Trying out saddles... (long)

[Yelsel]

Background: I am most interested in long-distance riding, both centuries/+ and touring. I just bought a road bike is a 53 cm 1998 Bianchi Eros 8-speed triple (the last year of Italian lugged steel frames). I'm 66.5" / 169 cm; 160 lb / 73 kg; inseam 31.5" / 80 cm.

I've been riding for about a year - bike commuting last year (only 15 mi round-trip, on a 'cross based bike), starting base building on a trainer in the fall, then was sidelined from January to mid-May due to a stress fracture from treadmill running. Right now I am mostly building up endurance on longer rides (aka having fun tooling around outdoors). I do have flexible hip flexors, so I don't have a problem with forward lean comfort. My seat bones are broken in enough to like harder saddles.

A couple questions: should I get a professional bike fitting ($125) before trying out saddles? (Based on the Andy Pruitt system) - or at least a professional seat height / setback fitting ($50)?

How do you go about comparing the saddles? Obviously there is not enough time and money to try all of them at once... do I stop when I have something reasonably comfortable, or still return and try everything?

(And something that sounds stupid or at least odd - I'm mostly doing 45 mi rides on the weekend -- will I even be able to recognize a saddle that will work at even longer distances?)

Which saddles should I be trying?
So far I have tried:
* Bontrager Inform, 150 mm (measured system) -- returning due to chafing, not easy to find right fore/aft position (fit instructions say it might need to be moved forward as much as 1 cm due to different seating - the bike shop is supposed to help with this, but won't).

Planning to try:
* Selle San Marco Apside Glamor (2007 model), 155 mm (one width), 235 weight/clothing size (should probably be a 245, but I've only found 225 and 235) -- I just put this on my bike.
* Specialized Jet and/or Ruby, 143 mm (measured system) -- both on sale so I will purchase one soon.
* Selle SMP Pro, 148 mm (is there any difference between the "ladies" and men's? they are both the same width... the men's come in colors.) -- the "trial" from the manufacturer appears to be sitting on different saddles, so I would need to find a seller with a trial policy.
* Terry? very little info on the forums, and they appear to be more padded. I'd try either the Firefly (140 mm) or the Falcon X (152 mm). I bought a Damselfly for cheap off of Craigslist and like the overall feel... unfortunately it is too narrow (130 mm).
* Brooks -- need to find seller with a trial period
* Selle An-Atomica -- doesn't really have a trial period.

Should I give any a definite miss, or am I missing any good ones to try? Are these aimed too much at "performance" vs. long distance riding?

Sorry it is so long...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You say you don't mind harder saddles and you like distance riding as opposed to racing....
so do try out a Brooks. Buy it from Wallingford and they have an EXCELLENT return policy after a several month try-out period:
http://www.wallbike.com/index.php

[blackhillsbiker]

Finding a Brooks ended my saddle quest. I'm glad, since they are reputed to last a long time. I hate replacing worn out saddles every couple of years. Seems you never get exactly what you had, since they're always "improving" them. Good luck in your hunt.

Deb

[tctrek]

I've had the Selle San Marco Aspide Glamour on both my bikes and I'm not sure it would be possible to ever talk me into a different saddle. I kinda lust after the Brooks, but my behind is so happy on my Glamour that I just can't bring myself to change it!

I was lucky in not going through too many styles/brands before finding the Glamour, but you may want to search around for a bike shop or online for deals where the return policy is generous so you don't get stuck with a pile of saddles like some of the girls on TE!

[redrhodie]

Can you ask the pro bike fitter before you make an appointment if she will fit you, offer saddle recommendations at the fitting (once she sees your body/position, etc), then tweak your fit later on? I've never had a pro fitting, so I don't know how it works. I would hope they would let you come back for a final adjustment if anything isn't 100% right on.

I ride An Atomicas, and am really happy with them, but I don't ride long distances. I've had the older one for almost 2 years, and ridden year round with it, and it shows very littler wear. I know some people have had trouble with stretching, but I haven't.

[OakLeaf]

I should preface this by saying I wasn't entirely happy with the one fitting I had. But I made a point of finding a saddle that worked before I went for the fit. In fact, the saddle was a large part of the reason why I decided the fitting was necessary - it completely changed the way I sat on the bike.

I did know that the shop where I had my fit done didn't stock any saddle that had a hope of working for me. Maybe if you were getting fitted at a shop that had a wide selection of saddles in sizes and shapes that you think might possibly work for you, you should get it all done at once.

[kermit]

You should get yourself measured with the famous butt-o-meter and go from there. I have had success with the specialized ruby and had tried the SSM glamour which was a close second but I felt I needed a cutout. The saddles I ordered that I didn't like (Jett, lithia) from Specialized were returned without a problem. Check on ebay for a used deal, they seem to hold their value if you don't like it.