Trying out saddles... (long)

Background: I am most interested in long-distance riding, both centuries/+ and touring. I just bought a road bike is a 53 cm 1998 Bianchi Eros 8-speed triple (the last year of Italian lugged steel frames). I'm 66.5" / 169 cm; 160 lb / 73 kg; inseam 31.5" / 80 cm.

I've been riding for about a year - bike commuting last year (only 15 mi round-trip, on a 'cross based bike), starting base building on a trainer in the fall, then was sidelined from January to mid-May due to a stress fracture from treadmill running. Right now I am mostly building up endurance on longer rides (aka having fun tooling around outdoors). I do have flexible hip flexors, so I don't have a problem with forward lean comfort. My seat bones are broken in enough to like harder saddles.

A couple questions: should I get a professional bike fitting ($125) before trying out saddles? (Based on the Andy Pruitt system) - or at least a professional seat height / setback fitting ($50)?

How do you go about comparing the saddles? Obviously there is not enough time and money to try all of them at once... do I stop when I have something reasonably comfortable, or still return and try everything?

(And something that sounds stupid or at least odd - I'm mostly doing 45 mi rides on the weekend -- will I even be able to recognize a saddle that will work at even longer distances?)

Which saddles should I be trying?
So far I have tried:
* Bontrager Inform, 150 mm (measured system) -- returning due to chafing, not easy to find right fore/aft position (fit instructions say it might need to be moved forward as much as 1 cm due to different seating - the bike shop is supposed to help with this, but won't).

Planning to try:
* Selle San Marco Apside Glamor (2007 model), 155 mm (one width), 235 weight/clothing size (should probably be a 245, but I've only found 225 and 235) -- I just put this on my bike.
* Specialized Jet and/or Ruby, 143 mm (measured system) -- both on sale so I will purchase one soon.
* Selle SMP Pro, 148 mm (is there any difference between the "ladies" and men's? they are both the same width... the men's come in colors.) -- the "trial" from the manufacturer appears to be sitting on different saddles, so I would need to find a seller with a trial policy.
* Terry? very little info on the forums, and they appear to be more padded. I'd try either the Firefly (140 mm) or the Falcon X (152 mm). I bought a Damselfly for cheap off of Craigslist and like the overall feel... unfortunately it is too narrow (130 mm).
* Brooks -- need to find seller with a trial period
* Selle An-Atomica -- doesn't really have a trial period.

Should I give any a definite miss, or am I missing any good ones to try? Are these aimed too much at "performance" vs. long distance riding?

Sorry it is so long...

You say you don't mind harder saddles and you like distance riding as opposed to racing....
so do try out a Brooks. Buy it from Wallingford and they have an EXCELLENT return policy after a several month try-out period:
http://www.wallbike.com/index.php

Finding a Brooks ended my saddle quest. I'm glad, since they are reputed to last a long time. I hate replacing worn out saddles every couple of years. Seems you never get exactly what you had, since they're always "improving" them. Good luck in your hunt.

Deb

I've had the Selle San Marco Aspide Glamour on both my bikes and I'm not sure it would be possible to ever talk me into a different saddle. I kinda lust after the Brooks, but my behind is so happy on my Glamour that I just can't bring myself to change it!

I was lucky in not going through too many styles/brands before finding the Glamour, but you may want to search around for a bike shop or online for deals where the return policy is generous so you don't get stuck with a pile of saddles like some of the girls on TE!

Can you ask the pro bike fitter before you make an appointment if she will fit you, offer saddle recommendations at the fitting (once she sees your body/position, etc), then tweak your fit later on? I've never had a pro fitting, so I don't know how it works. I would hope they would let you come back for a final adjustment if anything isn't 100% right on.

I ride An Atomicas, and am really happy with them, but I don't ride long distances. I've had the older one for almost 2 years, and ridden year round with it, and it shows very littler wear. I know some people have had trouble with stretching, but I haven't.

I should preface this by saying I wasn't entirely happy with the one fitting I had. But I made a point of finding a saddle that worked before I went for the fit. In fact, the saddle was a large part of the reason why I decided the fitting was necessary - it completely changed the way I sat on the bike.

I did know that the shop where I had my fit done didn't stock any saddle that had a hope of working for me. Maybe if you were getting fitted at a shop that had a wide selection of saddles in sizes and shapes that you think might possibly work for you, you should get it all done at once.

You should get yourself measured with the famous butt-o-meter and go from there. I have had success with the specialized ruby and had tried the SSM glamour which was a close second but I felt I needed a cutout. The saddles I ordered that I didn't like (Jett, lithia) from Specialized were returned without a problem. Check on ebay for a used deal, they seem to hold their value if you don't like it.