Saddle help for a new MTB rider?

Hello. I've been looking through the threads but I still feel pretty lost on what models of saddle would be good for me, so I'd like to ask for you ladies' advice. As the title suggests, I am new to mountain biking. I tried to get into road biking last year with a heavy Raleigh that was too big for me and gave up when it got cold. I had quite a bit of discomfort then but that's sort of to be expected with a stock seat on a cheap bike. I don't recall having lots of "girly bits" pain, mostly sit bone pain. When I tried out some bikes a couple of weeks ago, I was again reminded of how sensitive my sit bones are when a five-minute bike ride left me sore for days! I did finally settle on a bike, a Cannondale F4. It's a good bike but the saddle is apparently junk so I'm preemptively seeking out a good saddle before I pick the bike up from the shop. I haven't had any sort of measurement done but I don't think I have particularly narrow or wide sit bones. I will be mountain biking but probably mostly XC stuff, maybe even racing if/when I get better. So here's a little breakdown of what I think I'm probably looking for:

-Great for people with sensitive sit bones
-Fairly narrow (my thighs are fairly close together on the inside)
-No titanium rails (don't really want to deal with the thing popping out of the seat clamp on me)
-Durable for those inevitable MTB crashes
-Not super expensive

Sorry for the longness, this saddle thing is just more overwhelming than I thought it would be. Could you guys recommend some models I should look at or at least some general features to keep an eye out for? Thanks!

What's wrong with ti seat rails? WTB made their name with mtb saddles with ti rails. They most know something. Mine and hubby's (and a million other people's) have survived plenty of crashes.

WTB has a bazillian saddles. Stop by your shop and take a look. The Rocket is fairly narrow. I like the Laser V. Stay away from the Speed She versions.

Most of them come with chromoly rails as a less expensive option. I like the spring of ti rails.

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

What's wrong with ti seat rails? WTB made their name with mtb saddles with ti rails. They most know something. Mine and hubby's (and a million other people's) have survived plenty of crashes.

WTB has a bazillian saddles. Stop by your shop and take a look. The Rocket is fairly narrow. I like the Laser V. Stay away from the Speed She versions.

Most of them come with chromoly rails as a less expensive option. I like the spring of ti rails.

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I too am a fan of ti rails and WTB saddles. Loved the Deva until I found out it was too wide for me causing me to slide forward on the nose. Now have the Specialized Ariel (with Ti Rails) on my mtn bike but Specialized makes several models.

What I like about this saddle is the narrowness of the seat portion, I can now slide back on it, get my sit bones in the proper place on the saddle and not be forced on the nose of the saddle. I also was not a fan of cutouts but because this saddle is so narrow, it's a size 130, I don't notice the cutout at all.

Bike fit is extremely important and if the saddle isn't at the correct fore/aft position or height no matter how great it is it won't feel great. If the bike doesn't fit properly no saddle will feel good either.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

What's wrong with ti seat rails? WTB made their name with mtb saddles with ti rails. They most know something. Mine and hubby's (and a million other people's) have survived plenty of crashes.

WTB has a bazillian saddles. Stop by your shop and take a look. The Rocket is fairly narrow. I like the Laser V. Stay away from the Speed She versions.

Most of them come with chromoly rails as a less expensive option. I like the spring of ti rails.

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Titanium just makes me paranoid because I have heard that its stiffness makes clamping it securely difficult. My boyfriend had to ride part of a race without a saddle because his titanium rails slipped out of the clamp. I guess that people probably wouldn't use it if it was a chronic problem but I am paranoid nonetheless.

He doesn't like chromoly rails either, says they permanently deform over time from being sat on . . . maybe he's just too rough on bikes? Haha.

Feral, if you don't like chromoly or Ti, what is left?
I think the chromoly should work fine, really, and it costs less than Ti of course.
You need to get your sit bones measured. Everyone's sit bones need to get used to sitting on a saddle, but if the saddle you are sitting on is too narrow, you're going to be sitting on the tender stuff on the INSIDE of your sitbones (as in between) and that's not good.
So go back, get measured, and start trying saddles there are a lot that cost under $40. good luck.