I know saddles can be very much personal preference, but just looking to see what people are riding these days.
Are most people just using the saddle that came stock on their bike or is there a go to upgrade???
I have the original one that came on my bike, a Fizik Nisene, which I have ridden for the past two seasons but I find it isn’t the most comfortable when riding seated for extended periods, so thinking of a possible switch…
Went with whatever came on the bikes, though I think I have a spare Specialized saddle in the parts bin. I should really start parting (ha!) with some of my excess gear.
The stock saddle on my Scott was brutal for me. Just completely the wrong shape.
Put on a Specialized Henge Expert a couple of weeks ago. While not saddle nirvana, it is a lot better for me.
I used to be all about Fizik saddles, and then I was sweet on the WTB Pure. For long days offroad though, I have found my Chromag Lynx to be pretty damn hard to beat. The DT seems to be the only current model, but I like my leather one.
WTB Speed V or Laser V for me- not the cheapo OEM models but the slightly more expensive ones with better padding than the basic. The ProGel versions are nice too!
Saddle choice is definitely very much personal preference.
I ran the stock one that came on my Giant for a few years and never really liked it, but it wasn’t bad enough for me to change it out until late last year or the start of this year.
After a bunch of looking I settled on the WTB Speed Pro. I’m very happy with it and glad I finally spent the money on a new saddle.
Personally i prefer WTB for any saddle choice, model depends on style and ride youre looking for. But imo cant go wrong with WTB. Even their comp models hold up fine, but go for a lil extra padding and stronger rails if you can ex. Race model
+1 on the WTB’s. My arse has done well with the speedV, Devo and Silverado-was lucky enough to have these spec’d on bikes I’ve had over the years. even the slightly weird SST. I’m also a huge fan of the brooks B17 imperial- but not a good choice for getting wet/muddy. Maybe one of these years I’ll try a one of the brooks cambium cutout saddles.
Specialized has refined their fit system. Electronic sit bone measurement and my weapon of choice is their Phenom saddle with adaptive edge.
Specialized saddles have always ended up in my parts bin, barely used. I used to have a slightly cushy WTB saddle I liked, but that got swiped by the gf. Now I use a super light WTB that came on a bike years ago. It’s great for single track, not great for hours in the saddle. My Brooks is great for long hours, but too wide for technical single track. Still looking for the perfect saddle.
Now that Specialized has paired with Retul and refined their fit system, maybe give it another try. They have a 30 Day fit guarantee. Can’t go wrong. I know it can be hard to revisit old products. Specialized listens to their riders and if something isn’t working. They do their best to put the rider first and change it.
My favorite saddle of all time was the Specialized Telluride, from about 15 years ago. I got addicted to those. Nice shape, a little more cushion than many saddles, which I like. Rails were a bit soft, and I’d bend them regularly. I still have a couple of those on my bikes. I currently have a Specialized Henge on my Stumpjumper. It’s OK, but I can’t say I love it. It works OK for most trail rides where I’m in and out of the saddle. I find it a bit uncomfortable after a while if I’m seated for a long stretch.
The Specialized Avatar is a very similar saddle to the Telluride.