Lets talk about saddles

[brigada]

I just bought this one for my cyclocross bike. I know it says 'mens', but I've used both mens and women's Specialized saddles in size 155 (also right for me), and I don't see a difference outside of marketing.

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftb.../toupepluscomp

It's just like the one I use on my regular road bike, but a little heavier, and the padding is slightly thicker (still minimal, which is good), hence the lower price. It's $75.00, not cheap, but not outrageous, either.

I've used the Specialized Toupe on my road bike for the last 3 years, now. For me, it's perfect and pain-free. (But read the above links and info before you buy anything, but skip the huge Summary of Saddle Info thread for now).

Thank you for the tip! I will have to see how much this saddle would cost at the Spec concept store, or perhaps look online. I have a feeling that they might bump up the price by $20ish, but I might be wrong.

Are there are bike shops in your area that let you demo saddles?

I don't think so, but I'll ask around just in case. I get the impression that most LBSs here consider saddles an afterthought and only stock the bare minimum.