[Bernadette Lopes]

OK this is directed to Gals mostly. However if the fellows know from their gal rider friends somr answers please share opinions.

Looking for a saddle that will offer some "bearable" comfort for ultra distance rides.
Feeling a little like Goldilocks and the three bears with saddles.
Some are too soft....some too hard....others feel good in front but
not the back or visa versa. Is it possible to find "just right"?

Grant it I realize long distance cycling does require an element of
saddle endurance and some discomfort. Maybe there is a saddle out
there comfy enough to allow a longer ride for me.

I keep hearing from men who swear and insist I should try a "Brooks"
Saddle and, despite the weigh of the saddle and its break in period
for the leather, the Brooks' converts adore these saddles. Most of
the love stories I hear are from men.
How do women feel about
them?
Does anyone ride or know of another company call Selle An-Atomica? They make custom leather saddles similar to Brooks. Any women ride these?

My questions:

OK Gals. Who owns and love Brooks? Which saddles do you recommend for longer
distances or do you have another recommendation unrelated to Brooks?
If you recommend a Brooks what model or style of saddle should I look
to buy for centuries or longer rides? I'm a little chubbie for a road cyclist (about 30lbs ) and have
ridden in metrics and a few centuries. I tend to carry my weight in
my tush and thighs yet petit in height. I don't mind the work it takes to care for and wax a
Brooks saddle providing it proves comfortable for long rides even if
the saddle weighs more. Do I go with the springs or rails only and how do the saddles with the springs climb?

I've ridden saddles I've hated after 20 miles. Others I have and keep
because I like the feel and ride of them... to a point. After 50 miles things tend to hurt in the back or front areas depending on the saddle even if physically I could ride another 50 miles.
So right now the saddles I ride and
hold favor with or can tolerate depending on the distance are:
Terry Butterfly - good on hip bones, aches in front. I tend to use this for my longer rides.
Specialized Toupe - Great in front but aches on hip bones. Great on distances under thirty miles and a great climbing saddle.
Koobi PRS - good support but tends to ache all over. Good in the climbs.
My newest
tryout trial I'm testing is a Selle SMP Plush (not all results are in yet cuz'
I haven't ridden it enough on rides exceeding 50 miles. But one gal did say the Women's version of the SMP is better comfort wise. The bad is it the women's saddle has a silly plastic rather than leather cover. The SMP Pluse has leather. So far there are areas of this seat I like but I haven't been able to angle it or decide how to center it fore and aft. I have not ridden it enough.

Comments and recommendations appreciated.

Sincerely,
B.

 

[snapdragen]

I have a couple of girlfriends that ride Brooks saddles. They both swear by them. One just finished her first double-century, so I guess they're good for long distances. They both have B17's, and they prefer the men's version.

I bought the Selle SMP Strike TRK Lady. It looks like it could use a dose of ******. The cutout is huge, which is what I wanted. Haven't ridden any distance on it yet, so I can't say if I like it or not. I have two other friends that love it.

 

[Road cyclist]

Have you tried out a Serfas saddle? People don't mention this brand
very much. But I can sit on this saddle all day. They make saddles for
men and woman.

 

[Cory]

My wife said, "90 bucks for THAT?" But now...

Saddle preference is an enormously individual thing, as you certainly know. I have B-17s on three bikes and love them, but I got one from a friend who simply gave up on it after a few hundred miles--he hated it so much he sold it to me for $20.
having said that, though, I put an old, well-worn one on my wife's bike a few months ago, and after she got done gasping at the price and the old-fashioned look, she went for a ride and said, "Mmmmm. That feels pretty good." She's been using it ever since.

 

[covenant]

If you prefer a low aero posture make sure you get a thin one. I had the standard b-17 and it was too thick and ended up chaffing my thighs. I put it on my upright Raleigh Sporter and it feels great.

 

[MB1]

It is not just the saddle, it is the shorts too.

My wife usually puts in 15-20,000 miles a year. She rides both a Brooks B17 and a Finesse, I don't think she realizes they are different models. The deal is when she rode plastic saddles she needed lots of padding in her shorts, now that she has been riding leather saddles for a few years she prefers shorts with less elaborate padding. Since she is only about 100 lbs it takes her a little longer to break in a Brooks but she just won't ride other saddles any more.

Good luck with your riding.

 

[jorgy]

I have a Brooks Finesse. It has titanium rails, which saves a fair bit on weight.

It's great for more upright riding and I really didn't have any problems with respect to a long break-in period. That being said, I recently replaced it with a Terry Zero X, which I've been very happy with so far. I switched because the Finesse wasn't very comfortable in the drops, and for tris when I'm using aerobars, I think the Zero X will be better. It's more narrow at the nose and a little longer than the standard Butterfly.

 

[tjocesq]

Just purchased a B17 Champion (it's considered a men's model, but it is wider than my old san marco ladies apside). It it on my road bike which is set up rather agressively (handlebars about 3 inches below saddle). Overall, I find it comfortable. Like you, I am 30lbs heavier than most cyclists.

when I am in a more upright position, the saddle just disappears! This, I love! Even my old Terry Liberator Pro didn't do this!

I am still breaking it in, only concern at this point is pressure on soft tissue when riding in the drops.
I purchased it from wallingford bicycles (wallbike.com I think) and they ahve a 6 mos guarantee. If it doesn't work out,you can return it.

 

[yaker]

I have a Team Professional S (I think that the "s" is for women's) on my
mountain bike. It's much harder than the old mushy Specialized saddle
that I used to ride, but is very comfortable. I only notice the lack of padding
on big bumps which you won't experience on a road bike. It took a while
to break in, but now it's quite comfy. My other saddles left my front sore
(my butt was usually fine) and the Brooks has cured that. If you get one
you'll have to adjust its tilt carefully--I had to mess around with mine to find
the right slope but now it's great. I've seen many people give WallBike
great reviews, but I've not dealt with them. You could try one from them
and if it doesn't work out, return it. I think that the B-17 might be a bit
narrower than the one I have, so you might want to measure one of the
saddles that you like and order the Brooks that is closest to one that you
are happy with.