saddle and shorts

[VeloVT]

As far as saddles are concerned -- you will probably find as many opinions here as there are folks to offer them ... But it would be helpful if you could be more specific about what you liked & didn't like about each of the saddles you've tried. Are you looking for a cutout, or not, for instance?

Shorts... also as many opinions as riders...
--I really like the chamois in the SSS short too -- it's one of the most comfortable I've found. The higher-end Shebeest short has a comfy chamois too. Sadly I'm not crazy about the fabrics Shebeest uses and I think the paneling/cut/design tends to be ok, but there are better-fitting/more flattering shorts out there... it's always a trade-off...

--The chamois in the Terry Bella short is VERY similar the the Shebeest chamois, and is just as comfortable. The no-front-elastic design of the Bella is really comfortable. My biggest complaint with these shorts is that the lycra is super shiny -- which I don't mind the looks of but it's actually slippery, I find myself sliding around on my saddle more .

--I like Castelli's Kiss chamois (in lower-end shorts) and Y-Pro chamois (in more expensive shorts -- pad isn't much thicker but it is denser). I haven't tried their highest end chamois (in the Free shorts). Generally speaking, I just really like Castelli. Watch out for some of the lower end shorts with "Softlex" fabric -- it's kind of sloppy for shorts in my opinion (not very high lycra content).

--Lots of people LOVE Sugoi's RS Flex shorts. I really like the fabric (amazing for hot weather) and the super-slick paneling (the shorts fit beautifully -- they're extremely comfortable and flattering... generally speaking, I find that Sugoi does a great job with cut), but I just don't find this chamois that comfortable. It has much denser padding under the sitbones, and much lighter padding in front, which is the opposite of what I need -- but everyone is different.

--I am completely indifferent about PI shorts. If I find a great sale I'll pick a pair up, but I won't go out of my way to buy them.

That's all I can think of for now ... Good luck!