Quote Originally Posted by DarcyInOregon View Post
There are things experience teach you to do. Well first a metric will show you if you have the right saddle or not, because if you don't, you will figure it out on the metric and in a painful way. Also, when the shorts are perfect with the saddle you will know with just one short ride that it is a perfect match. It can take a couple of years just to find the right shorts for you. For example, I love the Voler elite shorts sold on volerwear.com because they have a higher rise and the pad is one of the best on the market. There are other little things to do to prevent saddle soreness and one is I carry the chamois cream in the little packets in my jersey pocket, and at every SAG stop where I use a Porta potty, I apply an entire packet of the cream. I don't get saddle soreness or tissue abrasions. My saddle is the Selle An-Atomica, made in Wisconsin.
Thanks for the information, and I have been wondering how long of a ride it might take to determine if my Brooks is really the saddle for me. My calculator tells me that if I add 6 miles a week to my "long" ride then I will be up to 200k by the end of September - that seems a reasonable way to build my mileage base. Guess I should find some hillier places to ride though I am thinking that as my endurance/fitness increases that I may be able to build it a little more quickly.

I have been lusting over some Bib shorts that TE sells, am saving up for them and will check out the Volerwear site. Thanks again!