Had my fair share of saddles but wondered what others use and would recommend for around the £50 mark? Any bargains or good second hand offerings? Cheers.

specialized henge comp. used 6 times. £30

Something in the right size made by specialized.

Spa cycles wharfe

I always return to charge spoons, even a ti railed one would leave you change. For a bigger tougher saddle I’d look at the charge pan.

Had a BelAir 2 off CRC for £50, used it today for the first time. I didn’t notice it on a 4 you ride. Probably the best thing to say about a saddle.

Charge Spoon for much less than £50

I’ve always used Charge Spoons, but recently bought a Fabric Scoop (shallow/flat version) and I’m converted. Well built and no stitching means my shorts won’t wear out either. Loads of options on their website so you can go nuts.

The one that fits?

It’s very subjective as this weekend proved, mate demo’d a bike with a saddle that hurt like hell, which another bloke found really comfy.

This is the most comfortable saddle I have used,have 3 of them now
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/crank-brothers-iodine-2-saddle/rp-prod69277

Got a Charge Spoon on my hardtail, its great. Got a WTB Rocket V on my other bike, love it. Tempted by SDG Circuit MTN Ti-Alloy – anyone got one of those?

334g for crank as a posed to 285g for spoon, worth a punt at £17.99 though!

The one that suits your arse. I too would have recommended charge spoons, until a couple of years ago when I started doing some long rides 7-8 hrs+ in prep for a 12 hour solo, and started to get major discomfort in the néthers. So for me it’s a sized to suit specialized road one with a big cut out

I’m a fan of the Spoon and Scoop. Also worth looking at the OnOne Big Nose.

Anyone tried a Nukeproof Plasma?

My charge spoon creaks constantly and I am quite keen to get rid of it.

Spoons are okay if you wear baggies, I find on long rides with just Lycra the raised stitching rubs.

I like bel airs, just order a gobi from Merlin for under £50, get good reviews from my buddies.

I that in the Spoon is an awful saddle. It’s too wide at the rear and hurts my rear.

Personally I find the SDG Ti Fly / I Fly mega comfy and now have them on both bikes. Bit over the £50 budget though.

Saddle fit is too personal for there to be a ‘best’.

For me the Gobi is the most comfortable I’ve had. SDG duster That came on my current mtb has given me no reason to replace it, but if I ever do it will be another Gobi.

Last time I replaced a comfortable saddle on a whim I bought a Bel Air which is the most uncomfortable I’ve had (and was replaced with the Gobi before that bike was stolen).

I’m a big fan of Chromag stuff. They have the lynx DT saddle on sale at wiggle for £53 at the minute too. They’re based in whistler too so you obviously get extra street cred too

For me the spoon works spot on have them on all of my bikes.

I use a Bioflex carbon. Cheap and cheerful for carbon shell with ti rails and surprisingly durable. Mine weighed 190 grams instead of the advertised 210 as well which is always nice.

Well this all sounds conclusive 🙂
So op first question really flat or shaped?

Charge Spoon, the black one (and brown I think) have faux suede coverings that grip your shorts like nothing else I’ve tried…love it for gravity type stuff when you sometimes want to feel adhered to your bike.

Leather and fake leather ones tend to get slippery in my opinion.

Spoons are cheap too, mine was £17 from Wiggle, I don’t mind breaking them at that price….I took a jump at BPW, lost my footing in the pedals and came down hard on the saddle!….ruined the rails but it stayed intact and saw out the day, highly recommended.

WTB Volt.

Surprised no one’s mentioned the Madison Flux, same shell as the Spoon but a bit more forgiving and kevlar sides.