When I started riding 10-speeds in the early 70s there were only men's saddles, so I rode on them of course. Actually, there were some wide Brooks saddles I could have used if I wasn't afraid of looking like a dork (that was my loss). Around the late 70s, Avocet started making women's saddles. I got one and I still remember the first ride on that saddle. Previously I could ride only 15 miles before my crotch got so sore that I had to stand alot and perform other gyrations. With the new Avocet W-II Racing saddle, I rode 50 miles with my butt ON the saddle! It seemed like the most amazing thing at the time.