# The Most Comfortable Long Distance Mountain Bike Saddle



## ibike4fun (Jan 21, 2006)

I need your help.

I am looking for the most comfortable long distance mountain bike saddle and I would like your opinion. This is a great forum to share your experience being other people might also me interested in what you have to say. 

I come form the old days from mountain biking (1980’s) and used a 1985 Selle Royale Touring and an Avocet Touring II and between them 2 I put over 25,000 miles on them. 

Today I go to a bike store and hove no idea where to start looking. Often times, the sales person is not helpful as they have never used the product(s). Brooks, Selle what ever, and WTB??? Ahhhh! This is too much!!!

Please post your opinion, I am sure many people would benefit from your advice.

Thank You
ibike4fun


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## Williwoods (May 3, 2004)

ibike4fun said:


> I need your help.
> 
> I am looking for the most comfortable long distance mountain bike saddle and I would like your opinion. This is a great forum to share your experience being other people might also me interested in what you have to say.
> 
> ...


a wtb rocket v is hard to beat for me........... hey that rhymes.....


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## RobynC (Feb 14, 2004)

Williwoods said:


> a wtb rocket v is hard to beat for me........... hey that rhymes.....


I have found that the WTB SST 98 is great.


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## Williwoods (May 3, 2004)

RobynC said:


> I have found that the WTB SST 98 is great.


im more interested in whats conected to the other end of that seatpost!!!!! :-O

those were awesome saddles too.


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## Glow in Dark (Jan 8, 2005)

I like the WTB rocket V also.


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## mello211 (Dec 25, 2005)

once you put a rocket V on one of your bikes, one will end up on all of your bikes. i thought flights were nice till i rode a rocket V


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## Shayne (Jan 14, 2004)

*My Votes Go To...*

1) Selle Italia Flite Evolution

2) San Marco Concor Light

3) Selle Italia Flite..the plain jane version, no gel, no kevlar, just plain old leather preferably perforated.

The Concor is by far my favourite shape saddle...since the mid 80's, but the Evolution edges is a bit in that it conforms to you kinda like a Brooks.


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## bikerboy (Jan 13, 2004)

If you don't care about weight and a possibly long break in period, go with the Brooks.

I really liked my WTB Rocket V. I was such a dummy because I forgot to switch it out for another saddle when I sold my bike. Wish I still had it.


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## Pottser (Jan 30, 2004)

I use two saddles for my long-distance-rides. One is a SST98 (just bought a spare one through ebay) on my Phoenix. The second one a Brooks Swif on my 29incher SS. Hard to decide which is better. 
Don't know about the newer WTB, but those SST 98 are hard to beat


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## floibex (Feb 7, 2004)

... my favourites

titec berzerker kti, long saddle, very comfy nose for climbing

specialized prolong ti, wtb designed, italian made

wtb sst ti rails, the first one, w.o. kevlar edges and comfort zone.

ciao
flo


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## hiawatharider (Nov 12, 2005)

I have ridden with those 80s style seats also, and have found the same lack of knowledge in shops and superstores. Most don't know of the comfort of the Avocets, I still have mine (2 of them and they are still going strong, though I have had to use KIWI black waterproof shoe polish to restore them). I really miss the Avocet racing III that a freind broke. It weighed, if I can remember, 125gr! Had alloy rails and was supportive but very soft. The saddle that I recently got seems like a throwback with a modern twist, a Terry seat and not sure of it's model with a cutout. Very similar to the Avocet II in comfort. The Terry model was reasonably priced too, and was leather covered and decently lightweight. I have found that all of the lightweight cloth covered seats I have used (usually covered with heavy duty nylon) wear out the seat of my pants and don't hold up to scuffing as well and would wear out quickly. Ironically, I would put the old Avocet back on.


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## el-cid (May 21, 2004)

This is obviously very subjective, but the most comfortable saddles I have ever ridden in the past 13 years are the Brooks Professional (once broken in, of course and far ahead of any other saddle) and the SDG Satellite/Landing Strip saddles. I actually hoarded a number of Satellite saddles and had them on all of my bikes until I tried a Brooks. Now, I have Brooks Professionals on most of my bikes; well worth the weight penalty (about double the weight of the SDGs).


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## bushpig (Nov 26, 2005)

Last I checked you could pick up a Bontrager Titanio on Nashbar. I would second the WTB SSX recommends and I have always been fond of Rolls and the not ridiculously heavy Rolls Titanio. I picked up some Super Turbos the other day and look forward to trying them out. I didn't like the Turbo simpliciter though so we shall see. I do like the Turbomatic Ti. Finally, at least for road, can't beat a Concor Light.


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## donk (Jan 28, 2004)

My vote goes to

Selle San Marco Bontrager - if you can find one, should have stocked up a few years ago when they where on clear out. It is really narrow and look slike it should hurt, but it is perfect for me. Have had 3 on my bikes.

selle italia flite -plain is best, but the other models are pretty comfy too. I have a genuine gel version on my road bike and have ridden it for 200km a few times with no problems.


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## cyclodan (Feb 15, 2004)

I have 5 WTB -SST variants and snag one every chance I get. I have an old Brooks B-17 that I did my first century on, a bit past it's prime now, I prefer the WTBs. Thing is everybody's butt is different. Specialized has a system where yo go to a dealer and they will custom fit you to a saddle. you sit on a dense foam pad for a minute or so, then the depressions left by your ischial tuberosities (sit bones) are measured. They then match it up to a particular width in the Specilized line. Haven't done it myself but have heard several people say they have found their first really comfy saddle that way.


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## lebikerboy (Jan 19, 2005)

A couple of different WTB models but my current favourite is the Fizik Plateau.


cyclodan said:


> I have 5 WTB -SST variants and snag one every chance I get. I have an old Brooks B-17 that I did my first century on, a bit past it's prime now, I prefer the WTBs. Thing is everybody's butt is different. Specialized has a system where yo go to a dealer and they will custom fit you to a saddle. you sit on a dense foam pad for a minute or so, then the depressions left by your ischial tuberosities (sit bones) are measured. They then match it up to a particular width in the Specilized line. Haven't done it myself but have heard several people say they have found their first really comfy saddle that way.


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## IF52 (Jan 10, 2004)

The Brooks and Ideal saddles are suprisingly comfortable but do require a bit of break in, kind of like welted sole hiking boots.

Had a Specialized Prolong on the big black bar bike (Spec SJ in my sig) and hated it, never could find a comfortable angle or position on it.

Had a San Marco Regal on my Gianni Motta and loved it. Wish I had kept it when I sold the bike.

SDG on my IF and have never had any complaints about it. VERY comfy.


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