My B.17 was amazing, after about 200 miles. I had a Brooks Pro for a bit, but its leather is about 4 inches thick and never moved. It was also too narrow.

To add to the leather saddle argument, some people like myself don't ride leather cause the bike will be left outdoors for long periods of time and one of the first things they mention NOT to do with a brooks is to get it wet.
To help you out with saddle choice, if you live close to a performance bike go and try what they have. If you don't like it you can always return it, they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. They carry one of the best saddles I've ever bought which is their E3 Form saddle with Ti rails for around $40, its great for all around and it will hold up on long rides as well. Plus its not leather and it will take a beating.

I use a couple Specialized Body Goemetry saddles,not the best looking but pretty comfy.I got them at my LBS for 15 bucks a piece,because they were "take off" saddles.....maybe youre LBS has something similar.

i love this kind of thread. chock full of "most comfortable" and "best ride" saddle recommendations, but not a single person has asked anything about what he's doing.
do you ride drops? risers? proms? wear a backpack? if so, is it filled with lots of books? just a laptop? do you ride in jeans? chamois? on pavement? dirt? flat? climb hills? long commute? sunday 50 milers? are you heavy? thin? a girl? boy?

who am i kidding, that stuff doesn't matter! just get my saddle, brand x! it fits me perfectly and will fit you perfectly too-- no matter who you are/what you are/what you do/etc!!

also, it's made of leather, so [insert not-so-witty reference about killing animals here]!!

^^^Coming from the single most helpfull person in this thread.