Saddle Life: How long will it last?

[redrhodie]

[Aggie_Ama]

My last saddle (Fuji stock) went 2.5 years and over 4,500 miles before I sold the bike. It was still comfortable and good condition.

My Serfas saddle on my new bike needed to be replaced about 6 months after I got the bike due to cover wear. I have been too timid to try a new saddle, so I am still riding it. It is comfortable, just looks horrible!

[indysteel]

It depends. I'm paraphrasing Susan at TE here, but as she explained it, saddle life depends on a handful of factors--how much foam it has, how fast/hard you ride, what kind of weather conditions you ride in, whether the saddle has a cutout. As a point of reference, my Terry Butterfly Tri Gel started to become less comfortable after about a year/4,000 miles. I'm about due for another saddle, but I'm waiting for actual discomfort to set in. Susan indicated that that was pretty standard for that particular saddle given the way generally I ride.

[boy in a kilt]

I'm nine years into a Brooks B-17 and I haven't noticed much change in the past six or seven years.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Brooks don't count in this thread.....they last longer than their owners.

[boy in a kilt]

Funny thing about my brooks. As much as I love my bike, I've realized that if my bike was ever stolen, I would lament the loss of my saddle more than anything else.

[GLC1968]

I would agree that it really varies by saddle. I was riding a Terry Fly on my last road bike. When I got a second bike, I put the old Fly on the second bike and bought a new one (same saddle) for the road bike. I was amazed at how different the new saddle felt. It was identical to the old one, but it felt WAY different (harder at first, but more supportive and more comfortable over long rides). The old one was 2 years old and had about 4,000 miles on it. I think it was already breaking down significantly and I didn't know it until I'd ridden a new one! I kept riding the older one until it got to the point where it would HURT on rides over 65 miles long. At that point, I had to replace it.

This is why I wish I could get a Terry Fly with slightly less padding. I have heard that saddles that are less padded tend to hold up better over time (hence the Brooks saddles left from the stone ages that are still in use! ).

[boy in a kilt]

Not entirely sure how it is for women because I've never been a woman. But I realized one day into a three day tour that I hated the padded saddle I had at the time. I was sharing a campsite with a dude who had a B-17 and his exact words were "Brooks... accept no substitutes."

We'd been drinking a bit but the advice was well taken.