I like the cut out saddles better than the not cut out ones. But not every cut out, they are not all the same. Also, you couldn't pay me enough to ride a brooks.

See, everyone is different. Trial and error.

AdamDZ:

The short answer is that saddles are a matter of personal preference, and the only sure way to tell is try the saddle and see if it works. Fortunately, in most cases it doesn't take long at all to tell whether something will work. Just put a bike in a trainer, put the saddle on the bike and set it level at approximately the right height, sit on the saddle in your normal way, and pedal the bike for a few minutes so that you settle in. If the sit bones don't fit on top of the saddle, it's too narrow. If the saddle rubs against your thighs, it's too wide. If the width is OK but you have some pinching or other discomfort, try another saddle that is designed to address that issue. If the saddle doesn't feel quite right after a few minutes on the trainer, it's not going to feel any better after five hours of riding. Once you get a saddle that fits and that isn't actively uncomfortable, you can dial in the saddle position to resolve any other issues.

If she rides for short distances now, you might want to measure her current saddle, ask her about any issues that she has with that saddle, and use that info to guide your choice. (Just because she doesn't strong preferences now doesn't mean that she can't come up with useful feedback after a couple of rides on her current saddle, if you just ask her to pay attention.) If this is a project that an LBS is helping you with, you can ask them to haul out the box of loose saddles, put a test bike in the trainer, and have her try out the saddles from the box. Otherwise you might ask to borrow saddles from your friends (a few minutes isn't going to unbreak somebody's saddle).

A couple of caveats:
* If she's going to sit more upright on the touring bike than on her current bike (that is, the touring rig has less of a drop from saddle to handlebars than her current bike), that might suggest a slightly wider saddle on the touring bike.
* Longer trips usually dictate less padding. When you sit on padding, the padding tends to get compressed into sensitive areas, which is fine for short trips but can cause trouble on long rides. Padding can also absorb sweat, which tends to cause saddle sores.

Thanks for all the input. We just bought a 49cm complete Kona Sutra for her today, found it on Craig's List. It came with a Serfas WSD saddle with the cutout, doesn't look like much but maybe we'll start with it. It's the gel-padded type though, I don't like those too much either (sweat=sores!) and I don't believe this is what she needs, but we'll try it since we have it.

It'll be dayrides at first so we'll experiment.

On her MTB she currently has a midrange WTB mountain saddle, non WSD, no cutout, just a groove in the middle and she did rides up to 20 miles without any discomfort. So we can try that saddle as well on Sutra, good suggestions ploeg, thanks.

No, this all DYI project, no LBS involved, I guess we'll take the trial and error route :D I can always throw a couple saddles in the panniers and change them on the road if needed.

Cheers!

Adam

This is why I always suggest getting out there and riding a lot before going on a tour ... it gives you the opportunity to sort out the equipment issues, like what saddle works the best.



Anyway, Nancy ... can you tell where your sitbones are located by looking at your Brooks? I can very easily tell with mine. If you can tell, measure the distance between the divots. If you really feel like you've been sitting on your soft bits, you will need to ensure that you get a saddle wide enough so that your sitbones will sit on the saddle.

You can do all this research from the comfort of your computer. Many saddle manufacturers do include measurements on their websites. Once you know how wide apart your sitbones are, you can go to the various companies and see which ones have saddles that would be wide enough for you ... without being too wide.

And Adam, you and your wife can do this too. Measure the distance between her sitbones so you have an idea of the size to go for.

I had the saddle all the way forward for many, many miles and it was OK - not great, but doable as far as my bum was concerned. ONce we hit the Andes, however, my knees started hurting, so I played with the seat position and found that my knees don't hurt with the saddle all the way back - but now my bum does.

No, I can't. My saddle looks exactly like it did new. John has the little indentations on his, but mine doesn't have any at all.

No - I discovered right away (like within 5 miles on my Brooks!) that the edge of the pad cut into my like crazy and hurt! I am using wool running shorts from Ibex and have been happy with that choice.

The little indents usually start to show pretty quick,certainly should have them with miles you have on it. Sounds like you havent been sitting on the back part where sit bones are supposed to sit,either that or your saddle is too narrow,with sit bones off the sides.(that would be painful, ask me how i know). Only other thing i can think of is that your bars are way lower than saddle,so that your not putting weight on back wide part, cause you should definately have indents.

My wife rides only Specialized Jett, a woman's saddle with a major cutout. It's a hard saddle, so it's great for LD, and doesn't seem to change over time. Went through a number of saddles to find this one. Everyone's different.

Maybe it is way too narrow for you and your sitbones are hanging off the sides. I've got a brand new Brooks which I've put maybe 5 km on so far, and I've got scuff marks where my sitbones sit on the saddle.

Nancy,

Another setting to adjust is the angle of the seat. I had to adjust my B17 a few times until I found an angle that worked for me. Try tilting it upwards slightly; those few degrees can make a considerable change to how your weight is distributed.

Good luck!

If I sit far enough back to be on my sit bones, I'm right on the metal bar and that hurts. There just doesn't seem to be any way to get on the saddle so my sit bones are supported. I think it is just too narrow, pure and simple.

Well, you could just get a saddle like your son's.

Competetive Cyclist has a a saddle demo program (see http://www.competitivecyclist.com/ro...es/demo-saddle). Also, some bicycle shops have demo saddles.

We thought about that option, but this saddle isn't perfect either. I have to sit way back on the seat in order to get my sit bones on it - but at least I can do that on this saddle without sitting on that bar across the back of the Brooks.

B-67 time maybe? There aren't a whole lot of saddles wider than 170mm, and most of 'em are Brooks.

How about a Sel-Anatomica Titanico? It is waterproofed leather and has a cut out and makes it sort of like your "cheeks" are each riding on their own hammock. It was designed for long-distance riding. I have used it with good results.

I agree with those who say you just have to try a bunch. In the end, everyone is different and a saddle that looks comfortable often isn't.

After thousands of miles, I've decided there are two myths when it comes to Brooks saddles:
1- they break in in short mileage. At 4000 miles mine begin to break in, though they've always been at least as comfortable as any other seat I've used.

2- they develop sit bone indents in short order. While this may be true in some cases, it's certainly not true in my personal experience. I've got three Brooks B17s with miles ranging from 500 to 5100. I'm a clyde (my Cross Check is 56cm, so you know I'm not all that tall and I'm over 200 lbs), and NONE of them show sit bone indents. There are darker spots where my sitbones contact on the saddle (the one with 5100 miles) but NO indents. Because of the dark spots, I know I'm contacting the saddle in the right places. The other two (1200 miles and 500 miles) have no dark spots yet and no indents.

I have a Fisik Nisene on one of my mountain bikes, and like it a lot. It's light and comfortable. I think it would be too narrow for me for long rides though. The most time I've spent on it in one day was 2 hours.

How is that possible? Do you only ride it short distances on nice sunny days?

I have been using a Terry Liberator Ti Race saddle on my touring bike for about 5 years and I've been happy with it.

Thanks all!

There's also a new model available with no cutout. I like the Selle AnAtomica cutout, but I like the B17N Imperial, too.

Machka, first, I have a great amount of respect for you and value your opinion. Based on the dozens, possibly hundreds, of posts I've read of yours, you sound like you have a ton of knowledge gained from experience. I know I've said in other threads that I respect what you have to say. Given that, I have no idea how it's possible. I'm only conveying my observations from my own experience...

I live in the Pacific Northwest. I ride several days per week, rain or shine, year around. And, anyone who knows the PNW, they know it's wet here more often than not. So, I think it's fair to say over half of my miles (which I know aren't even in the same ballpark as the riding you do) are in the rain/drizzle.

As for short distances, that is relative. Compared to you, yes, my rides are very short. My typical ride is around 10 miles, with the longest being around 35 miles.

As for my Brooks: I have fenders, I use Sno Seal, and cover the saddle when it's raining (for a long time I used a plastic grocery bag, but recently I bought a Jandd cover that works nicely). I have never let them get wet intentionally (other than sweat),

Just for the heck of it I thought I would try a different saddle. I got a Fizik Aliante and I put next to the B17 and it had the same curve in it. Then I flipped it over and it was the same size as the B17 minus rivets. I only have about 2000 miles on it and I don't know how long it will last, but it sure is comfortable. My longest day riding it is 3.5 hours and it still feels great. I talked to a lot of people who own the Aliante and they put centuries on the saddle with no problems at all. That's what made up my mind in buying one. I still have the B17 on my touring setup, but I believe I could put the Aliante on the bike and be just as comfortable. Dare I say, more comfortable. I think the Brooks may last longer, but I figure tires wear out, as saddles do and it's part of the maintenance.YMMV