Favorite Saddles
January 9th, 2008 by ArleighEasy enough question - What is YOUR favorite saddle?
I know people that have kept their saddle from the early 90s that they can’t find a replacement for. Gingerly riding it like it was their first love. There are others that are replacing saddles every 3 months because of “sag” or needing the new lightest ass pincher.
Personally my favorite saddle is the old and now discontinued Selle Italia Prolink Gel Flo. It was redesigned a couple years back with out me knowing and now I am left swapping out my favorite saddle between whatever the bike of the season is. Still I am looking for a new favorite. One of the WTB saddles hits close but maybe I need to try one of their womens saddles. The “love channel” just doesn’t suit me right on most saddles. For now I am left using extra anti friction creme and hoping I stumble across another old stock of my favorite on eBay.
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I don’t really have a true favorite yet, but I’ve been riding a WTB Laser V Stealth on my full suspension that I’ve loved and a Rocket V chromoly on my SS.
I just got a new crosscheck that has a Rocket V Team Ti but it’s not worked in yet. It needs some personal time to really get to know my butt.
sella italia turbo.
case closed.
Ironically, my two favorites share a special bond. I absolutely love my old Unicanitor plastic seat http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/marleyvike/UnicanitorBW.jpg
And the original WTB SST saddle is my favorite padded seat. Here’s where the two are linked - the WTB SST was designed after that Unicanitor’s shape but added the drop nose.
Original Selle San Marcos Bontrager — pre-buyout, pre-corporate fatassification. I have one that’s been on at least 8 bikes but the leather is starting to get pretty thin. Anyone happen to have one in the parts box?
Selle Italia Flite (plain-jane, no groove, no gel). Been riding mine for 8 years now, and the leather is all but gone. One helluva saddle. It’s never let me down, but on longer (3+hour road rides) it gets a bit pinchy. I wouldnt want anything else on my mountain bike.
Reluctantly, I bought a new Selle Italia Prolink Genuine Gel. While it is ugly as sin (yellow.) it is actually really comfy. The nose is a little soft on it, and I’m wary of the carbon rails, but for the ~4500 miles Ive got on it its treated me nicely.
I’ve wanted to try a brooks saddle for a while now, but am put off by how much they feel like a wooden block when new. After that, hearing that they take ~3k miles to break in, I couldnt swing it. Any Brooks love stories?
WTB Laser V Comp- one sweet ass saddle.
I recently got grumpy when I learned that I can’t get it after market.
I’ve tried a few different WTB saddles, and they seem to work the best for me. I rode SDG’s for a few years, and was pleasantly surprised when I finally got a WTB.
Sometimes you don’t know your saddle sucks until you try a really good one! I still want to try a Brooks.
Another option is a single speed MTB. You don’t get to sit that often, so your saddle seems to be more comfortable!
I like the WTB Pure V on my mountain bike. It’s meant for downhill, but I use it for XC. I’m slightly wider-hipped than most people, I guess. I also used to quite like the Speed V.
My road and touring bikes both have Brooks B17s on them, though. When that much time is beiing spent in the saddle, it’s gotta be comfy, so I want somethng that literally molds to fit me.
For the above posters:
My Brooks felt pretty good immediately, but they are supposed to break in within two or three HUNDRED miles, not thousand.
I love my WTB Rocket V Team. It’s quite cush on my rear. Next time, I will get the sewn version though so as not to have the material on the horn of the saddle start coming up.
I like Rocket V’s also, however they don;t last too long in the wetness of the UK, mine’s now held together with gaffertape as the cover shrank and cracked after only a few weeks of dirt.
Tempted by a Brooks, however not completely sure how the leather will put up with being covered in nature’s finest for 3 hours a day.
Specialized Rival 143mm. It is of the utmost importance to use a saddle that is the proper width for your sit bones.
Fizik Gobi
Here’s another vote for the WTB SST. Unfortunately mine makes black streaks on any pants that touch it from the worn sides.