I’m in the market for new saddle for the road bike the stock one is purgatory after 40 miles!
I’m interested and considering an ISM branded version but am perturbed at the fact they need ‘ breaking in’ I also considered a Brooks but that too requires breaking in and doesn’t like being wetted out of course!
Never ridden Selle SMP but have ridden properly measured Speshalised saddles 143mm sit bones. But found that they wore on the noses quite fast.
I can’t believe that ISM make A Century designed saddle with a Lycra cover! I guess that would not last long at all.
I have an old Speshalised Ohenom in the garage I’ll stick on for now whilst STW get back to me.

It’s not so much the ISM needs breaking in like a leather brooks, it’s more you need to adapt to it.
I got my first one from http://www.trybikestore.co.uk/
I had a hydrocele which made riding a bike very uncomfortable.
Trybikestore do a 14 day free trial, so I thought I might as well give it a go.
For my specific problem at that time, it was ideal and got me back to riding a bike again.
I’ve had the operation and everything’s back to normal now, but I liked the seat so much I bought them for my cross bike and tandem as well.

It feels like a plank of wood at first. It really is worth persevering for the 14 day trial though as you do get used to it.
I’m waiting for another one to turn up cheap on ebay. In the mean time, whenever I ride my spare mountain bike, it feels really odd having the seat contact me in the wrong place.
I rode 15 hours in total at Bristol last weekend and was able to sit a lot more than I ever have on a traditional saddle.

Thanks for that info Graham. Plank of wood…….on my sit bones I could cope with but the current saddle is a plank of wood on my ‘ twernfer’ and other soft tissues! I move about on the saddle on the MTB a lot for climbs etc but tend to stay in the one position on the road bike with standing occasionally of course. Just been looking at the top profile of the current Barelli saddle and although the hull has a pressure relief hole in it the saddle is convex!

With that 14 day offer, you’ve got nothing to lose, other than the cost of postage, so I’d recommend it to anyone.