I'm never spent more than about £20 on a saddle. I know recommending a saddle is a dangerous thing, and that's not what I'm asking, but can someone tell me what I get for my money on an expensive saddle over a cheap one (assuming they both fit), apart from weight.

Currently running a Spoon btw.

more expensive materials (ti, better leather or synthetics, Kevlar) which can be harder wearing.

in my experience, better comfort but then that's my arse, not yours.

Currently sporting a couple of WTB SSTs (one from '98) and 3 different Specialized – Toupe on the road bike, Avatar on the tourer and a BG comp or similar on the full sus, the BG comp is crap.

I'm pretty happy with the spoon – apart from the hole in the upper where I stacked it once. Just wondering is it worth an upgrade? And for the sort of money some go for – you'd want a test ride first.

I have tried many – the really cheap ones do tend to fall apart more quickly but most are still stapled underneath. I have never spend more than £30 on a saddle TBH The most important criteria is comfort and "try before you buy" or return options are quite good. I got 2 bel air saddles – cheap OEM Ti railed ones of Merlin last year and they are v comfy for me and still going strong – scrabing the rear sides of the saddle up against walls, on the ground or falling off bikes doesn't help with longevity IMHO 🙂

lighter weight from more expensive materials, and more sophisticated manufacture. Ive got a 20 quid WTB on my second bike which is really comfy, and weighs 400grms. I also have a top of the range WTB Silverado (got cheap off classifieds here) on my pimpy bike, just as comfy as the cheap one, far superior finishing and weighs less than 200grms. It has less padding but the same general shape that suits me, and presumably relies on shell flex to give comfort.