ok, i will try that sitting on hands/having someone else measure when i stand up thing. that "add 2 cm" (to your outside sit bone measurement) guideline is very helpful.

and i agree, that is a good explanation of chafing--and it reminds me of one other question i had (hopefully my last or nearly my last for now!), that of the S brooks saddles vs. the men's. after i learned that the "S" design was mainly to accommodate skirts, i began to seriously doubt its usefulness to me as, well, i rarely wear skirts (or skorts). plus, wouldn't the S saddles be a little more pear shaped/have a more gradual transition from seat to nose, thus increasing the risk of chafing?